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 Military Intelligence Language School (ddr-densho-325-128)

Written on the back of the photograph is written "Fort Snelling Language School 1944 Sumito Horiuchi".

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-128/

img Nisei veterans (ddr-densho-325-107)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-107/

img Nisei soldier (ddr-densho-325-134)

Sumito Horiuchi posing in front of chalkboard at Military Language School at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. The front is inscribed "Hisa, Your Sincerely Sumito Horiuchi". On the back of the photograph is written "Sumito Horiuchi Fort Snelling - 1945".

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-134/

img Military Intelligence Language Class (ddr-densho-325-127)

The front of the photograph is signed by most of the class. Back row left to right is Frank Jimbo, Frank Yamamoto "Calif", Robert T[illegible] Hawaii, Nasuo Hashiguchi, Shegeo M[illegible], Yosheo [illegible], Stanley F[illegible] "Martinez", and [illegible]. Front row left to right is [illegible], Sumito Horiuchi, Masagi Okada Hawaii, unknown, unknown, H[illegible] [illegible], Otsushi Moori, T[illegible] …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-127/

doc Page of Hisa Nimura Horiuchi Scrapbook (ddr-densho-325-35)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-35/

img Page of Hisa Nimura Horiuchi Scrapbook (ddr-densho-325-34)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-34/

img Nisei soldiers (ddr-densho-325-121)

Nisei soldiers enjoying roasting hot dogs over a fire. Sumito Horiuchi is second from left. The back of the photograph reads "Picnic Sumito Horiuchi Fort Snelling Minnesota" in blue ink and "8 July 1945" and a message in Japanese in black ink.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-121/

img Matuso Sakagami at Fort Snelling (ddr-densho-328-9)

Caption in album: "Big brother in Fort Snelling."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-328-9/

img Four mess workers at Fort Snelling (ddr-densho-328-64)

Matsuo Sakagami second from left.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-328-64/

img Masaru Yoshioka (ddr-densho-357-734)

Masaru Yoshioka trains for military service at Camp Savage in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Japanese Americans in the United States Army's Military Intelligence Service were trained in translating captured Japanese documents at Camp Savage during WWII.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-357-734/

doc 11th Triennial Nisei Veterans Reunion Maui News supplement (ddr-densho-390-139)

Articles on the 11th Nisei Veterans Reunion held in Maui, with a list of participants. Walter Matsuoka is listed on page 24 with the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-390-139/

doc Nisei veterans reunion program (ddr-densho-390-43)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-390-43/

img Soldier poses in snow (ddr-densho-397-37)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-397-37/

img Ceremony (ddr-densho-397-12)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-397-12/

img Military choir (ddr-densho-397-19)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-397-19/

img Commandant at his desk (ddr-densho-397-33)

The caption on the back of the photograph reads "Col Kai Rasmussen Commandant MISLS, Camp Savage, Minn".

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-397-33/

img Military portrait (ddr-densho-397-31)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-397-31/

doc Pinning ceremony clipping (ddr-densho-397-34)

Lt. Shigeo Yasutake is presented the Bronze Star by Major General Clayton L. Bissell. Lt. Masayuki Matsunaga is also pictured waiting to receive the Combat Infantryman Badge.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-397-34/