Ko Sameshima's childhood included one short visit to Japan when he was 11 years old. He also attended Japanese school in his hometown of Los Angeles for almost five years. Sameshima and his elderly parents were interned at the Amache Detention Camp in Colorado.
<br><br>The MIS recruited Sameshima from the Fort Leavenworth Army Induction Center. Soon, he was on his way to Fort Snelling for language training with the June 1945 class. After graduation, Sameshima headed for Tokyo to work for the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATIS), thereafter continuing his language work as a court interpreter for the war crimes trials in Manila, Philippines. During the Occupation, he also worked as a censorship officer, supervisory and management training specialist, liaison officer, and as chief of the newspaper department under the Press Section.
<br><br>Having been recalled to active duty in the United States Air Force (USAF), Sameshima participated in the Korean War as a squadron intelligence officer and historian. He later worked in an assignment with the Far East Air Force in Tokyo, finally returning to the United States in 1953.
<br><br>After being discharged, Sameshima entered a lifelong career in aero engineering, becoming heavily involved in aerospace research and engineering management and serving in various executive positions. After retiring from the USAF in 1976 with the rank of Colonel, Sameshima accepted employment with Ford Aerospace and then worked as an independent consultant until 1992.
