CONCLUSION
At a time when Japanese Americans were mistrusted and deemed
the “enemy,” they proved themselves to be true loyal
Americans in the fight against Japan.
The Military Intelligence
Service (MIS) served a unique role in World War II. Armed
with the knowledge of the Japanese language and customs, the MIS
was indispensable in every battle in the Pacific Theater of war
after the battle of Midway. The heroic efforts of Richard Sakakida,
Kenji Yasui, and Roy Matsumoto are some of the well-known stories
of the MIS. Yet the MIS’s overall effort, bravery, and service
are still not familiar to the general public.
The experiences of the MIS were kept classified for national
security purposes. Although other Japanese American units like
the 100th Infantry
Battalion and 442nd
Regimental Combat Team were hailed as America’s heroes,
the MIS was never publicly recognized. The Nisei
MIS linguists served quietly during World War II, the occupation
of Japan, and Korean War but after years of secrecy their stories
were made public only recently. In 1972, President Richard Nixon
signed Executive Order 11652 allowing the declassification of
all military intelligence documents during World War II. It was
after this time, that the Nisei linguists were finally
able to share their wartime experiences with family members, friends
and other WWII veterans.
Today, America recognizes the significant contributions of the
MIS. “The MIS Nisei, in war and in peace, contributed
toward improved understanding between the U.S. and Japan, and
in international relations through their personal conduct toward
people of other nations.”
Major General Charles Willoughby commends the MIS soldiers as
they “saved countless lives and shortened the war.”
In June 2000, the MIS soldiers of World War II were formally recognized
and praised with the U.S. military’s coveted Presidential
Unit Citation.
