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

doc Shigeru Iba interviewee form (ddr-densho-1007-1134)

Used for the film Color of Honor.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1134/

img Staff Sergeant Kenyo Miyashiro, U.S. Army Interpreter, and family (ddr-densho-1007-253)

Caption on back.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-253/

av Interview with Monroe Sweetland, part 1 of 3 (ddr-densho-1007-1663)

Sweetland discusses meeting and befriending Frank Hachiya during service, Hachiya's death at Leyte, finding Frank's father after the war, arranging for Hachiya's burial in Hood River, and Hachiya's funeral. Video starts at 0:40. Loni Ding can be heard asking questions behind the camera. Original title: 147, II MON #15, 9-9-85, Monroe interview, how met Frank, time …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1663/

av Interview with Jim Ariyasu, part 2 of 5 (ddr-densho-1007-1597)

Ariyasu discusses his deployment, having to sell a camera of his, the secrecy required of him while serving, the censorship of letters he sent back home, and military language school. Video starts at 0:23. Loni Ding can be heard asking questions behind the camera. Original title: II LA #24, 7-24-85, Jim Ariyasu Interview III. Interview continues …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1597/

av Roger Daniels interviewed by Kent Hori, part 3 of 4 (ddr-densho-1007-1758)

Daniels discusses what may have happened if the Japanese American community resisted evacuation en masse, how Japanese Americans were placed under 4C (enemy alien, undraftable) status and the military's eventual interest in Japanese Americans (particularly Kibei) for intelligence work, the importance of the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the loyalty questionnaire, the persecution …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1758/

doc Seichi Sugino interviewee form (ddr-densho-1007-1125)

Used for the film Color of Honor.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1125/

doc MIS vets in D.C. area, 1987 (ddr-densho-1007-1469)

Includes a few additional handwritten names.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1469/

doc Letter from Tom Sakamoto to Loni Ding and MIS 50th Anniversary steering committee (ddr-densho-1007-1446)

Invitation to a final meeting after the MIS reunion had occurred.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1446/

av Miscellaneous b-roll for The Color of Honor (ddr-densho-1007-1616)

Certificates, letters, MISLS Album photos. Original title: 96, II LA #46, 7-25-85, Misc. Still Inserts

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1616/

av Interview with Moose (John) Fujikawa, part 4 of 4; interview with Yosh Nakayama, part 1 of 4 (ddr-densho-1007-1585)

Fujikawa discusses what his children know of the war and the birth of his children. Nakayama discusses how he learned how to speak Japanese and tells the story of an instructor of his who did not understand why a Nisei would not speak fluent Japanese. Video starts at 0:36. Loni Ding can be heard asking questions …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1585/

av Interview with Sho Nomura, part 5 of 6 (ddr-densho-1007-1614)

Nomura and Loni Ding look through a photo album of his, with several photos from his service in China. Nomura recounts several stories relating to the documents and photos in the album. Video starts at 0:22. Original title: II LA #44, 7-25-85, Sho Nomura Interview V. Interview continues at ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1615/

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1614/

doc John Aiso introduction and remarks (ddr-densho-1007-935)

Given at a special recognition banquet sponsored by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-935/

doc Letter from Peter Nakahara to Tom Sakamoto (ddr-densho-1007-1107)

For a panel on war crimes for the MIS 50th anniversary reunion.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1107/

doc Military Intelligence Service Language School graduate list (ddr-densho-1007-944)

Contains graduates from the Presidio November 1941 term and the Savage June 1942 term.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-944/

av Interview with Jim Ariyasu, part 3 of 5 (ddr-densho-1007-1598)

Ariyasu discusses military language school, his medical issues after the service, his life before the military, an argument he had with his peers over whether their section leader was qualified, and his service in New Caledonia. Video starts at 0:24. Loni Ding can be heard asking questions behind the camera. Original title: 84, II LA #25, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1598/

img Harry Fukuhara interrogating Japanese POW (ddr-densho-1007-220)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-220/

img Interrogation of Japanese POW in South Pacific (ddr-densho-1007-18)

Caption on back

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-18/

doc Koichi Shibuya interviewee form (ddr-densho-1007-1128)

Used for the film Color of Honor.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1128/

doc Harry Fukuhara notes 2 (ddr-densho-1007-927)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-927/

doc Frank Kazuo Ishida interviewee form (ddr-densho-1007-1133)

Used for the film Color of Honor.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1133/

doc Harry S. Iida interview notes (ddr-densho-1007-947)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-947/

doc MIS Membership Card (ddr-densho-1007-1868)

MIS Association of Northern California Membership Card for Loni Ding

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1868/

doc Shiro Tokuno notes on the role of MIS in the occupation of Japan (ddr-densho-1007-1109)

Photocopy.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1109/

doc MIS Intelligencer Volume 24 No. 2 (ddr-densho-1007-1103)

50th anniversary issue, details events for reunion.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1103/

av Interview with John Burden and Shig Kihara, part 3 of 4 (ddr-densho-1007-1790)

Burden discusses his experiences working with Nisei and Japanese soldiers, the Japanese taught to the US Marines, the cultural overlaps between Nisei and Japanese nationals, the importance of military intelligence and the Nisei, how he kept his soldiers safe, and taking Atabrine (mepacrine) while serving. Eric Saul and Loni Ding can be heard asking questions behind …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1790/