James Mukoyama grew up in a working-class Chicago neighborhood where his family blended Japanese tradition with a deep commitment to America. At a time when many Japanese Americans were still recovering from the shadow of internment, his parents taught him that loyalty, discipline, and faith mattered more than circumstance. Those lessons carried him into military service, where he chose the infantry and shouldered the responsibility of leading men in Korea and later Vietnam.
In a career that spanned three decades, Mukoyama rose through the ranks with a reputation for integrity and steady leadership. His story is remarkable not just for his service in combat, but for the barrier he broke when he became the first Asian American to command a U.S. Army division. Along the way, he faced prejudice, setbacks, and moments of doubt, but his commitment to faith, family, and country never wavered. His memoir, Faith, Family & Flag: Memoirs of an Unlikely American Samurai Crusader, reflects on that journey and on what it meant to serve as both a soldier and a pioneer.
