Sneha Girap (Editor)

Harry K Fukuhara

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Allegiance
  
United States

Unit
  
33rd Infantry Division

Name
  
Harry Fukuhara

Rank
  
Colonel


Harry K. Fukuhara wwwarmymile2cimages20140509344306size0jpg

Born
  
January 1, 1920 Seattle, Washington (
1920-01-01
)

Commands held
  
Military Governor of the Yaeyama Islands Group

Battles/wars
  
World War II Philippines Campaign New Guinea Campaign

Died
  
April 8, 2015, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

Awards
  
Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal

Battles and wars
  
Philippines Campaign, New Guinea campaign, World War II

Service/branch
  
United States Army

Colonel Harry Katsuji Fukuhara (Japanese: 福原克治, January 1, 1920 - April 8, 2015) was a United States Army soldier who was inducted in the United States Military Intelligence Hall of Fame in 1988.

Contents

Harry K. Fukuhara Torn Between Two Countries Colonel Harry K Fukuhara Article

Early life

Fukuhara was born in Seattle, Washington in 1920. His father died in 1933, and his mother took the family back to native Japan before the War. In 1938, following graduation from high-school in Japan, Harry returned to the United States.

Military career

After enlisting in the Army from the Gila River internment camp in 1942, Fukuhara served in the Army in the Pacific as a linguist with the 33rd Infantry Division. He served in the New Guinea and Philippine campaigns, earning a battlefield commission. Toward the end of the war he was part of the force preparing to invade Kyushu, Japan. Unknown to him, as he was preparing for the assault of Japan, he had a brother who was drafted in the Japanese Army who was preparing Kyushu's defense. Following the conclusion of the War he was sent to Japanese prisoner camps where he had to tell them of the bombing and the emperor's surrender. About a month following the surrender of Japan during the beginning of the occupation he secured authorization to look for his mother and three brothers in Hiroshima. He eventually found them, suffering from the effects of radiation from the bomb, and after trying to get his older brother into an American military hospital, he succumbed to radiation poisoning, but his mother and two younger brothers survived.

Following World War II, Fukuhara temporarily returned to the United States before he returned with the Army to serve in the US Army's occupation and reconstruction of Japan. His understanding of the language, culture, and tireless efforts were instrumental in developing post World War II United States - Japanese relations. He ended his distinguished career in uniform in 1971 as the military governor of the Yaeyama Islands Group in the Ryukyu Islands. Several of his military decorations include the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star.

Later life

Following his military career, Fukuhara served in Federal service, again retiring in 1991. Among many decorations and citations, he earned the Distinguished Federal Civilian Service Medal by the President of the United States. He was inducted in into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame in 1988 and made a Distinguished Member. He resided in San Jose, California and attended the MI Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies when able.

Fukuhara died in Honolulu, Hawaii on April 8, 2015.

References

Harry K. Fukuhara Wikipedia