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RK: This is the issue of Time magazine in which they printed all the letters to the editor denying the rumor that Japanese high school boys from Hawaii had piloted the planes that attacked Pearl Harbor. And it's an issue of Time magazine which cost 15 cents on March 30, 1942, and lo and behold, the glorious picture of General MacArthur. And inside is printed, in the Letters to the Editor, is printed under the heading of "Ugly Rumor," the letter that I sent and along with excerpts from letters from my classmates. I put down, "Sirs, in the article entitled, 'The Stranger Within Our Gates,' Time magazine, January 19, you state that, 'Jap high school boys from Hawaii had helped pilot the planes that attacked Pearl Harbor.'" And I go on to write, "Although it is a fact that words to that effect made their rounds here in town, there is no confirmation or proof of such a happening. Our local papers and army officials have openly denied this charge after examination of the bodies of Japanese pilots who took part in the December 7th raid. Furthermore, the comprehensive Roberts Report makes no mention of 'Jap high school boys.' In other words, this is just another ugly rumor." And I signed the letter. And the editors of Time magazine were very kind. They sent me a letter before they published the letter and in which they said, "Dear Mr. Kosaki: Time's editors want you to know that they very much appreciated your letter and those of your schoolmates in regard to the rumor that Japanese high school boys from Hawaii had helped pilot the planes that attacked Pearl Harbor. We are planning to publish your letter and a representative selection of others in our March 30th issue." They went on to say, mention the names of others, the students who wrote the letters, asking me to thank them. And they said, ended by saying, "Thank you very much for letting us hear from you in this connection. Cordially yours, for the editors." I thought that was an interesting episode.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 2004 Japanese American National Museum. All Rights Reserved.