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First family groups leave Hawaii to join fathers/husbands in Mainland internment camps; more follow in 1943 (about 900 total).

The US military draft system declares AJAs as 4-C aliens (category 4C), and therefore not eligible to be drafted into military service.

Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorizing forced removal of AJAs from the West Coast; 110,000 mostly US-born are sent to internment camps, where they are imprisoned for most of the war period.

Battle of Bataan begins in Philippines – US/Filipino forces surrender on April 9, 1942, the largest surrender in US history; 60,000 Filipino and 15,000 US POWs forced into 60-mile Bataan Death March.

Decisive US victory in the Battle of Midway Island assures that Japan will not be invading Hawaii.

Secretary of Navy Franklin Knox visits Hawaii December 11 & 12 to assess the situation. In December 14 report, he calls for mass incarceration or removal of Japanese Americans in Hawaii.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt freezes Japanese assets, and follows with an oil embargo on Japan in Aug 1941.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visits Hawaii during her 5-week tour of the South Pacific.

Emergency Service Committee assigned by Morale Section of Military Governor’s Office to work with Japanese community.

First Hawaii AJAs are sent from the Sand Island detention camp on Oahu to Mainland prison facilities in the continental US; more follow in 1942 and 1943. Over 600 are sent from Hawaii to Mainland imprisonment. Eventually, many of their families are allowed to join them.

Lt. Gen. Delos C. Emmons, Hawaii’s military governor, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and prominent local leaders argue successfully against mass forced interment of Hawaii Japanese. This is foreshadowed by General Emmons’ immediate creation of the Morale Section and subsequent deflection of direction from the War Department in Washington DC to begin mass internment.

Sand Island Camp opened in Honolulu for about 300 arrested Issei & Nisei, followed days later by camps on Hawaii island, Maui, Kauai & more arrests.

Honolulu Police Department forms Espionage Bureau headed by Police Captain John A. Burns. This unit has connections in all the Japanese American community groups on Oahu, and it will work closely with the FBI unit in Hawaii.

Japan attacks Philippines, Singapore, Malaya, Hong Kong.

7:48 am – Japan begins attack on Pearl Harbor and 6 airfields on Oahu; 8 battleships sunken/ damaged, 64 of 223 Army aircraft destroyed; 2,335 military & 68 civilian deaths.

Japanese military forces capture Manila, Philippines.

Ten days after the Pearl Harbor attack, Lt. Gen. Delos C. Emmons is appointed as the Military Governor of the Territory of Hawaii and commander of the Hawaii Department of the U.S. Army. A 1909 graduate of West Point, Emmons served most of his career in the development of the Army Air Force. He is familiar with Hawaii having previously served two years there as the commander of the 18th Composite Wing, and Air Officer of Hawaiian Department.

11:30 am – Martial law declared in the Territory of Hawaii: habeas corpus suspended; mandatory curfew; gas rationing; civil courts closed; mail/press censored. The civilian governor becomes subordinate to the Military Governor.

Territorial governors wartime:

Joseph B. Poindexter (1934-1942)

Ingram M. Stainback (1942-1951)

Military governors:

Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short – December 7-17 1941

Lt. Gen. Delos C. Emmons – December 17, 1941-June 1, 1943

Lt. Gen. Robert C. Richardson – June 1, 1943-October 24, 1944

Morale Section of the Military Governor’s Office established, headed by Shigeo Yoshida, Hung Wai Ching, and Charles Loomis. Very important subcommittees were created in this wartime element of the Territorial government, in particular the Emergency Service Committee, which worked with the Americans of Japanese ancestry community.

On Sep 1, 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders mobilization of National Guard nationwide.

War Department reclassifies Nisei men, allowing them to be drafted and to serve in the U.S. Army. This also opens the door to allow the U.S. Army to call for AJA volunteers for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

Hawaii Council for Interracial Unity established to prepare Japanese American community for impending war. Hung Wai Ching, Director of the YMCA in Honolulu, plays a major role in organizing this foundational interracial effort in Hawaii.

Tripartite Pact between Japan, Germany, Italy pledges mutual support if attacked by a nation not already at war; this is intended to keep US neutral.

US establishes peacetime draft in September 1940, but there are no significant inductions until January 1941.

US proclaims neutrality, but President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares “state of national emergency” on September 8, 1939.