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 Man looking at camp on hillside from above (ddr-ajah-2-623)

Caption below photo: Sea Bee Camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-623/

img Man kneeling outside building (ddr-ajah-2-546)

Caption below photo: Eddy Mitsukado / our 1st Sgt at Snellling

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-546/

img Row of cots (ddr-ajah-2-775)

Caption: Saturday Inspection of Joe Iwataki's barracks at Camp Crowder in Missouri. Iwataki was from Alameda, CA., April 8 to October 1942. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-382 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-775/

img Man kneeling in grass with dog (ddr-ajah-2-573)

Caption below photo: Joe Ikuta

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-573/

img Group of men standing on side of road (ddr-ajah-2-480)

Caption below photo: Barrack 15 at ease

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-480/

img Joe Iwataki standing with rifle (ddr-ajah-2-756)

Caption: Posing with what looks like a M1 rifle is Joe Iwataki or Alameda, CA., at Fort Ord, near Monterey, CA. He was a member of the 7th Division, 53rd Infantry Regiment, Company A. March 1941. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-68 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-756/

img View of military parade from above (ddr-ajah-2-615)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-615/

img Four men looking at map (ddr-ajah-2-731)

Caption below photo: Robert Honda / Russell Kono / Yoshiki Miyazaki / Col. Rasmussen / Just returned from Burma Theatre

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-731/

img Man standing with trees in background. Signed on front: A friend / Richard Omori (ddr-ajah-2-547)

Caption below photo: Richard Omori

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-547/

img Sandy beach with rows of palm trees (ddr-ajah-2-658)

Caption below photo: Leyte Beach

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-658/

img Buildings on hillside (ddr-ajah-2-625)

Caption below photo: enlisted men's area

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-625/

img Three men standing outside building (ddr-ajah-2-768)

Caption: L to R: Hank Yonehiro of Loomis, CA., Joe Iwataki, Tsutomu "Tsunch" Inouye. Iwataki and Inouye are from Alameda, CA., the trio are in Alameda on a break from their basic training at Fort Ord, 1941. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-128 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-768/

img Lines of men marching in snow (ddr-ajah-2-455)

Caption below photo: Hup - 2 - 3 - 4

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-455/

img Man standing by trees (ddr-ajah-2-661)

Caption below photo: Elmer Grieder

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-661/

img Group of men in uniform outside camp building (ddr-ajah-2-494)

Caption below photo: G.I.'s visiting Topaz. Furlo to Topaz, Utah, July 1943

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-494/

img View of military parade from above (ddr-ajah-2-611)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-611/

img Joe Iwataki standing outside building (ddr-ajah-2-808)

Written on photo front: Camp Crowder, MO. Joe 1942. Caption: Joe Iwataki of Alameda CA at Camp Crowder, Missouri, 1942. Duplicate of ddr-ajah-2-411

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-808/

doc Military Intelligence Division certificate for Hideo Iwataki (ddr-ajah-2-745)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-745/

img Man standing by palm trees (ddr-ajah-2-655)

Caption below photo: Bernie Strain

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-655/

doc Honorable Discharge certificate for Joe Iwataki (ddr-ajah-2-836)

Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-31

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-836/

img Group of men in uniform outside building with names on front (ddr-ajah-2-803)

Caption: Barracks 15, at Camp Savage, Minnesota. Military Intelligence Service Language School. Not pictured is this barracks' leader, Sgt. Lincoln Taira. October 1942-October 1943. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-432 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-803/

img Line of men walking in snow (ddr-ajah-2-448)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-448/

img Two men standing on path outside building (ddr-ajah-2-769)

Inscribed on front: Joe - Tsutomu 1941. Caption: Joe Iwataki (left) and Tsutomu Inouye, both fro Alameda CA., are young soldiers taking basic training at For Ord, near Monterey, CA., The photo was probably shot back home in Alameda. Supplemental scan of duplicate of ddr-ajah-2-130 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-769/

img Man with pipe standing in snow (ddr-ajah-2-470)

Caption below photo: Fred Dobana

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-470/

img Men studying at tables (ddr-ajah-2-804)

Caption: Nisei soldiers of the "famous" C-3 class study while at Camp Savage, Minnesota. They were members of the Military Intelligence Service Language School during WWII. Photo October 1942 to June 1943. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-428 with additional notes.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-804/