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 Two men standing on rooftop. Joe Iwataki on left (ddr-ajah-2-603)

Caption below photo: Remo

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-603/

img Men with machine guns (ddr-ajah-2-773)

Caption: Machine gun training with the 7th Division, 53rd Infantry Regiment, Company A, Fort Ord, near Monterey, CA 1941. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-99 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-773/

img Man studying at desk (ddr-ajah-2-790)

Caption: Ben Moriwaki studies at Camp Savage, Minnesota, as a member of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), October 1942-June 1943. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-508 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-790/

img Three men standing outside building (ddr-ajah-2-754)

Caption: Joe Iwataki (left) xx Kusuda and Tsutomu "Tsunch" Inouye, all from Alameda, take their basic training at Fort Ord, near Monterey, CA. 1941. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-142 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-754/

img View of military parade from above (ddr-ajah-2-614)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-614/

img Group of buildings (ddr-ajah-2-421)

Caption below photo: The Quad

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-421/

img Man standing in snow outside camp building (ddr-ajah-2-485)

Caption below photo: Joe Ikuta

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-485/

img Man standing outside building (ddr-ajah-2-422)

Caption below photo: Colonel Kai Rasmussen / Commandant, MISLS

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-422/

img Man and two children in canoe (ddr-ajah-2-628)

Caption below photo: Remo

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-628/

img Man standing in yard (ddr-ajah-2-585)

Caption below photo: George Terazawa

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-585/

img Man speaking in front of camp building (ddr-ajah-2-498)

Caption below photo: Ambassador Grew Speaks

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-498/

img Military parade seen from above (ddr-ajah-2-620)

Caption below photo: Aussie Seventh Division

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-620/

img Portrait of group of men outside barracks, with individual autographs on front. (ddr-ajah-2-806)

Inscription on back: Section 10 Class - Camp Savage, Minnesota Dec. '42 - June '43. With names and hometowns identified. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-433 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-806/

img Portrait of Frank Tomita, autographed on front (ddr-ajah-2-739)

Caption below photo: Sgt. Frank Tomita / Seattle, Wash.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-739/

img View of barracks with cots and wood stove (ddr-ajah-2-530)

Caption below photo: South end of the barracks

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-530/

img Man studying at desk (ddr-ajah-2-508)

Caption below photo: Ben Moriwaki

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-508/

img Barracks building (ddr-ajah-2-776)

Caption: Joe Iwataki's barracks at Camp Crowder, Missouri, April 8 to October 1942. Iwataki was from Alameda, CA. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-380 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-776/

img Large group standing in yard outside camp buildings (ddr-ajah-2-520)

Caption below photo: Buffet Luncheon

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-520/

img Man standing next to stone lantern and temple (ddr-ajah-2-721)

Caption below photo: Bill

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-721/

img Group of buildings (ddr-ajah-2-418)

Caption below photo: Rows of Classrooms

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-418/

img Group of men posing for photo outside barracks (ddr-ajah-2-809)

Caption: MIS Military Intelligence Service language school / Camp Savage, Minnesota. Iwataki graduated for the MIS in December 1942 / Taro Yoshihashi / Grant Hirabayashi (served in Burma) / Joe Iwataki of Alameda, CA (served in Australia) / Yasuharu Koike of Alameda, CA. (served in CBI campaign)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-809/