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 sitting on steps (ddr-ajah-2-602)

Caption below photo: Remo

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-602/

doc Letter of recommendation for Joe Iwataki (ddr-ajah-2-748)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-748/

img Group of men by Red Cross canteen truck (ddr-ajah-2-474)

Caption below photo: St. Paul Red Cross Canteen feeds up after Wednesday hikes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-474/

img Classroom with desks and wood burning stove in center (ddr-ajah-2-429)

Caption below photo: Itami Sensei / Classroom Scene

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-429/

doc Temporary Warrant promoting Joe Iwataki to Sergeant (ddr-ajah-2-744)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-744/

img Joe Iwataki (ddr-ajah-2-819)

Detailed sidebar with Joe Iwataki's wartime service titled: Across the Pacific. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-574 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-819/

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 Portrait of group of men in uniform (ddr-ajah-2-741)

Caption below photo: Ben Moriwaki / Chikateru Inouye / Tak Hirabayashi / Walter Tanaka / Yukio Kawamoto / Ken Kato / Kayano, George / Terry Takahashi / Chisaka / Harold Fudenna / Don Hikido / Sho Ishii / Roy Ashizawa / Topaz, Utah, December, 1942

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-741/