Brig. Gen. Theodore Shigeru Kanamine broke ground in 1976 when he became the first active duty Japanese-American general in the U.S. Army. His rise through the ranks of both American civilian and military life began much earlier, however, when he was forced into an internment camp as a child during World War II. He would go on to law school, serve in the Korean and Vietnam wars, and finished his nearly three-decade military career as chief of staff of the First Army at Fort Meade, Maryland.
- Died: March 2, 2023 (Who else died on March 2?)
- Details of death: Died in Naples, Florida of cancer at the age of 93.
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Civilian Life
Kanamine was born in North Hollywood, California, where he lived a fairly normal life until 1942. That’s when he and his family were forced to relocate to Arkansas when President Franklin D. Roosevelt had over 125,000 Japanese Americans placed in internment camps following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Kanamine and his family lived in captivity for two years before being allowed to move to Nebraska. There, he earned degrees in Criminal Psychology and Law. He could not, however, marry his future wife, Mary Stuben. Interracial marriage was banned in Nebraska, so in 1954 the pair had to cross state lines to be wed.
Military Career
In 1955, the military called on him to serve. Kanamine was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Military Police Corps (MP). What followed was a steady rise through the ranks. He was deployed to both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, moving 21 times during his career. He served as aide to 4-star General Creighton Abrams during the Vietnam War, then was given command of the MP battalion that provided security to Saigon. Kanamine made history in 1976 when he was promoted to Brigadier General, the U.S. Army’s first active-duty Japanese-American general. He would later be inducted into the Military Police Corps Hall of Fame. After retirement, he spent his civilian years doing volunteer work for organizations like the American Red Cross, the Knights of Columbus, and the Holy Family Catholic Church in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Tributes to Brig. Gen. Theodore Shigeru Kanamine
Full Obituary: Military Times
