Image courtesy of Department of the Navy, Naval Photographic Center
Iva Toguri is interviewed by American journalists in Yokohama, Japan on Sept. 10, 1945, shortly before she is held in detention. Toguri, one of a dozen female broadcasters whom Allied forces dubbed "Tokyo Rose" during World War II, died  at age 90 on Sept. 26.

Iva Toguri, convicted and later pardoned by President Gerald Ford for being the infamous wartime radio broadcaster “Tokyo Rose,” died on Tuesday in Chicago of natural causes, according to her nephew, William Toguri. She was 90.

“Tokyo Rose” was the name given by soldiers to a female radio broadcaster responsible for anti-American transmissions intended to demoralize soldiers fighting in the Pacific theater.

In a 2005 interview with the “World War II Chronicles,” the reclusive Toguri said, “I would like to be remembered as confident that one day the truth would be known. I myself know what I uttered—they may put words in my mouth—I know I did not say those words.

Over time, allies have gathered along the road. In the beginning, there were few; my family, of course—my college friends, who told me, ‘We know you and we know you told the truth—there is no question.’”

John Tateishi, Japanese American Citizens League national executive

Toguri was born Ikuko Toguri on the Fourth of July, 1916 in Los Angeles to Issei parents. She began to use the first name Iva during her school years.

Toguri had graduated from UCLA in 1940, and was visiting relatives in Japan when she became trapped in the country following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Taking odd jobs to support herself, Toguri worked as an English-language typist for Radio Tokyo. While working at the station, she was chosen by Australian prisoner of war Major Charles Cousens to appear on a Japanese radio propaganda broadcast entitled “Zero Hour,” intended to be aired for American servicemen in the Pacific. Toguri protested, claiming that she knew nothing of radio. However, she was assured that she would not be made to say anything derogatory about her native country. In fact, Cousens secretly planned on sabotaging the program, making it useless to the Japanese as propaganda. It was for this reason that he lobbied for the pro-American Iva Toguri to be on the show.

Using the name “Orphan Ann,” Toguri performed comedy skits and introduced newscasts.