Sunao "Phil" Ishio enlisted in the Army prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In June 1942, he received orders to report to Military Intelligence School Language School (MISLS) and studied with the first class at Camp Savage, Minn.
One of the first Nisei sent to the Pacific, he faced the initial skepticism held by U.S. officers who did not yet know the value of the MIS linguists. When he arrived at the Intelligence Corps headquarters in Australia, the commanding officer doubted his language ability and reduced all of his team members down one grade. At the time, Allied Forces worked with very little intelligence and almost no understanding of Japanese language or fighting strategies. The linguist team astounded the commanding officer by quickly assembling information about the units it fought.
After gaining the confidence of the Army officers, Ishio fought on New Guinea. Some native islanders called them "Japs," not understanding on which side they fought. Later, one New Guinean saved Ishio's life, plucking him from the river he was trying to cross; a friend was not so lucky:

> The drowning of Ken Omura hit close to home for us since he was in the Special Class with us. Our convoy was attacked by kamikaze planes on the way to Leyte. It was a helpless feeling for us as the planes circled high overhead and began to dive down on the convoy. We could not tell which of the ships, including ours, might be the target. [Oral History]

Despite his friend's critical injury, Ishio fought with a little more understanding of the tragedy of war and successfully continued to fulfill his duties:

> It was at Leyte and Luzon that (Intelligence) Corps language teams of the Sixth Army discovered the existence of unidentified enemy division and corps formations, which significantly affected U.S. plans. [Oral History]

In the Philippines, Ishio received the Bronze Star and U.S. and Philippine citation medals.
His work in the Pacific War, he believes, speaks to a legacy left for the next generation:

> The legacy of the unique service which the Nisei established in The European and Pacific/Asia theaters for which they paid in blood and sacrifice despite prejudice and overwhelming odds at home. This service is unparalleled in the history of our country, and it is because of this legacy that the children of the Nisei are recognized as equals in our country. [Oral History]