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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)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
John Aiso, Fort Snelling, Masaji Marumoto, Jack Matsuoka, Military Intelligence Service, Military Intelligence Service Language School, Walter Tsukamoto, Karl Yoneda

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1145 items
George S. Matsui Segment 14 (ddr-densho-1008-2-14)
vh George S. Matsui Segment 14 (ddr-densho-1008-2-14)
Receiving Bronze Star

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-2-14/
George S. Matsui Segment 8 (ddr-densho-1008-2-8)
vh George S. Matsui Segment 8 (ddr-densho-1008-2-8)
Recruited by the military out of Tule Lake concentration camp

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-2-8/
George S. Matsui Segment 10 (ddr-densho-1008-2-10)
vh George S. Matsui Segment 10 (ddr-densho-1008-2-10)
Memories of John Aiso, Director of the Military Intelligence Service Language School

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-2-10/
George Koshi Segment 17 (ddr-densho-1008-1-17)
vh George Koshi Segment 17 (ddr-densho-1008-1-17)
Visiting relatives in Japan postwar: meeting a cousin who had fought for Japan

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-17/
George Koshi Segment 8 (ddr-densho-1008-1-8)
vh George Koshi Segment 8 (ddr-densho-1008-1-8)
Turmoil of Japanese American servicemen: fighting while their families are behind barbed wire

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-8/
George Koshi Segment 15 (ddr-densho-1008-1-15)
vh George Koshi Segment 15 (ddr-densho-1008-1-15)
Returning to Japan at the end of the war: a firsthand look at the destruction

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-15/
George Koshi Segment 22 (ddr-densho-1008-1-22)
vh George Koshi Segment 22 (ddr-densho-1008-1-22)
Emotional toll of the war crimes trials

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-22/
George Koshi Segment 23 (ddr-densho-1008-1-23)
vh George Koshi Segment 23 (ddr-densho-1008-1-23)
Japan's war crimes trials: higher-ranked officers held responsible

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-23/
George Koshi Segment 11 (ddr-densho-1008-1-11)
vh George Koshi Segment 11 (ddr-densho-1008-1-11)
Transferred to the Pentagon but barred from promotion

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-11/
George Koshi Segment 19 (ddr-densho-1008-1-19)
vh George Koshi Segment 19 (ddr-densho-1008-1-19)
Working as a civilian attorney for the U.S. government

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-19/
George Koshi Segment 13 (ddr-densho-1008-1-13)
vh George Koshi Segment 13 (ddr-densho-1008-1-13)
Service in the Pacific Military Intelligence Research Section (PACMIRS)

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-13/
George Koshi Segment 24 (ddr-densho-1008-1-24)
vh George Koshi Segment 24 (ddr-densho-1008-1-24)
Working on the case of the Tachibana, a hospital ship

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-24/
George Koshi Segment 12 (ddr-densho-1008-1-12)
vh George Koshi Segment 12 (ddr-densho-1008-1-12)
Service in Washington, D.C. as a language specialist

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-12/
George Koshi Segment 21 (ddr-densho-1008-1-21)
vh George Koshi Segment 21 (ddr-densho-1008-1-21)
Working as a defense attorney in Japan's war crimes trials: memorable cases

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-21/
George Koshi Segment 20 (ddr-densho-1008-1-20)
vh George Koshi Segment 20 (ddr-densho-1008-1-20)
Description of war crimes trial work

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-20/
George Koshi Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1008-1-18)
vh George Koshi Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1008-1-18)
Assigned to the Pacific Military Intelligence Research Section (PACMIRS) Washington Document Center

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-18/
George Koshi Segment 9 (ddr-densho-1008-1-9)
vh George Koshi Segment 9 (ddr-densho-1008-1-9)
Being recruited to join the Military Intelligence Service

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-9/
George Koshi Segment 10 (ddr-densho-1008-1-10)
vh George Koshi Segment 10 (ddr-densho-1008-1-10)
Being a language instructor for the Military Intelligence Service Language School

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-10/
George Koshi Segment 16 (ddr-densho-1008-1-16)
vh George Koshi Segment 16 (ddr-densho-1008-1-16)
Reflecting on the atomic bombings

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-1-16/
Harvey Watanabe Interview Segment 24 (ddr-densho-1008-5-24)
vh Harvey Watanabe Interview Segment 24 (ddr-densho-1008-5-24)
Persuading Japanese officers to remove their sidearms and sabers

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-5-24/
Harvey Watanabe Interview Segment 12 (ddr-densho-1008-5-12)
vh Harvey Watanabe Interview Segment 12 (ddr-densho-1008-5-12)
Being recruited for the Military Intelligence Service (MIS)

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-5-12/
Harvey Watanabe Interview Segment 10 (ddr-densho-1008-5-10)
vh Harvey Watanabe Interview Segment 10 (ddr-densho-1008-5-10)
Removal and evacuation of Japanese American servicemen

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-5-10/
Harvey Watanabe Interview Segment 19 (ddr-densho-1008-5-19)
vh Harvey Watanabe Interview Segment 19 (ddr-densho-1008-5-19)
Duties in Australia: questioning prisoners, destroying documents

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-5-19/
Harvey Watanabe Interview Segment 26 (ddr-densho-1008-5-26)
vh Harvey Watanabe Interview Segment 26 (ddr-densho-1008-5-26)
Managing the Dai Ichi Hotel in Tokyo with Japanese staff

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-5-26/
Harvey Watanabe Interview Segment 29 (ddr-densho-1008-5-29)
vh Harvey Watanabe Interview Segment 29 (ddr-densho-1008-5-29)
Problems with the hotel heating system: preempting "hara kiri"

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1008-5-29/
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