Famed "Tokyo Rose" dies at age 90

Iva Toguri D'Aquino died yesterday afternoon in Chicago at the ripe old age of 90. D'Aquino, a Japanese-American, was convicted and later pardoned of being the well-known WWII propagandist "Tokyo Rose." During the war, Japan's propaganda campaign included a character known as Tokyo Rose whose purpose was to demoralize U.S. troops by emphasizing the hardships that they faced in the Pacific. (There's no evidence that it worked.) While more than one person is thought to be responsible for the broadcasts, D'Aquino became the best known thanks to her signing contacts with two reporters under the name "Tokyo Rose".

D'Aquino was convicted of treason in 1949 for her role in the Japanese war effort. President Ford pardoned her in 1977 after an investigation revealed that witnesses in her case had been pressured to lie. For her part, D'Aquino later acknowledged working on the radio broadcasts but denied being the voice of Tokyo Rose. (Read more)