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Teruto "Terry" Tsubota was a second-generation Japanese-American, or Nisei, from Hawaii, who was credited with saving hundreds of Japanese lives while serving as a Military Intelligence Service (MIS) combat translator with the 6th Marine Division during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.
Tsubota didn't fire a single shot but rescued many people hiding in the caves during the battle, to the point of disobeying orders. He even managed to convince to surrender a Japanese officer who was about to kill him. Tsubota stayed on Okinawa after the war and married Kiyoko, a local woman who survived the battle carnage; they raised three children. He retired from government service in 1993.
Tsubota remains a hero to the residents of Okinawa as the man who personally prevented many of the suicides of scared civilians. He accompanied Okinawa Governor and other officials during Bill Clinton's 2000 visit to the prefecture. In 2004 he was one of the honored guests at the 59th anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa held in the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum in Itoman.
External links
- Thousands honor 59th anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa, Stars and Stripes, June 25, 2004
- WWII interpreter saved civilians: The Hilo-born soldier was honored for his efforts on Okinawa, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, September 26, 2004
- Defiant soldier saved lives of hundreds of civilians during Okinawa battle, Stars and Stripes, April 1, 2005
- Book lauds unheralded Nisei translators, Stars and Stripes, June 23, 2007
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