Free to Die for Their Country

Book cover of Free to Die for Their Country: The Story of the Japanese American Draft Resisters in World War II

Book description

In the spring of 1942, the federal government forced West Coast Japanese Americans into detainment camps on suspicion of disloyalty. Two years later, the government demanded even more, drafting them into the same military that had been guarding them as subversives. Most of these Americans complied, but "Free to Die…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Free to Die for Their Country as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Saara Kekki

Author

Much of the general public knows the great performance of the segregated Nisei (2nd generation Japanese American) unit in World War II, but few are still familiar with the Nisei draft resisters.

Eric Muller’s book tells the story of these men, who were drafted from incarceration camps—and then imprisoned in federal prisons for refusing to serve. Over 80 of these resisters came from Heart Mountain, where they had organized around a group called the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee, but men from other camps also resisted. Their message was unanimous: they love the United States but will not serve before…

From Saara's list on really feeling the everyday life of the Japanese American community.