Stan. S. Katz

Author of The Emperor and the Spy

Osher Lifelong Education Institute – UCSD Presentation. Remarkable story, the alliance between a patriotic U.S. Intelligence Agent, Colonel Sidney Mashbir, and a humanitarian Japanese International Statesman, Prince Iyesato Tokugawa, who heroically delayed and attempted to prevent WWII in the Pacific.

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Osher Lifelong Education Institute – University of California San Diego

January 8th, 2020 the author of historical novel The Emperor and the Spy & the biography The Art of Peace gave a presentation on significant unknown events linked to U.S. Japan relations during the first half of the twentieth century. Highlighted is the fascinating career of the the intelligence agent, Colonel Mashbir, and the outstanding diplomatic and political achievements of Prince Iyesato Tokugawa. Spotlighted is the close friendship and alliance of Colonel Mashbir and Prince Tokugawa.T

The below one hour video that was followed by a one hour non-recorded question and answer session with inquiries from the one hundred attendees.  Hope you enjoy. Continue Reading...

1948 – Walt Disney and his corporate pilot Marine Colonel Kelvin Bailey (retired) promote the Marine Corps League Toys for Tots gift campaign.

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1948- Walt Disney’s office in Burbank, California: Standing with Walt (he didn’t like being called Mr. Disney) is his corporate pilot Marine Lt. Colonel Kelvin Bailey (retired), and Kelvin’s wife Gwen, who was something of a starlet in her day.

The author of this blog post was gifted this photo by Colonel Robert F. Warren, who was a mutual friend of Colonel Sidney Mashbir and Colonel Kelvin Bailey. Continue Reading...

Colonel Sidney Mashbir’s good friend Colonel Robert F. Warren has just had his autobiography “Only In My America” published highlighting his distinguished military aviation career.

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As an author and historian who has studied and written about Colonel Sidney Mashbir, it was my good fortune when Marine Colonel Robert Warren and his son Marine Captain William Warren contacted me three years ago in 2018 to discuss their close friendship with Colonel Mashbir decades earlier. Continue Reading...

Colonel Mashbir was instrumental in correcting an injustice that made a life-changing difference to a couple of young soldiers he never met. This historical material also gives insights into U.S. Korean relations and the rise of communism just prior to the outbreak of the Korean War (1950-1953).

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Shown below are a letter, a photo, and a four page document that were sent to me by Jody Baltz, the son-in-law of Robert Wilson Murphy, of one of those two soldiers.

Jody and his wife Lesa, who is the youngest of Wilson’s three daughters, contacted me to let me know that Colonel Mashbir was a hero not only to his father-in-law, but also to Jody and Lesa’s entire family, who deeply respected Colonel Mashbir for what he did.

Jody and Lesa live in Tullahoma, Tennessee.

 

 

 

 

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Colonel Sidney Mashbir’s widow Alice gifted her husband’s portrait of General MacArthur to his good friends Marine Captain William Warren and Marine Colonel Robert F. Warren…Robert and William shared their personal experiences with their friend Sidney.

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Having studied and written about Colonel Sidney Mashbir, it was my good fortune when Robert Warren and his son William Warren contacted me in 2018 to discuss their close friendship with Colonel Mashbir many years earlier.

William and Robert generously shared various historical materials linked to Colonel Mashbir (1891-1973). This blog post will present a number of those items, as well as Robert and William’s recollections of Colonel Mashbir. Also included is biographic material about Robert and William Warren, who being younger than Mashbir, were inspired and influenced by Colonel Mashbir’s heroic dedication to our nation. Continue Reading...

Captain Sidney Mashbir’s successful 1922 secret mission prevented a potential war in Asia. However, the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 again destabilized Japan – During the challenging first months following that major disaster, Mashbir spearheaded a U.S. Medical Relief Effort to assist many of the injured Japanese.

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In 1922, Mashbir completed a dangerous mission in Vladivostok, Russia, preventing the outbreak of a regional war between Japan, China, and Russia, which might have expanded further!

The following year on September 1, 1923, the most destructive natural disaster in modern Japanese history occurred, The Great Kantō Earthquake (関東大震災, Kantō daishinsai), a Japanese natural disaster in the Kantō region of the island of Honshū. This earthquake destroyed Tokyo, the port city of Yokohama, surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka, and approximately 140,000 people died. During the challenging first months following that major disaster, Mashbir spearheaded an American Medical Relief Effort to assist many of the injured Japanese – As part of this humanitarian process, Mashbir created the first English – Japanese Medical Translation Dictionary that was used by English speaking health care workers while treating Japanese speaking patients. Continue Reading...

Saturday Evening Post magazine in 1948 presented a three part weekly series on Colonel Mashbir titled, ”I Was An American Spy.” This probably inspired Mashbir to write his autobiography titled: I Was an American Spy, which was published in 1953.

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Two and one half years after the end of WWII, Colonel Mashbir felt the time was finally right to share some of the details of his many adventures in espionage

The below Saturday Evening Post magazines from March 27th, 1948, April 3rd, 1948, and April 10th, 1948 present a three part series about Colonel Mashbir, which has the same title as as Mashbir’s upcoming 1953 autobiography titled; I Was an American Spy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Colonel Mashbir’s autobiography, “I Was an American Spy”

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It is an honor to announce the publication of:

The 65th Anniversary Edition of Colonel Sidney Forrester Mashbir’s exciting 1953 autobiography:

I WAS AN AMERICAN SPY

 

Besides being a fascinating story, Colonel Mashbir’s autobiography is a textbook in the art of espionage and counter-espionage.

Colonel Mashbir (1891-1973) led an adventurous life – At the age of thirteen, he began his military career as a bugle boy in the Arizona Guard, in the still untamed Arizona Territory. During 1914-1916, he served under General Funston and General Pershing, and went on daring missions across the U.S./Mexican border during the Mexican Revolution, attempting to maintain stability between those nations. He personally escorted the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa to a peace parley with General Pershing in 1914. Continue Reading...