Curio Cabinet

Traitor, hero or someone who was just in a bind? Iva Toguri D’Aquino, also known as “Tokyo Rose,” was convicted of treason this week in 1949, but she was pardoned for the crime in 1977. Though she was reviled for a long time by the American public as a traitor, she was also vindicated later on. And all of this because she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time during WWII.
 
Iva Toguri was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 4, 1916, to Japanese immigrants. Despite her timely birthday and citizenship, Toguri would go on to become one of the most infamous civilian figures in WWII, even if that reputation was undeserved. Toguri grew up in the U.S. and attended UCLA. Soon after graduating, she traveled to Japan to visit a sick relative. It just so happened that she was traveling with a Certificate of Identification instead of a passport, which wouldn’t have been a problem…if the Japanese Imperial Navy hadn’t attacked Pearl Harbor while she was still in Japan. In the wake of the attack, the U.S. refused to grant her a passport or certify her citizenship, effectively stranding Toguri in Japan. The Japanese government wasn’t any friendlier, declaring her an “enemy alien” after she refused to renounce her American citizenship. Nevertheless, she was able to find work for a while as a typist while taking Japanese language classes. Then, in November of 1943, Toguri was forced to begin working on an English-language propaganda radio show called “Zero Hour” alongside Australian and American POWs.
 
In some ways, Toguri’s situation was far from unique. During WWII, the Japanese military forced many of its English-speaking prisoners and civilians to work on propaganda broadcasts aimed at the Allies. Zero Hour was aimed at American troops with the intent of demoralizing them. However, it didn’t always go as planned, as was the case with Toguri. Under the shared moniker “Orphan Annie,” Toguri was one of many women who worked as a DJ on the show, all of whom were collectively called “Tokyo Rose” by American listeners. When she was on air, she frequently used slang terms and made double entendres that her Japanese overseers didn’t understand with the purpose of undermining the propaganda efforts. Indeed, according to various accounts, her show had the opposite of the intended effect. Instead of feeling demoralized, American troops actually enjoyed her show, which often featured popular American music of the time. Also while working with the POWs, she smuggled food and other supplies to them whenever she could, though her efforts weren’t recognized for decades. Before she returned to the U.S. in 1947, she married Felipe D’Aquino, but divorced after he was unable to get permission to enter the U.S. with her. As soon as she arrived in the U.S., there was a massive public outcry to prosecute her. Though she wasn’t the only “Tokyo Rose,” she found herself held accountable as the only one. After she was convicted of treason in 1949, she spent six years in prison.
 
Toguri was pardoned in 1977 by President Gerald Ford thanks to several factors. An investigation into her trial revealed that several witnesses for the prosecution had been coerced into committing perjury. Secondly, her subversive actions against the Japanese military during her time as a propagandist came to light. In recognition of her innocence and her efforts to aid the American POWs, Toguri was awarded the Edward J. Herlihy Citizenship Award by the World War II Veterans Committee in 2006. Toguri passed away that same year, and today she’s remembered mostly as a hero, not a traitor. Is there any better way to be vindicated?

One man’s unexploded ordnance is another critter’s treasure. Using an undersea submersible, researchers at the Senckenberg Research Institute in Germany have found that marine life is thriving on what used to be the deadliest weapons in the sea. World War II shaped many aspects of our curent political age, but more tangible and literal remnants of the war can be found at the bottom of the ocean in the form of discarded weapons and unused explosives. It’s estimated that there are currently 1.6 million tons of WWII-era weapons lying in German waters alone. These dumped weapons pose a number of threats. On land, explosives might detonate when disturbed after decades of slumber. That’s less likely underwater, but dangerous chemicals can still leak out as their containers deteriorate, causing harm to people and the environment. It would seem, then, that the deadly refuse of the past would prevent modern day sea life from thriving. Oddly, though, scientists exploring the seabed of the Bay of Lübeck have found that a cache of failed V-1 flying bombs have become an unlikely home for a variety of underwater fauna. V-1 flying bombs were rockets developed by Nazi Germany during WWII with the intention of striking at long-distance targets. Due to their unreliable nature, though, many of them simply ended up crashing into the water before making it anywhere near their targets. Now, starfish, anemone, crabs, marine worms, and other creatures are living on the “metal carcasses” of the rockets, seemingly unperturbed by the undetonated explosives inside. Based on observations made with a submersible, it appears that the twisted metal shell of the rockets has filled with sediment, creating a rich and varied environment for marine fauna to thrive on. Settling down on a fallen bomb? It gives new meaning to the phrase “volatile housing market!”

Even a short tenure can have a lasting impact. Pope John Paul I, also known as “the Smiling Pope,” passed away around this time of the year in 1978, just 33 days after becoming the pope. This brief pontificate (the term referring to the tenure of a pope as well as the position itself) is one of the shortest in history. Born on October 17, 1912, in Forno di Canale, Italy, with the birth name Albino Luciani, Pope John Paul I was ordained a priest in 1935. He was elected pope on August 26, 1978, and he was unique in a number of ways.
 
Pope John Paul was one of the few pontiffs to have a pastoral reputation, despite never serving as a pastor, and was known for being accessible as a result. Even his nickname comes from the ever present smile on his face, which endeared him to the public. He was also the first pope to be born in the 20th century, the last to die in the 20th century, and—as of now—the last Italian pope to be elected. He was the first pope to have two names; “John” and “Paul” refer to Popes John XXIII and Paul VI.
 
As short as his pontificate was, it’s not the shortest ever. That “honor” goes to Pope Leo XI, who passed away in 1605 just 27 days after becoming the pontiff. Pope John Paul I passed away in his sleep, presumably of a heart attack, though the exact cause was never officially established. Due to the sudden and unexpected nature of his death, there were unsubstantiated rumors at the time that he had been assassinated. Decades after his passing, he was beatified and became Blessed John Paul I, meaning that he is at the second stage on the way to becoming a saint. The beatification came after an 11-year-old girl in Argentina with Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome reportedly recovered after praying to the pope. Even in death, his reputation keeps improving!

[Image description: An illustration of the obelisk in front of the Vatican.] Credit & copyright: The Vatican Obelisk, from "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae" Publisher: Antonio Lafreri (French, Orgelet, Franche-Comte ca. 1512–1577 Rome). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1941. Public Domain.