<Begin Segment 55>

TI: So these were college graduates, these were Caucasians --

RM: Yes.

TI: -- who were brought on to be Japanese language officers.

RM: Officers.

TI: And, and they were given officer status because of their ability to speak Japanese?

RM: Yes, Japanese, yes. So needed language officer commission, they give a commission then, so become language officers. But they need brush up and so they, the school asked me to tutor and, see, then practice a conversation in Japanese. So they didn't give me any text, see, so leave it up to me and just train how to do the conversation. So to me, nobody said anything to me, "Just help 'em out," so I did my own way. So I would say, I gonna ask a question, and well, make a statement first, then I asked a question, then you would answer in English or either in Japanese. And then I would say some question, then point out... see, well, this group was small group about five or six officers and I don't wanna embarrass them so you give 'em a wrong answer or, well, incomplete answer, I would say, if it's correct, see, it's okay, that's right, see. But if not correct, it's wrong, then I would say, I don't say it was wrong, see. I would say, "This is the preferred," tell 'em so that wouldn't embarrass.

TI: I see. So, was part of it -- was part of it because they were, they were officers? That you felt --

RM: Yeah, they were officers, but, I mean, among themselves because, well, they, see, they learn at the college but they didn't teach conversation, reading and writing and grammar and things like that, but as far as, well... this just, they have to, see, what I did, if I ask a question in Japanese and they have to answer in Japanese, see, supposedly. But if I understand what I said in Japanese, then don't know how to say it in Nihongo Japanese, they would say in English, so sometime, make a mistake and it was wrong, why, I say, "This is preferred," see.

TI: Well, in general, how would you compare the language, the Japanese language abilities of these junior officers with the other MIS students, the Niseis and the Kibeis?

RM: Well, Kibeis already, no question they're, they're okay. But some of 'em are still not sufficient, insufficient, well, not up to par, but compared to that, since they went to college and learn it, some of grammar and things like that they know. But compared to other Nisei, about the middle, I think.

TI: Right, and I'm curious, when, when the students, both Kibeis and Niseis graduated from MIS, what rank were they given?

RM: T-5. That's a corporal grade, T-5.

TI: Okay, so, but these men who were non-Japanese, and who were recruited for their Japanese language skills, and whose skills were sort of perhaps in the middle of what the Niseis, the ones who weren't trained in Japan, they were given officer status. They were made lieutenants and higher.

RM: Yeah.

TI: I mean, did the people ever talk about how that might not be fair?

RM: Well, that, not fair, but that's government policy, I suppose. And it's unfair and should be probably warrant officer, because the specialist in language so such as, like, special agent is, most of 'em make a warrant officer's grade. But officers, language officer don't, well, know just little bit of language but nobody's fluent enough to do the job. So have to depend on the Nisei or Kibei assistance. So same with interrogation, too, officers themselves couldn't, of course, speak Japanese but then Japanese soldier had a hard time understanding what he was talkin' about. And that's my observation later on. But it turned out that way so if they gonna give a Caucasian officers and then the Niseis should have been given officers, too.

<End Segment 55> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.