Mac Nagata was one of the first members of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS). As part of the first class of 38 graduates from the 4th Army Intelligence School at the Presidio of San Francisco, Nagata trained in techniques for translation of military documents as well as for interrogation of prisoners of war. Prior to the language school, Nagata had attended Japanese school in his hometown of Sanger, California, and had spoken the language at home. He also studied in Japan for a few months when he was nine years old. 
<br><br>As part of the first MISLS class, Nagata's team was considered a "test case" that would decide the direction and path for the MIS in later years. It was especially important for this first group to prove its worth and succeed to discredit those in the military who did not trust Japanese Americans in uniform. Ultimately, any sense of distrust and questions of loyalty dissipated as people like Nagata proved themselves to be "all-American soldiers." Nagata, for example, served in the Pacific War for 39 months without taking any leave.
<br><br>Nagata conducted interrogation work in each of the four campaigns in which he participated. Among the interrogated were a number of Korean "comfort women" who had been forced to serve the Japanese soldiers during the war as well as Japanese stragglers who had been coaxed out of caves and other hiding places and were suffering from disease and starvation. At Admiral William Halsey's headquarters in Guadalcanal, Nagata and his team of linguists decoded and translated a highly complicated Japanese codebook that was confiscated early in the war. For this work, he received a special commendation from the commanding general, Maj. Gen. John R. Hodge.
<br><br>Along with a Bronze Star Medal for his service in Guadalcanal and Bougainville, Nagata also received commendation by way of a letter penned by the commanding general of the U.S. Forces South Pacific Command, which was sent directly to Nagata's parents at the Gila River Detention Camp. This was a proud moment for the Nagata family, as it was highly unusual for such a high-ranking officer to write such a letter, particularly to an addressee at a detention camp. Though many felt embittered by the fact that families were separated into either the camps or overseas in war, the prevailing mood was that it was <i>shikata ga nai</i>, or "it can't be helped."
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But what can you do? Every <i>nihonjin</i> [Japanese] has to go, so you can't help it. But you know, one thing, when I come back from the war...I told my folks all that in New Caledonia there were several <i>nihonjins</i> there. They were all sent to camp in one of the islands and they were starving. They didn't give them enough food. I told them that, you know, so compared to that, the Japanese here in the United States were lucky. They had the full three square meals a day...so they are more fortunate than the whole country over there. 
<br><br>Japan is not our country. Not my country. Because that's the way we look at it. That's the way most of the Nisei look at it. They have to fight so they fight.
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<br><br>Nagata also interpreted for high-ranking officers in Guadalcanal. Once, his interrogation of a captured Japanese naval officer caught the eye of Cpt. Gene Markey from the Naval Intelligence unit. Markey was so impressed with Nagata's ability to extract vital information that he sent a personal request to the Pentagon to have Nagata's parents and relatives released from the internment camps. In the end, the request was never granted.
<br><br>Nagata received discharge papers in October 1945. Until retirement in 1983, Nagata worked in the lumber industry for a span of more than 30 years.
<br><br>In 1997, Nagata and the two other surviving members of the original six-member MIS team received the Legion of Merit for their service during the Guadalcanal campaign.
