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 (283)
Military service (4309)
Military Intelligence Service (1389)

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1389 items

img Man writes at a desk (ddr-densho-404-402)

A man in military uniform, possibly Tokeo Tagami, writes at a desk. Japanese text written on photograph

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-404-402/

img Man reads at desk (ddr-densho-404-405)

A man in military uniform reads at a desk.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-404-405/

img Man writes at a desk (ddr-densho-404-403)

A man in military uniform reads at a desk.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-404-403/

doc Honorable discharge (ddr-densho-404-436)

Honorable discharge papers for Toke (Tokeo) T. Tagami from the Army of the United States.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-404-436/

img Man in military uniform sits at a small desk (ddr-densho-404-394)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-404-394/

img Matuso Sakagami at Fort Snelling (ddr-densho-328-11)

Caption in album: "Matsu in Fort Snelling."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-328-11/

img Two servicemen and a baby (ddr-densho-328-74)

Caption in album: "Sam & baby, Matsu."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-328-74/

img Ken Kaneshiro in from of an orderly room building (ddr-densho-328-337)

Caption in album: "Ken Kaneshiro at California."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-328-337/

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 Takeko Miyagi from Bill Miyagi (ddr-densho-416-14)

Letter to Takeko Miyagi from her older brother William "Bill" Miyagi. Bill writes that he received Takeko's letter, and he cannot send her the pictures he took at Poston as his camera has been stolen. He also writes that his schooling at Fort Snelling had not yet started.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-416-14/

doc MIS Language School certificate for Dan S. Mashihara (ddr-ajah-6-28)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-28/

img Portrait of man in uniform (ddr-ajah-6-43)

Inscribed on front of photo: To the Tsuchiya's / Kenji Tomita. Caption below photo: Kenji Tomita of Alameda, CA. He served with the Military Intelligence Service

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-43/

doc Intitutional factors in Japanese nationalism (ddr-csujad-55-2572)

Military syllabus entitled, "Institutional Factors In Japanese Nationalism" taught by Shigeya Kihara at the Military Intelligence Service Language School in Savage, Minnesota. This was restricted information for use of Military Personnel Only and not to be republished. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_2736

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-2572/

doc Appeal to Americans of Japanese Ancestry (ddr-csujad-55-754)

Statement regarding recruitment of Nisei linguists for the Military Intelligence Language School at Camp Savage, Minnesota. Provides a background on the school and appeal to prospective students. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_0756

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-754/