Military Intelligence Service soldiers have earned the respect
of many for their invaluable work in intelligence and combat.
The following is a sampling of the honors and recognition
they have received.
Presidential Unit Citation
In April 2000, more than 50 years after World
War II, the Military Intelligence Service became the recipient
of the Presidential Unit Citation—the highest honor
given to a U.S. military unit. With endorsement from Senator
Daniel Akaka (HI), Secretary of the Army
Louis Caldera, and Chief of Staff of the Army, General
Eric Shinseki, the hardworking and dedicated group
of veterans pressed for government’s recognition of
the MIS as a military unit rather than a service.
Individual Awards
For their heroic acts and meritorious service,
MIS linguists have been honored with such coveted awards as
the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver
Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze
Star Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge,
and Purple Heart.
In addition to national awards, MIS soldiers
have received medals and decorations from other governments
such as those of Japan, China, Korea, the Philippines,
and Great Britain:
Military Intelligence Hall of Fame
In 1988, Hisashi “Johnny” Masuda
became the first MIS veteran to be inducted into the U.S.
Army Military Intelligence Corps Hall of Fame. Since then,
other MIS members have been accepted into the Hall of Fame
for their invaluable contributions:
 Arthur
S. Komori (1988) |
| Richard
Sakakida (1988) |
| Harry
K. Fukuhara (1988) |
|
Hisashi J. Masuda (1988) |
| John
F. Aiso (1991) |
| Gero
Iwai (1995) |
| Harry
M. Akune (1996) |
| Kan
Tagami (1996) |
| Roy
Matsumoto (1997) |
More information about the MIS Hall of Fame
is available through the Japanese
American Veterans Association web site.
Defense Language Institute
In 1969 the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of
Monterey, California, dedicated Nisei Hall in honor of the
Japanese Americans who served in the Military Intelligence
Service. Several buildings at the institute are also dedicated
in memory of outstanding individuals who served in the MIS.
| John
Aiso Library—Named after John Aiso, director of
academic training at the MIS Language School |
| Munakata
Hall—Named after Yutaka Munakata, instructor at
the MIS Language School |
| Hachiya
Hall—Named after Frank Hachiya, killed in action
in Leyte, Philippines |
| Mizutari
Hall—Named after Yukitaka “Terry” Mizutari,
killed in action in New Guinea |
| Nakamura
Hall—Named after George Nakamura, killed in action
in Luzon, Philippines |
"Invisible Heroes"
Because of the highly classified nature
of its mission, the Military Intelligence Service was largely
unknown during the war and even decades after the war. Kept
in secrecy for more than 30 years, the few records about MIS
activities were finally made available to the public in 1972
under the Freedom of Information Act. Consequently, many MIS
soldiers did not receive recognition and/or decorations for
their remarkable efforts. They became “unsung heroes,”
unacknowledged for their important contributions in wartime
as well as postwar activities.
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