In Their Own Words

Tech Sgt. Sueo Ito 

U.S. Army

WWII

Military Intelligence Service (MIS)

AFPAC Headquarters, Manilla, Phillipines, 8th Army Headquarters Yokohoma, Japan

 The witness pointed at Ito

The war was over and the Japanese war crimes trial for General Yamashita was underway with Tech Sgt. Ito seated in the middle of the courtroom serving as translator.

The 43 international war correspondents covering the trial were polled to see if they thought Yamashita was personally guilty of the war crimes charges brought against him. Unanimously, they said no.  

Rumor had it that General McArthur was jealous of Yamashita’s accomplishments, and had decided before the trial even began, that Yamashita should die by hanging - the most dishonorable death for a Japanese.

During the trial, a Phillipino woman who was a witness to some of the Japanese atrocities, was asked to point out General Yamashita to the Court. The woman, pointing directly at Tech Sgt. Ito, confidently, identified him as Yamashita. The Prosecuter stated “Let the records show the witness has pointed to the accused. . .”

In Their Own Words briefly describes a specific historical story told during an APHA interview that is used as short stories for the media.