Chiyoki Ikeda (born March 11, 1920 Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii; died March 17, 1960) was listed in the CIA Memorial Wall on May 14, 1997. Ikeda had possessed dual citizenship, but chose to renounce his Japanese citizenship in September 1940.

Early life and education

Ikeda graduated from President William McKinley High School in 1938 and attended the

University of Hawaiʻi The University of Hawaiʻi System, formally the University of Hawaiʻi and popularly known as UH, is a public college and university system that confers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees through three universities, seven com ...

, where he was on the track team for two years. In March 1943, he became a second lieutenant in the United States Army.

Work in the CIA

During the Chinese Civil War, Ikeda was selected for behind-enemy-lines duty in China with the

Office of Strategic Services The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the intelligence agency of the United States during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all branc ...

, the World War II forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency, and was decorated with a Bronze Star. After World War II, Ikeda helped screen

Japanese prisoners of war Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

returning to Japan from Siberian camps. Ikeda managed the screening process that attempted to identify POWs who had been trained by the Soviets to act as spies upon their return. He became a captain.

Language ability

Ikeda had excellent command of English and Japanese languages, and basic ability in

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

and

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

Death

Ikeda died on March 17, 1960, in the plane crash of

Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 710 Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 710, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, disintegrated in-flight and crashed near Cannelton, Indiana (10 miles east of Tell City, Indiana) on March 17, 1960. The flight carried 57 passengers and six crew members. There wer ...

in Indiana while on a temporary duty assignment.Remembering CIA's Heroes: Chiyoki Ikeda
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References

1920 births 1960 deaths People of the Central Intelligence Agency People of the Office of Strategic Services American military personnel of Japanese descent Hawaii Rainbow Warriors track and field athletes Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States People from Honolulu Accidental deaths in Indiana American expatriates in China United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army officers {{japan-bio-stub