James McNaughton begins this interview part by discussing the differences between the Nisei fighting in the different theaters of War in WWII. Next, he discusses the importance of military intelligence to the war effort, and the Nisei's contributions…
James McNaughton begins the interview by giving a short biographical introduction and how he came to work for the Defense Language Institute. Next he discusses learning about the Nisei and their role in the Military Intelligence Service (MIS).…
Riess discusses more about his father's background, including the legacy that he left in both Greece and the then Czechoslavakia. On trips back to those YMCA's, his father is still remembered by those that were there when it was first built. Next, he…
George Suzuki was born on April 6, 1922, in Astoria, OR. He went to Fort Snelling for Military Intelligence Service Language School. n May 1945, he completed training and was assigned to the Philippines for guard duty. When Japan surrendered in…
Fujimoto continues his recollection of his time in occupied Japan, working as an interpreter. After coming back from his tour of Japan with the Colonel, he would work at the Dai-Ichi Hotel at the front desk, interpreting and watching for signs of…
Ray Kuniteru Mayeda was born on October 18, 1922. His parents were from Kagoshima prefecture before immigrating to the United States. Ray's father came from a family of educators in Japan.
In the United States, Ray's father was a successful farmer…
Muranaka goes through his work in the Army after the end of World War Two, where he served in the Korean War. Next, he discusses the importance of Nisei soldiers during the occupation of Japan, and how big of an impact communication is in order to…
Konoshima begins by speaking about his time in occupied Japan. After spending time in the American concentration camps, he would be shipped to Tokyo as part of the Headquarters team. When arriving in Tokyo, he would remember the destruction of…
Okusa discusses his position as an interrogator during occupied Japan. During his assignments there, he would interrogate a lot of prisoners of war to obtain as much information as possible to send back to the NYK building in Tokyo. He would end up…
Shishido discusses more about going to the prisoner of war camps in Nagasaki and what it was like to interpret in that situation. He also talks about recreational activities during that time and the high costs for certain foods. After this, he would…
Yamada continues his recollection of being shipped out from San Francisco and taking a month long ship ride to New Zealand, followed by Australia. There, he would get his first assignment, and join the 24th Division, where they would translate and…
Yamada continues his experiences in occupied Japan, including taking kendo lessons and the reform that was brought about. He talks about the things Americans tried to teach the Japanese such as equality, education and ethics. After his time with the…
Miyahara discusses coming back to Japan following his discharge in the United States. Once back, he decided to re-enlist with the Army Air Force, but was sent back to Japan. While there for the third time with the Army, he met his wife but because of…
Miyahara continues his recollection of his time visiting Asia in 1936 for kendo. Next, when back in America, he speaks about Pearl Harbor and the forced removal to temporary detention centers at the Pomona fairgrounds. His friends would visit him…
After being moved to Minidoka concentration camp in Idaho, he was drafted into the Army. He would attend his basic training at Camp Landing in Florida, where he would be trained as an infantryman until being chosen to switch over to the Military…
Ko Stanley Sameshima's Army career is full of many contributions and accomplishments. He graduates from Military Intelligence Language School and becomes a linguist during the Occupation of Japan. Ko joins the civil censorship as a First Lieutenant…
Kaneshiro discusses the reforms that occurred throughout the occupation of Japan and the reconstruction was done throughout the country. Next, he talks about the value of the Nisei linguist throughout the occupation and how it was much easier to do…
Tanaka discusses his military experiences in Occupied Japan. He talks about cave flushing, working in Saipan, and sightseeing in Japan during his off time. He also talks about his return to Hawaii and his military discharge.
Ishizaki continues his recollection of his time in occupied Japan, including discussion on the black market and women's rights. After his time in Japan, he was moved to Australia to begin work with the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section,…
Kosaki continues his discussion on his time in occupied Japan. He speaks about how he was able to travel through different areas of Japan, such Hiroshima and Kochi, where he had family. Next, he talks about his other assignments and duties which were…
During the occupation, George Mitsuru Matsunaga stayed with the CIC. He recalled a food shortage in Japan and saw the Japanese nationals trying to survive. During George's travel, he became friends with three Marines who fought in the Guadalcanal on…
Ishimoto continues his discussion on the importance of Nisei linguists during the military occupation of Japan. He talks about the various campaigns and things that the MIS had to deal with, that were much more than just interpreting and translating.…
Ishimoto begins the interview talking about his whereabouts when he first heard of the surrender of Japan. At this time, he was already beginning preparations to move into Japan for scheduled invasions, and therefore, when shipped to Japan, he would…
Nakamura continues his recollection of his time visiting Hiroshima and how the Japanese there were very welcoming to him. Next, he speaks about his discharge from the Army and staying in Tokyo to work as a civilian. He first joined the Civil…
Kawaguchi discusses the roles that censorship played. He details about the Americans trapped in Japan during the war, those kicked out of the America, and his thoughts towards the loyalty questionnaire. Kawaguchi also discusses his experiences as an…
Harry Akune continues to describe the Women Prisoner of War camp that he helped liberate in Japan. During the Occupation of Japan, he was reassigned to the Ration and Price Control Division. He talks about the difficulties of interpretation and…
