A battle of a different nature: Civilians who were on Wake Island and their fight for compensation after World War II

The civilians who had been working on Wake Island during World War II were captured by the Japanese in December 1941. These men fought for compensation when they returned home. They were ultimately successful.;This thesis will discuss some of the reasons the civilians believe they deserved compensation and how they worked to gain it. This information is based on their memoirs, letters written by them while they were on Wake Island, military records, and documents used during the War Crimes Trial as well as information obtained from interviews and questionnaires. The memoirs of military officers also provide valuable information.;Two organizations were instrumental in their gaining compensation. Women of Wake, Inc. and Workers of Wake, Guam, and Cavite will both be examined. These groups worked to help each other during a difficult time and it is their collective effort that led to their eventual success. They sought to change the laws that hindered their effort.