September 5, 1945: Iva Toguri D’Aquino is arrested in Yokohama, Japan, as "Tokyo Rose." In fact, that was a generic name that American troops gave to whatever propaganda "voice of Japan" they may have heard.
Toguri -- ironically, born on the 4th of July, in 1916 -- was a Los Angeles native, a UCLA graduate, a classmate of Jackie Robinson -- and was stranded in Japan because she was visiting her family when the war broke out. Her prominence saw her branded as one of the war's most notorious propagandists, but evidence shows that she was not a Japanese sympathizer. Indeed, she refused to give up her American citizenship, and broadcast against her will. Her program became conflated with more vicious propaganda, and she was arrested and convicted of treason after the Japanese surrender.
She was released from prison in 1956, after it was found that witnesses at her trial had lied under oath. It was not until 1977, as President Gerald Ford left office, following an exposé on the CBS News program 60 Minutes, that he gave her an official Presidential pardon. Her American citizenship was restored, and she lived quietly in Chicago until September 26, 2006, at age 90.
The "Tokyo Rose" broadcasters, and their European equivalent, "Axis Sally," would be parodied on the TV show M*A*S*H, set during the subsequent Korean War, as "Seoul City Sue."
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September 5, 1945 was a Wednesday. Scottish singer Al Stewart was born on this day.
Due to wartime travel restrictions, with no knowledge that The War was going to end before the regular season was over, the baseball schedule had many more doubleheaders than usual. These games were played on this day:
* The New York Yankees split a doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium. The Tigers won the opener, 10-7. The Tigers scored 5 runs in the top of the 9th, including home runs by Eddie Mayo and Hank Greenberg, the latter newly returned from serving in The War, to come from behind and win it. The Yankees won the nightcap, 5-1. George "Snuffy" Stirnweiss, on his was to winning the American League batting title, hit a home run.
* The New York Giants were swept by the Chicago Cubs, 5-2 and 10-2 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Giant player-manager Mel Ott went 0-for-4 in the 1st game, then kept himself out of the 2nd game until becoming a pinch-hitter, and didn't reach base.
* The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-3 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Goody Rosen won it with a home run in the top of the 10th.
* A doubleheader was split at Fenway Park in Boston. The Boston Red Sox won the 1st game, 2-1. The Cleveland Indians won the 2nd game, 5-2.
* The Chicago White Sox swept the Philadelphia Athletics, 15-6 and 6-5 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. In the 2nd game, the ChiSox scored 2 runs in the top of the 14th, but the A's could only score 1 in the bottom half.
* A doubleheader was split at Griffith Stadium in Washington, and both games went to extra innings. The Washington Senators won the 1st game, 2-1. Rick Ferrell singled Fred Vaughn home with the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning. The St. Louis Browns won the 2nd game, 4-3. Mark Christman singled Vern Stephens home with the winning run in the top of the 10th.
* A doubleheader was split at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Reds won the 1st game, 1-0. Mike Modak allowed 9 hits, but kept the shutout. The Philadelphia Phillies won the 2nd game, 8-6.
* And the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Boston Braves, 4-2 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.
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