In his youth, Arthur Komori excelled in academics and was also a star athlete. At the University of Hawaii, he joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) as a cadet and became a licensed pilot. Growing up in Hawaii, he also spoke Japanese like a native.
<br><br>Along with fellow Japanese American Richard Sakakida, Komori enlisted in the Army in March 1941. The Counter Intelligence Police had recruited him and Sakakida to spy on Japanese nationals in the Philippines. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Komori was already heavily involved in surveillance work against the Japanese business community in Manila. Posing as a draft dodger and a Japan sympathizer, he found his way into jobs at a Japanese newspaper agency, the Japan Tourist Bureau, and the Japanese consulate. He collected information from Japanese contacts in high positions, including the consul general and the head of Domei News. All the while, he fed intelligence back to Gen. Douglas MacArthur's headquarters.
<br><br>In the course of gathering information, Komori noticed that many Japanese businessmen were sending their families back to Japan. He sensed that something ominous was planned for Manila. True to Komori's suspicions, the Japanese military bombed Manila on December 8, 1941. The Philippine government immediately arrested and interned Komori and Sakakida along with other Japanese residents. In due time the U.S. Army rescued the two from prison, and Komori carried on with his intelligence work--this time in American uniform. He interrogated Japanese prisoners of war, translated confiscated Japanese documents, intercepted Japanese military communications, and laid the foundation for the use of psychological warfare. He also participated in combat duties in the Battle of Bataan with the 26th Cavalry and the Philippine Army scouts. His report documenting Japanese jungle combat tactics on Bataan was highly received by Gen. Charles Willoughby and the G-2 staff.
<br><br>Komori also led language specialists from the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) to translate captured documents and interrogate POWs. During this period, he developed and documented methods for treating and interrogating prisoners--practices that were widely used by MIS members and others for the duration of the Pacific War. For example, interrogators were instructed to use the "kindness and understanding" approach to elicit information from the captured Japanese. As one officer explains, "a bandage, some medicine, a drink of water and a cigarette" were what made the difference between those who talked and those who kept their lips sealed. These efforts spurred the creation of the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATIS).
<br><br>After World War II, Komori remained in the military and continued to do counterintelligence work until 1952. Later, he pursued his law degree from the University of Maryland. He practiced law and served as a district court judge in his native Hawaii until his retirement.
<br><br>In December 1945, Komori received the Bronze Star for his military service. He was inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame in 1988.
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To give my all for my country, for my parents, for Hawaiian people was my objective.
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