News & Announcements – MIS: America’s Secret Weapon

Above: WAIKIKI, October 2014: MIS veterans George Matsunaga and retired Major General Arthur Ishimoto view an exhibit about the Military Intelligence Service AJAs at the U.S. Army Museum of Hawai‘i at Fort DeRussy.

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Army Awards Purple Heart Medals in 1945 Crash
MIS Sponsors Army Museum Plaque
MIS Club Membership Roster (members only access)
MIS Hawai‘i Archive
Newsletters

Army Awards Purple Heart Medals in 1945 Crash

The Army has awarded Purple Heart medals to 29 soldiers who were killed in a plane crash on Okinawa as World War II ended nearly 80 years ago, and the first of those medals were presented May 10 at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial to families of five Japanese language specialists from Hawaii, members of the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Service.

In a ceremony at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, General Paul M. Nakasone, who recently retired as America’s senior cyber and intelligence warrior, presented Purple Hearts to the families of Staff Sgt. Joseph T. Kuwada of Honolulu and Technicians 4th Grade Haruyuki Ikemoto of Hamakuapoko, Maui; Kazuyoshi Inouye of Lihue, Kauai; Wilfred M. Motokane of Honolulu, and Masaru Sogi of Honolulu. Kuwada and Motokane were postal clerks, Sogi worked in construction for the federal government, Inouye worked for Lihue Plantation, and Ikemoto was a University of Hawaii student before they volunteered to serve.

In presenting the Purple Hearts Nakasone said, “The medal not only honors individual courage, it also serves as a symbol of gratitude for the nation, recognizing the sacrifices made by its service members and the heavy price of freedom.”

The five were among 31 soldiers aboard a C-46 transport plane that crashed while trying to land at Naha, Okinawa, during an air raid alert on August 13, 1945. Everyone died in the crash. Some received the Purple Heart, which is awarded to service members who are wounded or killed in battle. However, most did not. After the discrepancy was brought to its attention, the Army reviewed the matter and recently awarded the Purple Heart to all who were killed in the crash.

“To the Army’s credit, once it realized a mistake was made, they did the right thing and corrected it, after all these years,” said Wilfred M. Motokane Jr., who was seven years old when he and his mother learned his dad had died. “Of course, we’re grateful to the researchers who discovered the discrepancy and brought it to the Army’s attention.”

The full news release and General Paul Nakasone’s remarks are provided below.

Gen. Paul Nakasone Remarks

Purple-Heart-Ceremony Download

Hawaii News Now has posted a video of the Purple Heart ceremony. It is available on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qhh5hiwzD8&t=37s

MIS Sponsors Army Museum Plaque

Americans of Japanese ancestry who served in the Military Intelligence Service in World War II are being honored with a unit tribute plaque at the National Museum of the United States Army near Washington, D.C. (photos below).

In 2020, the MIS Veterans Hawai‘i raised $5,000 for the plaque, which recognizes all MIS nisei linguists who served in the war and the occupation of Japan. Mahalo to everyone who generously donated to this project.

The plaque, which measures 12 by 18 inches, is displayed along the Path of Remembrance at the museum at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The Army Historical Foundation has been raising $200 million to finance the museum, which is the first with a comprehensive view of the entire Army and its history.

AJAs are featured in several of the museum’s exhibits, not only those who served in the MIS but also the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

For more information see https://armyhistory.org/

Top: MIS plaque
Bottom: Path of Remembrance (MIS plaque is third from the left).
Photos courtesy of Army Historical Foundation.

MIS Club Membership Roster (members only access)

The roster of current MIS Veterans Club members is available in PDF format below.

It contains the names, mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers of members. It is password-protected and will be accessible only to current members. Members may request a password by contacting the club at <misveteranshawaii@gmail.com>.

Veterans or descendants wishing to renew their memberships or join the club can find membership forms in the “Join Us” page of this website. Dues are $20.00 a year.

MIS Membership Roster (2023-4-1)

MIS Hawai‘i Archive

From time to time, we will post documents about the activities of the Hawai‘i MIS Veterans or general information on the history of the MIS. Please understand that these materials are published as-is; we make no claims regarding the opinions expressed or accuracy of the content.

2023 MIS 80th Anniversary Program
Published for the 80th anniversary of the Hawai‘i MIS.
MIS 80th Anniversary Program

2015 MIS Reunion Program (3 MB)
Published for the MIS Veterans Club’s national reunion and 70th anniversary.
MIS Reunion Program (2015)

1993 MIS Reunion Program (63 MB total)
Entitled “Secret Valor”; published for the MIS Veterans Club’s 50th anniversary.
1-Cover
2-Table of Contents & Foreword
3-Part I (MIS Veterans Club)
4-Part II (Hawaiʻi Nisei MIS Pioneers)
5-Part III (MISLS)
6-Part IV-A (Wartime Exp.)
7-Part IV-B (Wartime Exp.)
8-Part IV-C (Wartime Exp.)
9-Part IV-D (Wartime Exp.)
10-Part IV-E (Wartime Exp. & End Material)

1962 MIS Reunion Program (3 MB)
Published in commemoration of the MIS Veterans Club’s 20th anniversary. Of special note is a personal message from California Superior Court Judge John Aiso, the former academic training director of the MIS Language School during World War II.
MIS Reunion Program (1962)

Senpai Gumi (21 MB)
By Richard S. Oguro. Published ca. 1980, recounts the transfer of soldiers from the 100th Infantry Battalion to the MIS; contains rosters, photos, personal recollections, and correspondence.
Senpai Gumi

The MISLS Album (51 MB)
The “MISLS Album,” published in 1946, is a photo book of activities of the Military Intelligence Service Language School (including at the Presidio, Camp Savage, and Fort Snelling, as well as overseas service). It contains a list of graduates of the MISLS.
PDF available at Googlebooks.com (search for “MISLS Album”)

Nisei Linguists: Japanese Americans in the Military Intelligence Service during World War II (9.7 MB)
By James C. McNaughton. Published in 2005, chronicles the establishment and achievements of the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence Service, focusing on how Japanese Americans were recruited, trained and deployed to serve the nation during World War II and the post-war occupation of Japan.
PDF download