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NJAHS is pleased to announce that MIS First Class graduates Colonel Tom Sakamoto, retired and Major Gene Uratsu, retired will be inducted into the Defense Language Institute, Foreign Language Center's Hall of Fame on November 2, 2007 at Monterey, California. More details will follow. Both richly deserve the honor!

Japanese Americans in the Military Intelligence Service in WWII
On the eve of war with Japan in November 1941, the US army secretly recruited enlisted Japanese American (Nisei) soldiers and trained them as military linguists for the coming war. Attached to every combat unit in the Pacific War, these MIS soldier linguists, translated documents, intercepted intelligence, impersonated the enemy in battle, gathered key intelligence from prisoners of war, and ultimately helped American and Allied forces win the war in the Pacific. After the war, MIS soldiers help effect the peaceful transition in the Occupation of Japan. As "grassroots" ambassadors, they helped lay the groundwork for Japan's democracy.

What is the Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center?
Set in the foreground of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) Historic Learning Center will feature exhibits and ongoing public programs devoted to this experience. The legacy of MIS – peace and reconciliation – will anchor the center’s educational programs, along with the tenets of patriotism, sacrifice, and tolerance.... »READ MORE.

How did the project come about?
In 1991, on the 50th anniversary of the MIS, the plight of Building 640 had come to NJAHS’ attention by the MIS Association of NorCal. Since that time, NJAHS has advocated to preserve the Building and the rich history of the Japanese American experience at the Presidio of San Francisco... »READ MORE.