Born in Armona, CA on May 20, 1920, Nobuo Dick Kishiue grew up in central California. His father worked as a ranch hand.

Before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the Army drafted Kishiue. He had taken a leave of absence from his training and was working on the ranch when news of the bombing came on the radio. The Army immediately summoned him back to the base. Even though almost all non-enlisted Japanese Americans had their draft status changed to 4-C, "enemy alien" Kishiue stayed committed to the United States and the Army. "I was in the U.S. Army so my loyalty was with the United States." [Oral History]

With all the other Japanese-American soldiers on the West Coast, the Army moved his east to Camp Robinson, Ark., where a Military Intelligence Service Language School (MISLS) recruiter interviewed him. Months later, his superiors ordered him to go to Camp Savage, Minn., to study at MISLS. He started classes in December 1942 and remembers the spirit of the classes: "Well, it was in a way hard because, you know, Nisei have a competitive spirit, and we try to outdo each other." [Oral History]

Upon graduation he left for Hawaii with the Army's 27th Infantry Division. Despite the virulent anti-Japanese propaganda on the West Coast, he felt the MIS linguists were respected:

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Well, the 27th Division, the General and the top brass and G-2 Colonel, I think they kind of went out of the way to, you know, they make us comfortable over there. I think they knew the importance of why we were there. [Oral History]
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On his first assignment, the Army sent him to Makin Island where he saw little battle action, but stayed on the secured island to translate captured documents.

He returned to Pearl Harbor by plane and his G-2 Executive Officer met him and two other Nisei linguists at the airport. Kishiue felt like he was receiving the royal treatment, but the major explained that the Navy's orders were: "No Nisei will be allowed in Pearl Harbor."  The major had come to make sure they arrived without incident.

In June, Kishiue went with the 27th Division to invade Saipan. He interrogated a prisoner and learned of a mass suicide attack (gyokusai). He alerted his commanders who readied the troops for the attack:

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At daylight. Lieutenant Hazard and I surveyed the attack site to confront the consequence of the awesome slaughter. Only a few of the enemy soldiers had rifles; the majority were armed only with sharpened bamboo or grenades hung on the end of sticks. [Oral History]
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From Saipan, the 27th Division went to Okinawa, landed on the beachhead, and marched with combat troops to Shuri and Naha: "I worked with Bob Sugimoto doing CIC [Counterintelligence Corps] work after our troops broke through the Shuri line. That is where the Japanese troops used civilians to seek out our positions by having them going in front of them in order to counterattack at night." [Oral History]

After the fighting, the G-2 colonel wrote a commendation for Jack Tanimoto, Bob Kubo, and Kishiue for their work on Makin. The War Department turned the request down because headquarters' personnel were not eligible to receive the award. The colonel wrote back and explained that the Nisei linguists had been sent down to work with the combat units, regimental units, and lower units on the frontlines. "Eleven months later we received the Combat Infantry Badge and eleven months of back pay which was 10 dollars a month-$110 at one time." [Oral History]

When the war finally ended, Kishiue hoped he would go home with the other soldiers. Based on a point system, soldiers with 85 points could return home, but the military decided to freeze the points of all linguists.  Their language skills were needed in the initial stages of the Occupation. 

On September 5, 1945, Kishiue left with the 27th Division to participate in the Occupation of Japan. After one month he decided to return to his roots in the Central Valley and began farming once again.

