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 Group of buildings (ddr-ajah-2-421)

Caption below photo: The Quad

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-421/

img Man standing in snow outside camp building (ddr-ajah-2-485)

Caption below photo: Joe Ikuta

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-485/

img Man standing outside building (ddr-ajah-2-422)

Caption below photo: Colonel Kai Rasmussen / Commandant, MISLS

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-422/

img Man and two children in canoe (ddr-ajah-2-628)

Caption below photo: Remo

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-628/

img Man standing in yard (ddr-ajah-2-585)

Caption below photo: George Terazawa

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-585/

img Man speaking in front of camp building (ddr-ajah-2-498)

Caption below photo: Ambassador Grew Speaks

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-498/

img Military parade seen from above (ddr-ajah-2-620)

Caption below photo: Aussie Seventh Division

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-620/

img Portrait of group of men outside barracks, with individual autographs on front. (ddr-ajah-2-806)

Inscription on back: Section 10 Class - Camp Savage, Minnesota Dec. '42 - June '43. With names and hometowns identified. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-433 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-806/

img Portrait of Frank Tomita, autographed on front (ddr-ajah-2-739)

Caption below photo: Sgt. Frank Tomita / Seattle, Wash.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-739/

img View of barracks with cots and wood stove (ddr-ajah-2-530)

Caption below photo: South end of the barracks

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-530/

img Man studying at desk (ddr-ajah-2-508)

Caption below photo: Ben Moriwaki

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-508/

img Two men sitting on rocks in swim trunks (ddr-ajah-2-639)

Caption below photo: Taro / Cowan

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-639/

img Breakwater in bay (ddr-ajah-2-673)

Caption below photo: Breakwater

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-673/

img Men posing for group photo outside camp building (ddr-ajah-2-510)

Caption below photo: Section 8

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-510/

img Rough wooden structure (ddr-ajah-2-631)

Caption below photo: Native Grave

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-631/

img Six men on road by tents. Joe Iwataki kneeling on right (ddr-ajah-2-657)

Caption below photo: O/B Section

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-657/

img Yasuharu Koike standing on hill above barracks (ddr-ajah-2-851)

Caption below photo: Yasuharu Koike served with the MIS in the China-Burma-India campaign during WWII. Photo 1944. He was from Alameda, CA. Exact location of this photo is unknown, but it could be from the Oakland Army base where millions of tons of cargo were shipped during WWII.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-851/

img Four people sitting in decorated room (ddr-ajah-2-525)

Caption below photo: Ballroom

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-525/

doc Certification of Joe Iwataki's membership in 53rd Infantry (ddr-ajah-2-827)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-827/

img Men playing pool (ddr-ajah-2-792)

Caption: Sho Ishii and other Nisei Soldiers from the Military Intelligence Service at Camp Savage, Minnesota, find time to enjoy a game of pool at the St. Paul U.S.O. club. The club was located at 72 W. 7th Street, photo October 1942-June1943. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-555 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-792/

img Men resting on hillside (ddr-ajah-2-770)

Caption: Joe Iwataki (far left), of Alameda, CA., relaxes with his pals on the B.A.R. squad while o maneuvers in Washington state, circa late 1941. Joe Iwataki / Pete / Watson / George / Bill / Todard. Note the lack of segregation. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-250 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-770/