Ben Kuroki
He fought a two-front war, battling Axis forces in the sky and prejudice on the ground to become a decorated gunner and a symbol of Japanese American patriotism.
1917–2015 (age 98)·United States Army Air Forces soldier·Birthday: May 16·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Ben Kuroki's story is one of relentless determination against stacked odds. A Nebraska farm boy of Japanese descent, he and his brother were repeatedly rejected when they tried to enlist after Pearl Harbor, facing immediate suspicion. They drove over 150 miles to another recruitment office and were finally accepted. Kuroki then fought for the right to fight, persuading commanders to let him serve as a gunner on B-24 bombers in Europe, where he flew 30 harrowing missions, including the perilous Ploiești raid. He later volunteered for more combat in the Pacific—a theater explicitly forbidding soldiers of Japanese ancestry. Through sheer force of will and high-level intervention, he became the only such American to fly combat missions there, completing 28 more sorties. After the war, he used his hard-won status to speak out against the internment camps and advocate for civil rights.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Ben was born in 1917, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ben Was Born
The biggest hits of 1917
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Ben's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1917Born
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Started school
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1930Became a teenager
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1933Could drive
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1935Could vote
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1938Turned 21
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1947Turned 30
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 40
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 50
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 60
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 70
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 80
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2015Died at 98
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Flew 58 total combat missions in World War II across the European and Pacific theaters as an aerial gunner.
- Became the only American soldier of Japanese descent to fly combat missions in the Pacific theater during the war.
- Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross twice for his heroism and service under fire.
- Toured the U.S. after the war, giving speeches that challenged racial prejudice and defended Japanese American loyalty.
Did You Know?
He was briefly interned along with his family at the Jerome War Relocation Center in Arkansas before being allowed to enlist.
His crew nicknamed their B-24 bomber 'Honorable Sad Saki' in a mix of respect and jest.
After the war, he worked as a newspaper editor in Nebraska.
He was present at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay in September 1945.
“I felt I had to prove that I was an American, too.”
