Interrogations by Japanese-Americans helped win WWII

(This article originally appeared on the Joint Recon Study Group site.)

As we deal with intelligence and interrogation issues today, information about the World War II-era U.S. Army intelligence group known as the "Military Intelligence Service (MIS)" may provide useful perspectives.

The MIS was started in late 1941 as a unit to train Japanese-Americans (Nisei) to conduct translation and interrogation activities. MIS men came mostly from Hawaii and the West Coast.

How did the MIS handle interrogations? Since many of the details of MIS activities still remain somewhat unclear, this information has not surfaced for the general public and possibly for policymakers.

MIS missions were highly classified and still are not widely known. Information on MIS activities was not made public until 30 years after WWII had ended.

VICTORY IN THE PACIFIC

The MIS organization included an administrative group, an intelligence group, a counterintelligence group and an operations group.

MIS personnel were attached to other U.S. military branches as well as the joint Australian-American "Allied Translator and Interpreter Service." MIS members served with "Merrill's Marauders," the famous Army Ranger unit that conducted operations in Burma against the Imperial Japanese Army.

MIS personnel were active in nearly all major campaigns and battles in the Pacific. According to some assessments, MIS missions may have shortened the Pacific war by up to two years.

The MIS performed intelligence and counterintelligence tasks such as intercepting radio messages, interrogating prisoners as well as translating captured maps and documents.

MIS interrogators reportedly used psychological and cultural understanding to obtain valuable intelligence.

Interestingly, in contrast to alleged interrogation and torture activities conducted in recent years, MIS men reportedly provided decent treatment for Japanese prisoners.

Whether "rough" interrogation practices were also used on some prisoners is unclear. Did the MIS conduct torture?

One of the most dangerous, challenging and sometimes tragic MIS duties was flushing caves – convincing Japanese troops to surrender and persuading civilians that U.S. forces would not harm them.

After the war, MIS members were instrumental in the occupation and rebuilding of Japan. During the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1952, more than 5,000 MIS personnel were assigned to duties in the occupation. This work included intelligence, civil affairs, disarmament, finance, education, land reform and assisting in the development of the Japanese Constitution.

UNDERSTANDING ADVERSARIES

Many young men in the MIS experienced racial and social discrimination. After Pearl Harbor, many Japanese-American families on the West Coast had been stripped of property and businesses and forced into medium-security prison camps that were called "relocation camps."

Nisei living in Hawaii generally did not experience these extreme measures.

Young Japanese-American men joined the military for many reasons including proving their loyalty to the United States and proving that they were good Americans. Many had been raised as somewhat typical American kids.

Those in the MIS knew that the Japanese military and Japanese society had a different social fabric in some ways, a different psychology and different spiritual traditions.

This MIS attempted understand and use knowledge about these elements as they conducted their interrogation, intelligence, reconnaissance, psychological and information operations.

The documentary film "Uncommon Courage: Patriotism and Civil Liberties," which has been shown on Public Broadcasting System (PBS) stations, chronicles the activities of the MIS.

The film tracks the beginnings, development and deployment into combat of the MIS using archived film, photos, documents and interviews with MIS veterans. It follows the paths of MIS men as American and allied forces move into the Pacific to fight the Japanese navy and army.

Interpreting captured documents and enemy radio traffic as well as interrogating prisoners are vividly documented through archived military film.

The roles of other Japanese-American units such as the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team are also explored in the film.

What do veterans of the MIS think about the discussion on interrogation now? Some U.S. WWII intelligence and interrogation veterans have stepped forward to contribute their views. Maybe MIS veterans will also shed light on this topic.

NOTE TO READERS: To learn more about the MIS and Nisei troops in WWII, visit the Military Intelligence Service Research Center and the Go For Broke Educational Center.

For more information, visit the Joint Recon Study Group and Transcendent TV & Media sites and have a look around.