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)

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1145 items

img Man standing outside building (ddr-ajah-2-653)

Caption below photo: G-2 bldg at Tolosa

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-653/

img Man standing by Camp Savage sign. Signed on from: George (ddr-ajah-2-463)

Caption below photo: George Nakamura

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-463/

img Woman sitting in chair with Joe Iwataki behind her (ddr-ajah-2-526)

Caption below photo: Mary Hayano

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-526/

img Men standing in field (ddr-ajah-2-481)

Caption below photo: Wednesday Afternoon Recreation

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-481/

img Men watching speaker (ddr-ajah-2-565)

Caption below photo: The speakers' platform

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-565/

img Group of men and women lined up at buffet table (ddr-ajah-2-527)

Caption below photo: Chow Line

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-527/

img Joe Iwataki with two women and a man seated at nightclub (ddr-ajah-2-730)

Caption below photo: Alice Takeuchi / Frank Tomita / Amy Okazaki / Visit to nite club during furlo from Manila May, June 1945

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-730/

img Man sitting at desk (ddr-ajah-2-706)

Caption below photo Bill Cox

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-706/

img Portrait of Douglas MacArthur (ddr-ajah-2-742)

Caption below photo: General of the Armies Douglas MacArthur. . .

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-742/

img View of lake (ddr-ajah-2-622)

Caption below photo: Lake Sentani

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-622/

img Man standing outside camp buildings (ddr-ajah-2-462)

Caption below photo: Al Kanzaki

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-462/

img Two woman and two men in uniform (ddr-ajah-2-490)

Caption below photo: Joanne / Mary / Yuk

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-490/

img Group of men lined up outside building (ddr-ajah-2-506)

Caption below photo: Break Period

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-506/

img Railway bridge (ddr-ajah-2-778)

Caption: U.S. Army soldiers, including Joe Iwataki (he is taking the photo) guard train tracks, tunnels and bridges (Including this one) December 8-24, 1941, near Reno, NV. Iwataki was from Alameda, CA. Note that Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-286 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-778/

doc Intelligence School Certificate for Hideo J, Iwataki (ddr-ajah-2-746)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-746/

img Man standing on rooftop (ddr-ajah-2-606)

Caption below photo: Eddie Glubka / Winona, Minnesota

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-606/

img Large building with jeeps in front (ddr-ajah-2-692)

Caption below photo: American Red Cross Club

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-692/

img Man in uniform, autographed on front (ddr-ajah-2-733)

Caption below photo: Noboru Tagioka

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-733/

img Two flags and view of city (ddr-ajah-2-617)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-617/

img Man standing outside barracks (ddr-ajah-2-807)

Caption: The commandant of the Military Intelligence Service Language School (MISLS) at Camp Savage, Minnesota: Colonel Kai Rasmussen. Photo October 1942 to June 1943. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-422 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-807/

img Man speaking at podium (ddr-ajah-2-813)

Caption: Speaking to the Nisei graduates from the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Camp Savage, Minnesota is Major General George Strongs, the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, G-2, June 18, 1943. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-561 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-813/