The Hoover Institution Library & Archives has acquired the papers of Asian American counterintelligence officer Kay K. Sasaki (1923–2017). This rare collection documents the detailed life and service of a second-generation Japanese American, from his incarceration at Amache, also known as the Granada Relocation Center, Colorado, to a long-standing career with the US Army Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC), a period spanning the occupation of Japan to the Korean War and the pre-Vietnam War years in Saigon. The collection consists of all of his assignment sheets; photographs of the Korean War, including some featuring a fleeing refugee woman and a child; anti-Communist campaign leaflets; and bank notes, including those issued by the North Korea Central Bank.
Born in Yuba City, California, on December 8, 1923, Sasaki and his family were forcibly removed from their home and incarcerated in wartime Japanese American camps, first at the Merced Assembly (temporary detention) Center and later at the Amache Japanese American Incarceration Camp. Sasaki had the freedom to live and work outside the camp after having received permanent clearance. He later enlisted in the US Army in late 1944.
Between 1945 and 1965, he completed multiple overseas tours of duty in Japan (1945–48, April–June 1950, July 1951–June 1952), South Korea (July 1950–July 1951, August 1955–December 1956), and Vietnam (September 1961–February 1962). On October 17, 1950, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his actions during the Korean Conflict with the 25th CIC Detachment. After returning to the United States, he became a civilian special agent in late 1965. He continued work in military intelligence while stationed in Washington, DC; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Camp Zama (Japan) until his retirement in 1986.
This collection shines a rare spotlight on the activities of an Asian American counterintelligence officer working behind the scenes in various US military engagements.
Scroll through selected images from the Kay K. Sasaki papers (Hoover Institution Library & Archives).
