<Begin Segment 24>

MN: And so at this Askem city you were assigned to construction?

AI: Yes.

MN: How much construction did you know?

AI: None, so the captain interview all the newcomers and he'll ask, "What can you do?" So I says, "I have no knowledge, none about, nothing about the construction." So he says, "What can you do?" I says, "Nothing. Maybe I can do interpreter," because Koreans, if they were at the time if they were fifty years old or older they'll speak Japanese. The younger, they didn't. So he was so happy that he got his own... whenever the army did the construction project, the contractor, Korean, supposed to furnish a Korean interpreter and he cannot understand the Korean interpreter. So when I said maybe I can do so he was so happy. We don't have MO for interpreter in construction battalion. So, "Oh yeah, why not I assign you to do my jeep driver?" So I was his jeep driver and we went around together.

MN: And so when you say MOs, is this military order?

AI: [Nods]

MN: So you became an interpreter. Does that mean you became a military intelligence?

AI: No, that was my work supposed to be but he cannot give me that so I was, my title was a jeep driver.

MN: So when did you become part of the Military Intelligence Service?

AI: After about ten months in construction battalion, then there was a unit came through Korea, went through all the units in Korea looking for more Japanese interpreter. And we were, three of us was in that construction battalion so they picked all three of us out of that construction, we speak or not.

MN: And I'm going to go back a little bit. When you were in the construction unit what projects was the unit working on?

AI: Unit was, their job was to build the army -- what is that -- dependents' housings.

MN: So now you got plucked out of the construction unit and you're in the MIS. Is this 1947?

AI: 1947.

MN: Now once you're in the MIS where did they send you?

AI: They send us to headquarter near Seoul, Seoul, Korea. Then once I was assigned to Seoul, Korea, headquarter then they send us to the thirty-eighth parallel on Japan Sea side just company opposite from Seoul. And there was infantry division was there and we were attached to the division for purpose of meal and sleep. And our job there was to... they had a refugee camp away from border about three or maybe five mile back into south side from the border thirty-eight. Refugee camp and whoever the refugee come in there we supposed to interrogate and try to find out whatever information we get, what's going on in North Korea. But those refugees are usually hungry farmers or laborers and no information would come out from them. But that's what we supposed to do.

MN: So your MIS group was attached to this infantry unit near the thirty-eighth parallel. Where was your actual outfit located?

AI: Seoul.

MN: Seoul, and that's how many miles away?

AI: Across Korea. [Laughs] One side to the other side.

MN: So that's why you --

AI: I have no idea how many miles. We had to fly over, only way.

MN: So you had to be with this infantry unit because, to get meals?

AI: Yeah, only three of us so they supply us the meal and room.

MN: Now during your time in Korea did you ever feel like your life was in danger?

AI: No, really not. The war was over and we were just an occupation troop.

<End Segment 24> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.