In November 1941, the Army drafted Kazuo Yamane. He trained in Hawaii at Scofield Barracks, but after December 7th, when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Army did not know how to treat the Japanese-Hawaiian soldiers. First, they took their guns and ammunition, and later gave them back. Finally, after the Allies lost the Battle of the Midway all soldiers with Japanese blood were shipped off the islands in the middle of the night to Oakland, Calif., for training. These soldiers later became known as the 100th Battalion.
After six months of training at Camp McCoy, Wis., Yamane volunteered for the Military Intelligence Service Language School (MISLS). He figured that since he had learned Japanese while attending Waseda University in Japan, he could use those skills in the Army.
On December 8, 1942, he left for Camp Savage, Minn., and studied for six months. After graduation, he received his first assignment:
John Aiso, the director of Camp Savage at the time, said, "Hey you guys are going to go to an assignment which is the first, you know, of the Nisei. The very first assignment and you men better give a good showing." He never said where we're going. When we got on the train, Gene Matsumoto opened the orders and it said we're going to Washington, D.C., not saying Pentagon. And that's where we ended up, Pentagon. [Oral History]
One guy asked me, "Where you from? What nationality are you?" Oh, I'm Indian, American Indian. They look at me kind of puzzled, you know. Then he asked me, "Well, what tribe are you from?" The Osaka tribe. And he didn't know what Osaka was anyway because Japan, huh? They giggled.... But that's how much they knew.... We wouldn't tell them what we're doing. [Uncommon Courage]
When I look at the title ... I was kind of shocked. It listed all the munitions plants in Japan with address, location, everything. An inventory of the weapons and stock, the spare parts that's available, inventory of the munitions.... How many they have where it's located, stored, everything.... So I call my colonel. Colonel, boy I got a hot document over here. [Oral History]
We were going to be attached to the British commanders and we are to attack Japanese Embassy or any governmental agency that you're going to specify, look for Japanese documents.... I was given a personal order by a lieutenant at the Pentagon, "You watch for Japanese documents on Russian intelligence. "[Oral History]