Kenjiro Akune was born in 1923 and educated in Turlock, California. His mother died during the Great Depression, so the Akune family returned to Kagoshima, Japan, where Ken grew up as a kibei teen. As the Great Depression deepened, the family sent the eldest sons back to Central California for economic survival. At the outbreak of World War II, the Akune brothers were interred at the Amache Concentration Camp in Colorado, where Ken and his older brother, Harry, volunteered for the US Army Military Intelligence Service, classified as 4C, enemy aliens.

After intensive military language training at Camp Savage, Minnesota, Ken was deployed to the China-Burma-India theatre of war. He was attached to British forces to open the Ledo Road in Myitkyina, Burma. He recounts harrowing military transport flights with the Flying Tigers aircraft over the Himalaya hump into Chongquing, China. While interrogating Japanese POWs in Kunming, he described listening in subdued jubilation to the Emperor of Japan announce the surrender on a radio broadcast.

Ken made his way to Tokyo shortly after the surrender and while reporting for duty at the Supreme Allied Command Headquarters, was miraculously reunited with his brother, Harry, stepping out of the elevator. Soon, thereafter, both brothers discovered their family in Kagoshima had survived the War. The family separation has been the subject of several documentaries of Brothers Against Brothers in War.

After demobilizing to Seattle, Ken was honorably discharged from the US Army. But opportunities in America continued to be biased against Japanese-Americans. A new opportunity arose for his language skills as a translator for the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, where he supported translations to secure the guilty verdicts for Hideki Tojo. But his greatest personal achievement was meeting and marrying Alice Shiosaka in 1948.

Kenjiro and Alice quietly returned to Los Angeles in 1949 to start and raise a family. They found a hospitable community in Gardena where he humbly rekindled their American dream with a long career at Hughes Aircraft. After retirement, Ken helped to found the Go For Broke National Education Center where he recounted his war-time memories for those who could not speak up for their sacrifices. His message was simple: " We believed in America when America did not believe in us ."

Kenjiro Akune died in Gardena (1923-2022), surrounded by family. His wife of 74 years, Alice, predeceased him by 8 weeks. They are survived by their 5 children: Karen Akune, David Akune, Kenneth Akune (Yvonne Romaine), Teresa Akune, and Kathleen Choi; plus 2 grandchildren: Kyle Choi (Margaret Li Choi) and Amy Choi.

Short Tribute Videos
Alice Akune Video
Kenjiro Akune Video

Full Funeral Service Mass
Kenjiro https://vimeo.com/showcase/8092146/video/782099984
Alice https://vimeo.com/showcase/8092146/video/755983334