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 (2819)
Military Intelligence Service (1146)

Filters

Facilities

Format

Genre

Usage

Use <Ctrl> or (⌘) keys to select multiple terms

Gallery view
List view

1146 items

img Nisei soldiers (ddr-densho-325-122)

Sumito Horiuchi on left with another Nisei soldier.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-122/

img Page of Hisa Nimura Horiuchi Scrapbook (ddr-densho-325-32)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-32/

img Nisei soldier (ddr-densho-325-125)

Written on the back of the photograph "Fort Snelling, Minn 1945 Sumito Horiuchi"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-125/

img Four mess workers holding a "Best Mess MISLS" banner (ddr-densho-328-65)

Matsuo Sakagami kneeling.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-328-65/

img Mess workers at Fort Snelling (ddr-densho-328-66)

Matsuo Sakagami far right.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-328-66/

img Ken Kaneshiro in uniform (ddr-densho-328-339)

Caption in album: "1947 / Ken Kaneshiro of Hawaii."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-328-339/

img Mariyo Natsuhara and Matsuo Sakagami (ddr-densho-328-76)

Caption in album: "Mariyo & Matsu."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-328-76/

img Two MIS soldiers at Fort Snelling (ddr-densho-328-276)

Caption in album: "Eddie, [Matsuo] Sakagami."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-328-276/

img Matsuo Sakagami in uniform (ddr-densho-328-125)

Caption in album: "Washington / Matsu."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-328-125/

img Matsuo Sakagami in uniform (ddr-densho-328-75)

Caption in album: "Matsu."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-328-75/

img Military Intelligence Service political cartoon (ddr-densho-381-45)

Political cartoon; captions: THE SECRET WEAPON! -- Cover of the M.I.S. Calendar for 1982, commemorating the role of Nisei in the U.S. Military Intelligence, World War II. Cartoon by Jack Matsuoka, Pacifica, California. (picture on reverse side) COME, COME, NOW READ THIS! - Classroom scene at Camp Savage, Military Intelligence Language School, Minnesota, form the M.I.S. …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-381-45/

doc Military Intelligence Service language School Graduate Dinner Dance program (ddr-densho-382-13)

Program for the Graduates Dinner Dance at Hotel Nicollet for the Military Intelligence Service Language School

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-382-13/

doc Letter to Yuri Domoto from Yoshito Shibata (ddr-densho-356-252)

Letter to Yuriko Domoto from Yoshito Shibata in which he describes his reaction to letter she sent (appears to be the final version of the drafted letter in ddr-densho-356-250), congratulations to Kan and Sally's new baby, hope that this will be the last war ever, description of seeing koalas not kangaroos, discussion of the corresponding in …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-252/

doc Letter to Yuri Domoto from Yoshito Shibata (ddr-densho-356-258)

Letter to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada from Yoshito Shibata in which he tells of the journey her postcard took to reach him, his family's life in Chicago, and the change of routine now that he is out in the field.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-258/

doc Letter to Yuri Domoto from Yoshito Shibata (ddr-densho-356-235)

Letter to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada from Yoshito Shibata in which he comforts Yuri on her misbehaving typewriter by sharing a Reader's Digest story, and his own typewriter's faults. He continues by discussing Yuri's sister's (Wakako Domoto) relocation to Denver, his recent skiing trip, the rash of promotions at Camp Savage, a prank by the mailroom staff, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-235/

doc Letter to Yuri Domoto from Yoshito Shibata (ddr-densho-356-239)

Letter to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada from Yoshito Shibata in which he lets Yuri know that he's enjoyed corresponding with her, that he hopes she likes a gift he mailed her and that he is currently translating a seaman's diary.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-239/

doc Yoshito Shibata Autobiography (ddr-densho-356-267)

Autobiography of Yoshito Shibata, details his time in the U.S. Army between 1941 and 1946. In 1941 he was part of the Finance office, in 1942 he attended the Language School at Camp Savage, in 1943 he was deployed to the Pacific Theatre and was stationed there until 1946.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-267/

doc Letter to Yuri Domoto from Yoshito Shibata (ddr-densho-356-224)

Letter to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada from Yoshito Shibata in which he describes in detail his furlough trip in New York City.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-224/

doc Note on train menu (ddr-densho-356-215)

Train menu from Great Northern Railway's Empire Builder route. On the back of the menu is a message to Yuri Domoto Tsukada from Yoshito Shibata. In the message Yoshito informs Yuriko that the train is crossing into Idaho and he is headed to Fort Snelling in Minnesota and that he will write her again once he …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-215/

doc Birthday card to Yuri from Yoshito (ddr-densho-356-240)

Birthday card to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada from Yoshito Shibata. Associated with the card were a receipt for curtains and a shipping label.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-240/

doc Returned letter to Yoshito Shibata from Yuri Tsukada (ddr-densho-356-265)

A returned letter addressed to Yoshito Shibata from Yuriko Domoto Tsukada, in the letter Yuri apologizes for the delay in sending her wedding announcement and describes her wedding, finding an apartment in Boston, her husband Richard "Dick" Tsukada, work, and taking Masters courses at Simmons College.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-265/

doc Letter to Yuri Domoto from Yoshito Shibata (ddr-densho-356-223)

Letter to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada from Yoshito Shibata in which he recalls a month long recruitment trip to some of the WRA camps for qualified Niseis to join MIS. His writing includes a mention for being present to an incident at Poston (possibly the Poston Strike or the incidences that lead to the strike). He talks …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-223/

doc Letter to Yuri Domoto from Yoshito Shibata (ddr-densho-356-227)

Letter to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada from Yoshito Shibata in which he thanks Yuri for sending him a gift and recalls his birthday trip up the Empire State Building.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-227/

doc Letter to Yuri Domoto from Yoshito Shibata (ddr-densho-356-220)

Envelope and letter to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada from Yoshito Shibata in which he tells Yuriko about his transfer to Camp Savage to study Japanese and the general schedule of the language school. He inquires about her family's adjustment to life in the Assembly center and provides her with his new address.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-220/

doc Letter to Yuri Domoto from Yoshito Shibata (ddr-densho-356-249)

Letter to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada from Yoshito Shibata in which he describes a recent visit to a military hospital at which he had a meaningful encounter with an amputee

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-249/