Military Intelligence Service

The first Japanese Americans to serve in the military during World War II were linguists involved in the Military Intelligence Service Language School (MISLS). The MISLS was charged with training soldiers in the Japanese language for intelligence purposes. Japanese Americans served as both instructors and students at the school, which opened on November 1, 1941. The Language School began recruiting instructors and later students directly from concentration camps as early as July 1942. MISLS graduates were assigned in small teams to units fighting in the Pacific and to intelligence centers throughout the Allied command. They translated captured documents, interrogated prisoners of war, wrote propaganda, encouraged Japanese soldiers and civilians to surrender, and monitored radio broadcasts. After the war, they acted as interpreters at the war crime trials and for the occupation government in Japan.

World War II (231)
Military service (2806)
Military Intelligence Service (1145)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
John Aiso, Fort Snelling, Masaji Marumoto, Jack Matsuoka, Military Intelligence Service, Military Intelligence Service Language School, Walter Tsukamoto, Karl Yoneda

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1145 items
Soldier at MacDill Field (ddr-densho-22-426)
img Soldier at MacDill Field (ddr-densho-22-426)
Man wearing a Lordsburg shirt. Caption on front: "'Kanaka' Shigeta / MacDill Field Fla."
Volunteers for the Military Intelligence Service (ddr-densho-22-79)
img Volunteers for the Military Intelligence Service (ddr-densho-22-79)
Caption in album: "Volunteers please / Just prior to V-J day came a survey of Volunteers was made for the Camp Savage (later Fort Snelling) language school for men to ship to go to school and on to Japan to fight. Here the two above photos show as the volunteers were made ready to leave for …
Yanamura Family (ddr-densho-22-156)
img Yanamura Family (ddr-densho-22-156)
Caption on reverse: "Father 66 / Herbert 20 / Kenneth 15 / Franklin 11 / Aug. '44."
The Northwest Times Vol. 1 No. 3 (January 10, 1947) (ddr-densho-229-2)
doc The Northwest Times Vol. 1 No. 3 (January 10, 1947) (ddr-densho-229-2)
"U.S. Court Hears Status of 5,500 Nisei" (p. 1), "Seeks Passage of Claims Bill" (p. 1), "M.I.S. Grads Total 2,675 in Monterey" (p. 1).
The Northwest Times Vol. 1 No. 22 (March 25, 1947) (ddr-densho-229-9)
doc The Northwest Times Vol. 1 No. 22 (March 25, 1947) (ddr-densho-229-9)
"Text of Masaoka's Speech : Clarifies Japanese-American Situation" (p. 1), "Seeks Linguists" (p. 1)
The Northwest Times Vol. 1 No. 24 (April 1, 1947) (ddr-densho-229-10)
doc The Northwest Times Vol. 1 No. 24 (April 1, 1947) (ddr-densho-229-10)
"Nisei Vets Will Choose Officers Fri." (p. 1), "Seek MILS Men" (p. 1), "Urge Repeal in U.S. of Alien Status" (p. 2).
The Northwest Times Vol. 1 No. 19 (March 14, 1947) (ddr-densho-229-6)
doc The Northwest Times Vol. 1 No. 19 (March 14, 1947) (ddr-densho-229-6)
"Alaska Cannery Contract Talks Start" (p. 1), "House Unit Halts Bills Preventing Alien Deportation" (p. 1), "Army Seeks More Nisei GI's to Aid Occupation of Japan" (p. 1), "Republican Majority Votes to Kill State FEPC Bill" (p. 2).
The Northwest Times Vol. 2 No. 31 (April 7, 1948) (ddr-densho-229-100)
doc The Northwest Times Vol. 2 No. 31 (April 7, 1948) (ddr-densho-229-100)
"Brief Raps Calif. Bill "Sheer' Bias" (p. 1), "Resignation of President Rojo from Local 7 Stirs Up Confusion Among Cannery Workers' Ranks" (p. 1), "U.S. Intelligence Officer Lauds Work of Nisei GI's in Japan War" (p. 1).
The Northwest Times Vol. 2 No. 28 (March 27, 1948) (ddr-densho-229-98)
doc The Northwest Times Vol. 2 No. 28 (March 27, 1948) (ddr-densho-229-98)
"Nisei War Memorial Committee Awaits Fund Report from Tacoma; $9,053.65 Total as of March 25" (p. 1), "Two Nisei GI's Die in Crash of C-47 Plane" (p. 1), "Cannery Leaders Begin Talks" (p. 1),
The Northwest Times Vol. 1 No. 38 (June 3, 1947) (ddr-densho-229-26)
doc The Northwest Times Vol. 1 No. 38 (June 3, 1947) (ddr-densho-229-26)
"Lest We Forget : The GI's Who Didn't Come Back " (p. 1), "Hears Pleas for Claims Board Bill" (p. 1),"MISLS to Send Teams East" (p. 4).
Scrapbook page (ddr-densho-72-49)
doc Scrapbook page (ddr-densho-72-49)
Military Intelligence Service-related documents on page from scrapbook "Scrapbook: 1946."
Pacific Citizen, Vol. 58, No. 25 (December 20-27, 1963) (ddr-pc-35-51)
doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 58, No. 25 (December 20-27, 1963) (ddr-pc-35-51)
Special holiday issue organized into sections A 1-24 and B 1-24. Selected article titles: "Tributes to the Nisei GIs" (pp. A-1, A-3-A-12), "During World War 2: Military Intelligence Trains 6,000 Nisei" (pp. A-1, A-11-A-12, A-14), "Antidote for Pearl Harbor Myths" (pp. A-1, A-16-A-17), and "Constitution of the National Japanese American Citizens League (Amended as of 1962)" …
Pacific Citizen, Vol. 63, No. 21 (November 18, 1966) (ddr-pc-38-46)
doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 63, No. 21 (November 18, 1966) (ddr-pc-38-46)
Select article titles: "SJR 20 final tab: Yes 414,000; No 391,200" (p. 1); "MIS vets ask Army for lifting of secrecy" (p. 1); "VFW, 442nd Veterans, West L.A. JACL mark rescue of Lost Texas Battalion" (p. 3); "Boston ruling on Chinese students as white rejected" (p. 5).
Pacific Citizen, Vol. 63, No. 9 (August 26, 1966) (ddr-pc-38-34)
doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 63, No. 9 (August 26, 1966) (ddr-pc-38-34)
Select article titles: "Chapters step up interests in human relations studies" (p. 1); "MIS vets to stage reunion" (p. 1); "Walked with Meredith in Mississippi" (p.1).
Pacific Citizen, Vol. 63, No. 20 (November 11, 1966) (ddr-pc-38-45)
doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 63, No. 20 (November 11, 1966) (ddr-pc-38-45)
Select article titles: "SJR 20 wins in close race" (p. 1); "Coordinator of House tribute to Nisei veterans to be guest at MIS reunion" (p. 1); "Retired Chief Justice Gibson labels Evacuation as black page in history" (p. 2); "New Yorker article on Evacuation cited" (p. 5).
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