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 (277)
Military service (4131)
Military Intelligence Service (1387)

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1387 items

img Section 10 class, Camp Savage Minn. (ddr-ajah-2-19)

Names written on front with some names cut off. Note attached to back with names

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-19/

img Man looking at notebook (ddr-ajah-2-505)

Caption below photo: Is he asleep?

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-505/

img Portrait of Douglas MacArthur, autographed on front (ddr-ajah-2-826)

Caption: Gen. Douglas MacArthur, hand written signature, in blue ink on a black and white print. Tokyo 1945. Collection of Joe Iwataki, who served in the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) in the South Pacific during WWII where MacArthur also served. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-742 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-826/

img Man standing outside G-2 building (ddr-ajah-2-821)

Caption: Bernie Strain at the G-2 (Intelligence_ building in Tolosa, Philippines, WWII, 1945. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-653 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-821/

doc Program for the 2nd National Reunion of MIS Veterans (ddr-ajah-2-25)

Includes full directory of MIS veterans. Contact information redacted

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-25/

img Two men in park (ddr-ajah-2-607)

Caption below photo: Gene Schrader / Dave Siegel. Caption on right: Botanical Gardens Brisbane

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-607/

img Man looking out over city, with clock tower in background (ddr-ajah-2-599)

Caption below photo: Phil Honsberger

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-599/

img Group standing by airplane (ddr-ajah-2-714)

Caption below photo: Japanese Delegation

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-714/

img Buildings with wall and trees (ddr-ajah-2-725)

Caption below photo: Part of Imperial Palace

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-725/

img Men cleaning in field with tents (ddr-ajah-2-764)

Caption: G.I.s clean up (kitchen patrol) at a camp near Longview, Washington after maneuvers in late 1941. Supplemental scan on ddr-ajah-2-265 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-764/

doc Certificate of completion for MISLS for Sgt Hideo J. Iwataki (ddr-ajah-2-831)

Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-746

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-831/

img Two men standing by tree (ddr-ajah-2-551)

Caption below photo: Tak / Hooch

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-551/

doc Joe Iwataki: a photographic Journey from Fort Ord to Australia (ddr-ajah-2-838)

Digital document comprised of photos, documents and text related to the military service of Joe Iwataki

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-838/

img Man sitting on bench (ddr-ajah-2-560)

Caption below photo: Roy Higashi

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-560/

img View of military parade from above (ddr-ajah-2-613)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-613/

img Two woman and two men in uniform (ddr-ajah-2-487)

Caption below photo: Joanne Nagata / Mary Tani / Yuk / Midori Inouye

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-487/

img Four men standing in river in swim trunks (ddr-ajah-2-637)

Caption below photo: The old swimming hole

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-637/

img Group of men posing for group photo (ddr-ajah-2-544)

Caption below photo: Barrack 15

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-544/

img Four men sitting in river (ddr-ajah-2-636)

Caption below photo: The old swimming hole

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-636/

img Man standing by trees (ddr-ajah-2-664)

Caption below photo: Hank Schmidt

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-664/

img Man kneeling on rooftop (ddr-ajah-2-719)

Caption below photo: Tak in Tokyo

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-719/

img View of village on island (ddr-ajah-2-630)

Caption below photo: Native Village on Lake Sentani

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-630/

img Yasuharu Koike with Japanese soldier (ddr-ajah-2-859)

Caption below photo: Yasuharu Koike (left), of Alameda, CA., interrogate Koichi Ogata, a Japanese soldier. 1944

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-859/

img Portrait of group of men in uniform outside barracks (ddr-ajah-2-743)

Caption below photo: Yas Koike / Johnny Kitagawa / Yoshimura Noburu / Darryl Taniguchi / Karl Branstad / Bill Fuji / Harvey Watanabe / Grant Hirabayashi / Iwao Shimamoto / Bill Nuno / Harry Sekiya / Tak Hirabayashi / George Hatakeda / Lincoln Taira / Yukio Kawamoto / Frank Hachiya / Moffitt Ishikawa / Members of …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-743/

img Yasuharu Koike with other soldiers in barracks (ddr-ajah-2-864)

Caption below photo: Yasuharu Koike (3rd from left) relaxes with his Army pals while serving with the MIS (Military Intelligence Service) in the China-Burma-India campaign during WWII. Photo 1944

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-864/