Theodore S. Kanamine
Born(1929-08-29)August 29, 1929
Hollywood, California, U.S.
DiedMarch 2, 2023(2023-03-02) (aged 93)
Naples, Florida, U.S.
Buried
Sarasota Veterans National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1955–1981
RankBrigadier General
UnitArmy Criminal Investigation Division Military Assistance Command, Vietnam
Commands held716th Military Police Battalion
Battles/warsVietnam War
AwardsDistinguished Service Medal
Bronze Star Medal
Legion of Merit (2)
Meritorious Service Medal (2)

Theodore Shigeru Kanamine (August 29, 1929 – March 2, 2023) was a United States Army brigadier general and the first Japanese-American active duty general in the United States military. Serving in the military police, he led the investigation of the Mỹ Lai Massacre in 1968.[1]

Born in California, Kanamine and his family were sent to an internment camp when he was 12-years-old.[2]

Early life

Kanamine was born in Hollywood, California, on August 29, 1929. His parents were Japanese-American immigrants and he had a younger sister.[1] In 1942, at age 12, Kanamine and his family were incarcerated in an internment camp in Jerome, Arkansas following the signing of Executive Order 9066. After their release, the family moved to Nebraska.[3] He attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he studied criminal psychology; he later enrolled in the university's law school, graduating in 1954.[3] That year, he married Mary Stuben, a fellow graduate. Due to Nebraska state laws restricting interracial marriages, the couple wed in Council Bluffs, Iowa.[2]

Career

After commissioning as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corps, Kanamine joined active service with a military police unit in 1955. He would later serve with Military Assistance Command, Vietnam in Saigon and participated in the Tet Offensive.[4] He later led the investigation of the Mỹ Lai Massacre; the 1968 incident saw soldiers from the US 23rd Infantry Division kill hundreds of unarmed people. During his career, Kanamine served as an aide to General Creighton Abrams, who recommended his promotion to brigadier general.[5] In 1979, while in the capacity of provost marshal of United States Army, Europe and Seventh United States Army, he oversaw efforts to combat drug abuse amongst American armed forces in Germany.[6] He retired in 1981.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rosenwald, Michael S. "Theodore Kanamine, Army's first Japanese-American general, dies at 93". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  2. 1 2 Peralta, Isa (7 March 2023). "Theodore Kanamine, the US Army's first Japanese American general, dies at 93". Yahoo News. Yahoo. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  3. 1 2 Perez, Damone (8 March 2023). "Trailblazing Japanese-American Army general dies at 93". Navy Times. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "Theodore Shigeru "Ted" Kanamine". DiscoverNikkei. Japanese American National Museum. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  5. ↑ Lyght, Bill (May 17, 2019). On Call 24-7: A Legacy of Lifetime Relationships. Section 20: Page Publishing, Inc. ISBN 9781644628300.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  6. ↑ United States. Congress. House. Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control (30 Jul 2012). "Drug Abuse Among U.S. Armed Forces in the Federal Republic of Germany and West Berlin: Hearings Before the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control, House of Representatives Ninety-fifth Congress, Second Session, Nov. 20 and 22, 1978" (95): 52. Retrieved 8 March 2023. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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