cover image Masao: A Nisei Soldier’s Secret and Heroic Role in World War II

Masao: A Nisei Soldier’s Secret and Heroic Role in World War II

Sandra Vea. DMA, $18.99 trade paper (360p) ISBN 978-0-692-57558-1

Vea shares the important and fascinating story of her father-in-law, Masao Abe, documenting his military experiences as a nisei, a second-generation Japanese-American. She bases her work on hundreds of hours of interviews with Abe and his friends and relatives. Though the book has some flaws, the story is of historical interest for several reasons. First, though Abe was an American citizen by birth, from ages nine to 19 he was brought back to Japan for his education and groomed to be an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. To avoid military service his father sent him back to the U.S., where he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1941, serving with military intelligence throughout WWII. The second aspect of Abe’s distinct story is his service as a translator and interrogator during WWII. It was Abe’s job to coax Japanese defenders into surrendering during the ferocious island campaigns of WWII in the Pacific. Finally, the Abe story illustrates the challenges and injustices faced by the American immigrant communities during WWII even as their sons fought and sacrificed on the battlefield. Vea omits much about Abe’s life and career, but her otherwise moving and informative story illuminates a rarely discussed aspect of the WWII experience. [em](BookLife) [/em]