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 Possibly a building at Camp Savage (ddr-ajah-2-13)

Message on back: Name - picture of our Co. If you notice there are two doors - one on the main floor and one upstairs. Well - if you look on the upstairs door - my head sticks out of the right hand side window. Hope you like the picture - Geo

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-13/

img Four men outside tents. Joe Iwataki on right. (ddr-ajah-2-579)

Caption below photo: Cholo Fuchiwaki / George Terazawa / Joe / Tent 29

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-579/

img Men studying at desks (ddr-ajah-2-428)

Caption below photo: Richard Child

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-428/

img Rows of cots in barracks (ddr-ajah-2-431)

Caption below photo: Barrack #10 - Senseis' Stronghold

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-431/

img Crowd outside bus station (ddr-ajah-2-766)

Caption: Bus station at Fort Ord, CA. 1941. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-123 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-766/

img Six men seated, holding ATIS sign (ddr-ajah-2-16)

Written on back: 25th Anniv. MIS Reunion, Jack Tar Hotel S.F. / Nov. 11-13, 1966 / Jack Tsutomuida, -, George Kayano,-,- and Hiro Fuchiwaki

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-16/

img Man sitting on boat (ddr-ajah-2-722)

Caption below photo: Tak

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-722/

doc Camp Savage graduation ceremony and Baccalaureate service programs (ddr-ajah-2-20)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-20/

img General George Strong speaking at podium (ddr-ajah-2-563)

Caption below photo: The General

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-563/

img Man standing with rifle. Signed on front: For Joseph / Best wishes, Tom (ddr-ajah-2-542)

Caption below photo: Tom Takeda

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-542/

img Two men standing in snow. Joe Iwataki on left. (ddr-ajah-2-469)

Caption below photo: Fred Dobana

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-469/

img Man sitting at table reading (ddr-ajah-2-788)

Caption: George Hatakeda studies at Camp Savage, Minnesota, as a member of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), October 1942 - June 1943. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-502 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-788/

img Horse drawn carriages on street (ddr-ajah-2-698)

Caption below photo: Carratelas on Rizal Avenue

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-698/

img Man outside house talking with woman and child (ddr-ajah-2-629)

Caption below photo: Remo

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-629/

img Lines of men in uniform standing in formation (ddr-ajah-2-760)

Caption: Joe Iwataki at Fort Ord, near Monterey, CA. July 1941. Joe is in the second row, second from the far right. He was a member of the 7th Division, 53rd Infantry Regiment, Company A., this phot is of Company A. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-50 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-760/

img Man sitting on rock in swim trunks (ddr-ajah-2-638)

Caption below photo: Lt. Cowan

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-638/

img Man in bathing suit (ddr-ajah-2-584)

Caption below photo: Tak Watanabe

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-584/

img Three men standing by wall. Joe Iwataki on right (ddr-ajah-2-710)

Caption below photo: Frank Norimoto / Tak

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-710/

img Three men (ddr-ajah-2-604)

Caption below photo: Benewitz / Strain / Finkeldey

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-604/

img Football game in stadium with crowd in bleachers (ddr-ajah-2-511)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-511/

img Portrait of Joe Iwataki (ddr-ajah-2-752)

Caption: Joe Iwataki of Alameda, CA. Woltz was a family owned photo p=business that was in business well before WWII. It still exists as of 2021 in Des Moines, Iowa.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-752/