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 (2824)
Military Intelligence Service (1146)

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1146 items

img Portrait of couple (ddr-ajah-2-734)

Caption below photo: Edith and Harvey Watanabe

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-734/

img Joe Iwataki standing in front of building. Autographed on front (ddr-ajah-2-755)

Inscribed on back: Don't I look foolish tho. This was taken in front of my "home" barrack. Don't I look like a convict from Devil's Island. Caption: Joe Iwataki of Alameda, CA., at Fort Ord, near Monterey, CA. He is wearing fatigues, versus a standard uniform. 1941. Supplemental scan of duplicate of ddr-ajah-2-57, front and back …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-755/

img Joe Iwataki (ddr-ajah-2-588)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-588/

img Four men on skis. Joe Iwataki second from left (ddr-ajah-2-466)

Caption below photo: Harry Sekiya / Moff Ishikawa / Frank Hachiya

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-466/

img Five men in uniform leaning on fence looking at pelican. Written on front: Iwao, Myso, Leo, Jun (ddr-ajah-2-10)

Written on back: Rio Yasukawa / Somewhere in Australia 1944

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-10/

img Man in uniform holding cigarette (ddr-ajah-2-435)

Caption below photo: Frank Tomita

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-435/

img Four men standing on road talking (ddr-ajah-2-446)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-446/

img Crowd on street by large movie theater (ddr-ajah-2-707)

Caption below photo: Times Theatre on Quezon blvd

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-707/

img Two men in uniform wading across river (ddr-ajah-2-750)

Caption: Joe Iwataki photographs fellow U.S. Army soldiers Andy (left) and Mike while on training maneuvers in Washington State in August 1941. Iwataki was from Alameda, CA. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-247 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-750/

img Three men in uniform (ddr-ajah-2-558)

Caption below photo: Yamauchi

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-558/

img Large building and road (ddr-ajah-2-676)

Caption below photo: Post Office at end of Taft Ave

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-676/

img Pile of bags outside barracks (ddr-ajah-2-777)

Caption: Barrack bags at Belden Camp, January 1942. Includes history of Camp Belden provided by Plumas County Museum. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-289 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-777/

img Three men standing in snow (ddr-ajah-2-467)

Caption below photo: Moff / Harvey / Harry

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-467/

img View of Manila from bay (ddr-ajah-2-674)

Caption below photo: City of Manila

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-674/

img Man sitting at table reading (ddr-ajah-2-497)

Caption below photo: Lincoln T. Taira

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-497/

img Joe Iwataki in yard outside barracks (ddr-ajah-2-438)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-438/

img Man standing in swim trunks (ddr-ajah-2-640)

Caption below photo: Colonel Ashbey

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-640/

img Men sitting on chairs watching speaker (ddr-ajah-2-564)

Caption below photo: The graduating class

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-564/

img Buildings in the distance surrounded by wall (ddr-ajah-2-681)

Caption below photo: The old Spanish walled city

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-681/

img Man sitting at desk (ddr-ajah-2-705)

Caption below photo: M/Sgt Elmer Grieder Cambridge, Mass.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-705/

img Portrait of man in uniform (ddr-ajah-2-572)

Caption below photo: Victor Abe

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-572/

img Three men standing outside camp buildings (ddr-ajah-2-529)

Caption below photo: Sally / Bob / Stamy

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-529/

img Group of buildings (ddr-ajah-2-801)

Caption: Mess Hall, Camp Savage, Minnesota, October 1942 to October 1943. Joe Iwataki, of Alameda, CA., was there to learn better Japanese as part of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), and all Japanese America unit during WWII. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-421 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-801/

img Joe Iwataki standing next to sign reading: Off Limits to Troops (ddr-ajah-2-818)

Caption: Joe Iwataki of Alameda, CA;, at Camp Chelmer, Indooroopilly, Australia February 1944. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-568 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-818/

img Man talking to group of children (ddr-ajah-2-627)

Caption below photo: Remo and Native children

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-627/