Introduction
Many people who are fascinated by the heroic story of the
Japanese Americans in World War II think only of the famous
442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) who fought in the African
and European theaters, but another group of equally heroic
Japanese Americans served their country in the Pacific
theater. These men were in the Military Intelligence
Service -- serving as translators, they were often in such
peril that they required bodyguards, and their exploits often
went unheralded due to the cloak of secrecy of their
missions.
"Japanese American linguists were in such demand with Allied
commanders, that they were assigned to every military unit from the Army, Navy and Marines. Their role ranged
from document translation, personal interpretation and POW interrogation. In addition other duties included monitoring Japanese
radio broadcasts, intercepting enemy messages and preparing surrender leaflets. Moreover it was necessary that each linguist
be able to understand, comprehend and evaluate Japanese military tactics
and doctrine. Their contribution became an important function in fighting and defeating the little-known Japanese military machine."
- from narrative of Major
Kan Tagami, MIS Hall of Famer
