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 Japanese American soldier, Camp Savage, Minnesota (ddr-csujad-25-115)

A photograph of a Japanese American soldier. He poses, lying down on a military bed. The photograph is probably taken in Camp Savage, Minnesota. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: jia_08_01_057

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-25-115/

img Toshikuni Taenaka in US Army service uniform (ddr-csujad-25-123)

A photograph of Toshikuni Taenaka, a Japanese American Nisei/Kibei soldier, in US Army service uniform with a metal eagle insignia hat. He poses with his nephew. The photograph is probably taken in Brighton, Colorado, where his parents reside. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: jia_08_01_065

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-25-123/

img Camp Savage, Minnesota (ddr-csujad-25-95)

A photograph of a room of US military facilities. The photograph is probably taken in Camp Savage, Minnesota. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: jia_08_01_037

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-25-95/

Letter from Cedrick M. Shimo to Bob Bratt, executive director, Office of Reparations Administration, Department of Justice, December 5, 1998 (ddr-csujad-24-68)

doc Letter from Cedrick M. Shimo to Bob Bratt, executive director, Office of Reparations Administration, Department of Justice, December 5, 1998 (ddr-csujad-24-68)

A letter from Cedrick M. Shimo to Bob Bratt in which Shimo makes an argument for why he should receive repatriations, even though he was not in an incarceration camp. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: chi_05_002

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-24-68/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. Okine, July 24, 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-151)

A letter from Masao Okine to his parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine. He writes from Japan where he is stationed as a Nisei soldier. In the letter, he writes about his duties as a jeep driver, working a night shift from 10PM to 6AM. He drives for Japanese coworkers who speak English and serve as interpreters …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-151/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. S. Okine, March 30, 1946, [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-189)

A letter from Masao Okine to his parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine. He writes from Japan where he is stationed as a Nisei soldier. In the letter, he writes about his duties in Japan, driving a truck. He also writes about the illness of his brother, Makoto, who is also stationed in Italy as a Nisei …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-189/

doc Letters from Naoji and Kenjiro Okine to Mr. and Mrs. S. Okine, July 23, 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-152)

Contains two letters and an envelope. The letters are written by brothers of Seiichi Okine in Hiroshima, Japan, Naoji and Kenjiro Okine. Both letters are enclosed in an envelope and mailed by Masao Okine who is stationed in Japan as a U.S. Army soldier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-152/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. S. Okine, February 18, 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-190)

A letter from Masao Okine to his parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine, along with a note in English. He writes from Tokyo, Japan, where he is stationed as a Nisei soldier. The letter is mailed via San Francisco by the U.S. Postal Service. In the letter, Masao informs that he has been transferred from Sagamihara to …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-190/

doc Letter from Ayame Okine to Mr. and Mrs. S. Okine, September 23, 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-161)

A letter from Ayame Okine in Chicago, Illinois, to her parents-in-law, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine. In the letter, she expresses her excitement about her husband, Masao's returning home from Japan where he is stationed as a Nisei solder. She anticipates that she is going to go back to California where Seiichi and Tomeyo reside once Masao …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-161/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine, April 23, [1946] [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-291)

A letter from Masao Okine to his parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine. He writes from Japan where he is stationed as a Nisei soldier. He reports to his parents about their relatives and friends in Hiroshima: He took ten days vacation to visit Hiroshima and found that the Hiroshima City was completely destroyed by the atomic …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-291/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. S. Okine, September 12, 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-160)

A letter from Masao Okine, who is stationed in Japan as a Nisei soldier to his parents, Seiichi and Ayame Okine. This letter is mailed via San Francisco, California by the U.S. Army Postal Service. In the letter, Masao writes about his visit to Hiroshima during the vacation. He meets Naoji Okine, Jokichi Yamanaka, Mr. Sasaki, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-160/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. Okine, January 10, 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-121)

A letter from Masao Okine to his parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine in Hawthorne. This letter is written in Japan where Masao is currently stationed as a Nisei soldier and mailed via San Francisco by the U.S. Army Postal Service. In the letter, Masao describes his work as a US Army solider in Japan: He has …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-121/

doc Letters from Seiichi Okine to Naraji Okine, Masao Okine, and Jokichi Yamanaka, September 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-159)

Contains one envelope and three letters written by Seiichi Okine addressing his son, Masao Okine, his brother Naoji Okine, and his brother-in-law, Jokichi Yamanaka, in Japan. Those three letters are enclosed in an envelope and mailed to Masao Okine who is stationed in Japan via San Francisco by the U.S. Postal Service, but the letter is …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-159/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to [Hatsuno] Hotty Okine, April 24, 1945 (ddr-csujad-5-76)

A letter from Masao Okine in Fort Meade, Maryland, to his sister, Hatsuno Hotty Okine in the Rohwer incarceration camp, Arkansas. He encloses a dependency allotment form 620 in the letter and instructs Hatsuno to fill it out and talk to the Red Cross for assistance. He also asks her to send him a letter and …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-76/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. S. Okine, July 27, 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-153)

A letter from Masao Okine, who is stationed in Tokyo, Japan as a Nisei solder, to his parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine. The letter is mailed via San Francisco, California, by U.S. Army Postal Service. In the letter, Masao writes about his duties driving a jeep and informs that he is going to mail his parents' …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-153/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. S. Okine, August 16, 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-156)

A letter from Masao Okine who is stationed in Yokohama, Japan as a Nisei soldier to his parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine. This letter is mailed via San Francisco by the U.S. Postal Service. In the letter, he describes his work and daily routine in Japan. He has been transferred from Tokyo to Yokohama and his …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-156/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. Okine, July 21, 1945 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-80)

A letter from Masao Okine to his parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine in the Rohwer incarceration camp, Arkansas. He probably writes from Military Intelligence Language School in Fort Snelling, Minnesota. The letter informs that he has been serving as a truck driver until his Japanese language school starts in August, 1945; and his brother-in-law, Nobuyuki Tanimono, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-80/

doc Father's Day card from Masao Okine to Mr. S. Okine, June 9, 1945 (ddr-csujad-5-81)

A Father's Day card from Masao Okine to his father, Seiichi Okine. Masao writes from Fort Meade, Minnesota, where he attends the U.S. military Japanese language School to Seiichi Okine who is incarcerated in the Rohwer camp, Arkansas. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: oki_01_20_001

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-81/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. Okine, January 19, 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-124)

A letter from Masao Okine to his parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine in Hawthorne, California. This letter is written in Japan where Masao is stationed as a U.S. military soldier and mailed via San Francisco by the U.S. Army Postal Service. Masao describes his stay in Japan, being transferred from Sagamihara, Kanagawa, to Tokyo, possibly being …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-124/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. Okine, September 7, 1945 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-88)

A letter from Masao Okine in Fort Snelling, Minnesota to his parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine, in the Rohwer incarceration camps. Masao writes about Military Intelligence Service Language School in Fort Snelling and informs that he is finishing the language training in February 2, 1946. He also talks about his trip to Chicago, visiting their relatives …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-88/

doc Letters from Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. S. Okine, December 23, 1945 (ddr-csujad-5-185)

Contains one envelope, two letters written by Masao Okine to his parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine, one note, and one Japanese yen bill. All are enclosed in the same envelope and mailed by Masao Okine from Japan where he is stationed as a Nisei soldier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-185/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. Okine, June 10, 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-148)

A letter from Masao Okine to his parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine. Masao Okine writes from Japan where he is stationed as a US Army soldier. This letter is mailed via San Francisco by the U.S. Army Postal Service. The letter includes updates, informing of the arrival of his parents' four letters written on May 20, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-148/

doc Masao's check application number (ddr-csujad-5-83)

Notes probably written by Seiichi Okine recording the military family allowance application number. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: oki_01_21_002

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-83/

doc Letter from Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. S. Okine, May 19, 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-186)

A letter from Masao Okine to his parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine. He writes from Japan where he is stationed as a Nisei solder. The letter is mailed via San Francisco by the U. S. Army Postal Service. In the letter, he informs that he has received letters from his sister, Hatsuno, his wife, Ayame, and …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-186/

doc WAR Department report of change of status and address; Cash receipt (ddr-csujad-5-75)

A copy of WAR Department report of change of status and address submitted by Masao Okine and dispatched by the U.S. Army Fort Meade, Maryland. He claims that Seiichi, Tomeyo, and Dorothy Ai Okine are his dependants and requests family allowance to them. Also includes a cash receipt of 29.00 dollars for lease in Hawthorne, California, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-75/