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 Man standing by sign, "Restricted Area GHQ Officer and Work-Details Only" (ddr-ajah-2-666)

Caption below photo: Taro

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-666/

img Two men standing in snow (ddr-ajah-2-472)

Caption below photo: Yuk

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-472/

img Man standing in snow smoking a cigarette (ddr-ajah-2-454)

Caption below photo: 10 minute break - Don Hikido

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-454/

img Portrait of Bill Cox, autographed on front (ddr-ajah-2-740)

Caption below photo: Bill Cox

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-740/

img Street and building (ddr-ajah-2-596)

Caption below photo: Rich Building / G.H.Q. Barracks

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-596/

img Group of men standing in line outside building (ddr-ajah-2-476)

Caption below photo: Chow line

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-476/

img Tower above large building (ddr-ajah-2-701)

Caption below photo: City Hall tower

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-701/

img Portrait of Yoshinao Nakada, autographed on front (ddr-ajah-2-738)

Caption below photo: Sgt. Yoshinao Nakada / Azusa, Calif.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-738/

img Two men in suits outside camp building (ddr-ajah-2-540)

Caption below photo: Imagawa / Itami / Senseis

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-540/

img Football game in stadium with crowd in bleachers (ddr-ajah-2-514)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-514/

img Portrait of Cecil Lulham (ddr-ajah-2-737)

Caption on right of photo: Sgt. Cecil Lulham A.I.F. / Brisbane Queensland Australia

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-737/

img Two men standing outside camp building. Joe Iwataki on right (ddr-ajah-2-549)

Caption below photo: Taro

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-549/

img Man leaning against building (ddr-ajah-2-545)

Caption below photo: Darryl I. Taniguchi

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-545/

img Two men standing by barrel. Joe Iwataki on left (ddr-ajah-2-641)

Caption below photo: Bene

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-641/

img Two men sitting in grass (ddr-ajah-2-582)

Caption below photo: Oguro / Nakhara

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-582/

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 Group of men in uniform sitting on ground (ddr-ajah-2-876)

Caption below photo: Yasuharu Koike of Alameda, CA., with unknown group, China-Burma-India theatre, WWII, 1944

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-876/

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 Yasuharu Koike and two men around sign with mileage to China (ddr-ajah-2-871)

Caption below photo: Yasuharu Koike (at right) of Alameda, CA., served with the MIS in the China-Burma-India campaign during WWII. Photo 1944

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-871/

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 Group of men in uniform (ddr-ajah-2-873)

Caption below photo: Yasuharu Koike (back row far left in shadow) poses with a group of what appear to be mostly U.S. Army Sergeants. He served with the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) in the China-Burma-India campaign during WWII. Photo 1944. He was from Alameda, CA.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-873/