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 (283)
Military service (4309)
Military Intelligence Service (1389)

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1389 items

img Yasuharu Koike with two other men sitting on fence post (ddr-ajah-2-858)

Includes image of CBI China-Burma-India) theatre patch

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-858/

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/

img Garden and building (ddr-ajah-2-680)

Caption below photo: the garden of the Malacanan Presidential Palace

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-680/

img Rows of men standing in formation (ddr-ajah-2-479)

Caption below photo: Retreat

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-479/

img Two men in uniform. Written on front: Joe-Tsutomu 1941 / Joe / Tsutomu Inouye (ddr-ajah-2-8)

Inscribed on back, unable to scan: "Joe-Tsutomu Inouye"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-8/

img Rows of men standing in snow (ddr-ajah-2-451)

Caption below photo: Ten-shun!

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-451/

img Group of smiling men walking in snow (ddr-ajah-2-452)

Caption below photo: Starting out -

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-452/

img Men walking in hallway (ddr-ajah-2-709)

Caption below photo: Second Floor corridor City Hall

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-709/

img Football game in stadium with crowd in bleachers (ddr-ajah-2-512)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-512/

img Woman sitting on rocks (ddr-ajah-2-559)

Caption below photo: Betty Bouchier

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-559/

img Men standing in doorway with guards on either side (ddr-ajah-2-716)

Caption below photo: Col. Landers

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-716/

img Joe Iwataki standing in snow (ddr-ajah-2-471)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-471/

img Road with tents (ddr-ajah-2-650)

Caption below photo: Tent area

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-650/

doc Directory of Veterans of MIS 1968 (ddr-ajah-2-22)

Contact information redacted

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-22/

img View from audience of two men speaking (ddr-ajah-2-500)

Caption below photo: Col. Introduces the ambassador

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-500/

img Man sitting on beach (ddr-ajah-2-665)

Caption below photo: Bernard Strain

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-665/

img Man in uniform standing by car (ddr-ajah-2-758)

Caption: Tsutomu "Tsunch" Inouye, of Alameda, while at Fort Ord, near Monterey, CA., for basic training. June 1941. Supplemental scan of ddr-ajah-2-75 with additional notes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-2-758/