Delos Carleton Emmons

Delos Carleton Emmons (January 17, 1889 – October 3, 1965) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army.^[1] He was the military governor of Hawaii in the aftermath of the Attack on Pearl Harbor and administered the replacement of normal U.S. banknotes with special war-emergency US banknotes in case the islands were invaded. He is credited with preventing the mass evacuation of Japanese-Americans from Hawaii, which many have called a shameful episode of racism and jingoism that was felt hardest on the mainland.

Biography

He was born on January 17, 1889, in

He became a first lieutenant in July 1916 and was detailed to the Signal Corps' Aviation Section for pilot training in August 1916. He was rated a junior military aviator in May 1917 and became a captain in July. Emmons next served as aeronautical officer of the Western Department at San Francisco and in December went to Washington as assistant executive in the Office of the Chief Signal Officer. The following June, Emmons was promoted to major and went to

After the fall of France, the Americans and British increased their military cooperation; Emmons was one of three American military observers sent to London on August 6, 1940. He was promoted to lieutenant general in November 1940 when Army General Headquarters was activated, to make him equal in grade to the field army commanders of GHQ. He retained his command when GHQ Air Force was renamed Air Force Combat Command in June 1941 and made a part of the new United States Army Air Forces. This however caused command difficulties since he was now superior in rank to his boss, Major General Henry Arnold, the new Chief of the Army Air Forces.

Emmons was returned by Arnold to Hawaii as commanding general of the Hawaiian Department on December 17, ten days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He organized the replacement of the island's U.S. banknotes with new dollars overprinted with the word HAWAII; if the area were occupied, U.S. authorities could declare all marked dollars void and thereby render worthless all money which fell into enemy hands (by their capture of banks, businesses, etc.). He also requested Army Air Force Headquarters to send additional planes and received them as rapidly as possible. Emmons built up the forces in Hawaii, anticipating the Battle of Midway. This was the only combat command he held during the war. Emmons promised the local Japanese American community in Hawaii that they would be treated fairly so long as they remained loyal to the United States, and he succeeded in blocking efforts to relocate them to the outer islands or mainland in internment camps by pointing out the logistical difficulties.^[2]

Returning to the United States in June 1943, Emmons was assigned three months later as commanding general of the

General Emmons' awards and decorations include the

.

1st Row	clusters		Legion of Merit with cluster
2nd Row	Distinguished Flying Cross	Air Medal with cluster	Mexican Border Service Medal	World War I Victory Medal
3rd Row	American Defense Service Medal with Foreign Service Clasp	American Campaign Medal	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one star	World War II Victory Medal

References and notes

 This article incorporates public domain material from Lieutenant General Delos Carleton Emmons. United States Air Force.

External links

• Densho Encyclopedia article on Emmons as Military Governor and preventing mass removal of Japanese Hawaiians