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-179-178)

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-179-178/

img Dead Japanese soldier (ddr-densho-179-159)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-159/

doc Painting done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-185)

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-179-185/

doc Leaflet (ddr-densho-179-230)

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

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-230/

img Nisei soldier wearing a Japanese military uniform (ddr-densho-179-98)

Sgt. Akira Nakamura wearing the uniform of a Japanese soldier with rifle.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-98/

img Nisei soldier (ddr-densho-179-59)

Sgt. Harry Okano.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-59/

doc Drawing done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-192)

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-179-192/

doc Drawing done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-214)

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-179-214/

img Signing of peace treaty (ddr-densho-179-51)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-51/

doc Drawing done by a prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-184)

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-179-184/

doc Calligraphy done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-198)

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-179-198/

img Okinawan civilians (ddr-densho-179-157)

A group of Okinawans marching out to the fields to haul in the day's provisions.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-157/

img U.S. soldiers (ddr-densho-179-166)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-166/

img Japanese suicide plane (ddr-densho-179-155)

This plane was called a Boka Bomb, or a one man suicide bomb.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-155/

img Signing of peace treaty (ddr-densho-179-54)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-54/

doc Calligraphy done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-190)

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-179-190/

img U.S. soldiers watching a movie (ddr-densho-179-36)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-36/

doc Drawing done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-213)

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-179-213/

doc Drawing done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-195)

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-179-195/

doc Calligraphy done by a Japanese prisoner of war (ddr-densho-179-200)

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-179-200/

img Nisei soldier (ddr-densho-179-90)

Sgt. Harry Okano.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-90/

img Nisei soldiers (ddr-densho-179-118)

Sgt. Tomitsu Matsumoto, Sgt. Warren Sakuma, Sgt. Robert Oda, Sgt. Akira Nakamura.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-118/

img Nisei soldier (ddr-densho-179-94)

Sgt. Akira Nakamura.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-94/

img Military Intelligence Service Language School (ddr-densho-179-170)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-170/

img Nisei soldier (ddr-densho-179-100)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-179-100/