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)

Filters

Facilities

Format

Genre

Usage

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

Gallery view
List view

1145 items

img Woman sitting on rocks (ddr-ajah-2-559)

Caption below photo: Betty Bouchier

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-559/

img Men standing in doorway with guards on either side (ddr-ajah-2-716)

Caption below photo: Col. Landers

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-716/

img Man sitting in boat (ddr-ajah-2-667)

Caption below photo: Lt. Edward Cowan

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-667/

img Man standing outside tents (ddr-ajah-2-577)

Caption below photo: Richard Oguro

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-577/

img Men seated at registration table, woman signing in (ddr-ajah-2-18)

Written on back: 25th Anniv. MIS Reunion, Jack Tar Hotel S.F. / Nov. 11-13, 1966

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-18/

img Field surrounded by buildings (ddr-ajah-2-425)

Caption below photo: The Quad

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-425/

img Man in uniform outside buildings (ddr-ajah-2-541)

Caption below photo: Stan Yoshino

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-541/

img Shirtless man flexing his muscles (ddr-ajah-2-583)

Caption below photo: Harold Mugishima

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-583/

img Men standing in line outside building (ddr-ajah-2-787)

Caption: Chow Line, Camp Savage, Minnesota / October 1942-June 1943. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-476 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-787/

img View of military parade from above (ddr-ajah-2-610)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-610/

img Two men standing by railing on ship. Joe Iwataki on right (ddr-ajah-2-647)

Caption below photo: Aboard Panama Express en route to Philippines

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-647/

img Buildings on hillside (ddr-ajah-2-624)

Caption below photo: Offices for G.H.Q.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-624/

img Portrait of man in uniform (ddr-ajah-2-482)

Caption below photo: Robert Honda / Honolulu

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-482/

img Two men in uniform standing with two women (ddr-ajah-2-810)

Caption: Joe Iwataki, of Alameda, CA., explores Chicago, IL., with friends while on a three day pass. Iwataki was a member of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), February 1943. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-492 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-810/

img Horse drawn hay wagon in field (ddr-ajah-2-794)

Caption: Joe Iwataki likely photographed this farm scene while driving to the St. Paul Minnesota U.S.O. army club. Iwataki was from Alameda, CA.. Photo October 1942 - June 1943. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-556 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-794/

img Portrait of Joe Iwataki in uniform (ddr-ajah-2-815)

Caption: Joe Iwataki of Alameda, CA., has his portrait taken at Phyllis Brown Studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota, while he is stationed at Camp Savage. He was a member of the Military Intelligence Service during WWII. August 14, 1943

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-815/

img Damaged building (ddr-ajah-2-684)

Caption below photo: Legislative Building

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-684/

img View of lake from above (ddr-ajah-2-632)

Caption below photo: Lake Sentani

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-632/

img Six men in uniform at Camp Savage (ddr-ajah-2-796)

Caption: Nisei members of the Military Intelligence Service at Camp Savage, October 1942 - June 1932 [sic]. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-524 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-796/

img Three men sitting in river (ddr-ajah-2-635)

Caption below photo: The old swimming hole

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-635/

img Group portrait, with names written on front (ddr-ajah-2-432)

Caption below photo: Barrack 15 / Sgt Lincoln Taira, Leader

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-432/

img Men outside Reno Junction station (ddr-ajah-2-783)

Caption: U.S. Army soldiers, including Joe Iwataki (he is taking the photo) guard train tracks, tunnels and bridges in January 1942, near Reno, NV. Iwataki was from Alameda, CA. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-283 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-783/