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

doc Calligraphy done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-191)

Given to a Nisei soldier with the U.S. Military Intelligence Service who was interrogating Japanese prisoners in Okinawa.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-191/

img U.S. soldiers (ddr-densho-179-14)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-14/

img Civilian internment camp (ddr-densho-179-151)

Noon hour assembly for daily news and briefing of civilian internment camp.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-151/

img Nisei soldier holding a child (ddr-densho-179-68)

Sgt. Bob Oda.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-68/

doc Drawing done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-211)

Given to a Nisei soldier with the U.S. Military Intelligence Service who was interrogating Japanese prisoners in Okinawa.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-211/

img Sleeping quarter tents damaged by typhoon (ddr-densho-179-47)

U.S. troop tents damaged by a typhoon that hit Okinawa on October 9, 1945.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-47/

img Dead Japanese soldier (ddr-densho-179-160)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-160/

img Representatives at a negotiation session (ddr-densho-179-88)

Major General Toshiro Taga, Representative of Lt. General Toshiro Nomi, Japanese Commander of Sakishima Group, making preliminary negotiations for the surrender of the Ryukyus Islands to the Commanding General of Tenth Army. The civilian interpreter is Weri Takamura who once lived in Chicago. Photographer: Lieutenant Strauch.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-88/

doc Ryuukyuu Shuuhou newspaper article (ddr-densho-179-233)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-233/

img U.S. soldiers (ddr-densho-179-119)

T/4 Stanley Ito, Sgt. Warren Sakuma, 1st Lt. John Flagler, 1st Lt. Lawrence Boggs, Sgt. Shigeru Sato, T/3 Harry Okano, T/4 Frank Mizuno, T/3 Osami Yamamoto, Sgt. Tom Matsumoto, Sgt. Bob Oda, 1st Lt. John Flagler, Sgt. Tomotsu Nagao, Sgt. Akira Nakamura.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-119/

doc Painting done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-201)

Given to a Nisei soldier with the U.S. Military Intelligence Service who was interrogating Japanese prisoners in Okinawa.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-201/

img Nisei soldier with Okinawan women doing laundry (ddr-densho-179-145)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-145/

doc Calligraphy done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-208)

Given to a Nisei soldier with the U.S. Military Intelligence Service who was interrogating Japanese prisoners in Okinawa.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-208/

doc Drawing done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-216)

Given to a Nisei soldier with the U.S. Military Intelligence Service who was interrogating Japanese prisoners in Okinawa.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-216/

img Military Intelligence Service Language School (ddr-densho-179-169)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-169/

img U.S. soldiers (ddr-densho-179-84)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-84/

img Nisei soldier (ddr-densho-179-6)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-6/

img U.S. soldiers watching a movie (ddr-densho-179-37)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-37/

img Okinawan civilians (ddr-densho-179-156)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-156/

doc Drawing done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-205)

Given to a Nisei soldier with the U.S. Military Intelligence Service who was interrogating Japanese prisoners in Okinawa.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-205/

doc Leaflet X-11: My Dear Native Home (ddr-densho-179-222)

Leaflet dropped on Okinawa by the U.S. military.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-222/

img Signing of peace treaty (ddr-densho-179-55)

Japanese army and navy representatives from Amami and Miyako-shima for the signing of the peace treaty at the 10th Army Headquarters in Okinawa.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-55/

img Okinawans doing laundry and bathing (ddr-densho-179-124)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-124/

img Representatives at a negotiation session (ddr-densho-179-87)

Representatives making preliminary negotiations for the surrender of the Ryukyus Islands to the Commanding General, Tenth Army. 2nd Lieutenant Takaharu Kosaka, who flew the plane, an air force pursuit pilot, and Tech 3rd Robert M. Oda of Kola, Hawaii. Photographer: Lieutenant Strauch.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-87/

img Typhoon damage (ddr-densho-179-45)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-45/