Page 6 - Scout 5-22-15
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6A The Scout FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015
Military Intelligence – Moment in MI history
Nisei interpreter provides critical in World War II battle
By Lori Tagg, Command Historian Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s G2 orga- Capt. Tom Sakamoto is pictured ca. 1955. U.S. ARMY PHOTOS
nization. In early 1944, Sakamoto was
US Army Intelligence Center of Excellence attached to the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry gations of enemy prisoners. rival, he received a field commission
Division, as it prepared for its attack on The Admiralty Islands campaign as a second lieutenant. Completing his
Military Intelligence history has nu- the Japanese base on Los Negros in the World War II service, in late Septem-
merous examples of heroic Japanese- Admiralty Islands. ended in mid-May 1944 after the Al- ber 1945, Sakamoto escorted and inter-
American Soldiers who served during lies had cut off the Japanese troops from preted for war correspondents covering
World War II. In honor of Asian Ameri- During the first three days of the their supply routes and from reinforce- the surrender of Japan aboard the USS
can/Pacific Islander Heritage month, campaign on Los Negros, Sakamoto ments. As a result, MacArthur was able Missouri and the effects of the atomic
this Moment in MI History celebrates was busy translating captured docu- to move his troops to more critical tar- bombing of Hiroshima.
another of these amazing individuals, ments for Brig. Gen. William Chase, gets. The Admiralties became the loca-
who fought not only an enemy abroad, the 1st Brigade commander. Among the tion of a key Allied airstrip that put B-24 Sakamoto served in the U.S. Army 28
but distrust among his fellow citizens documents was a Japanese operations bombers within easy reach of Japanese years until his retirement as a lieutenant
here in the U.S. order showing the locations of Japanese forces in other strongholds throughout colonel in 1969. During the Korean War,
troops on the island. the South Pacific. he led an interrogation team for the 25th
In February 1941, 10 months prior Infantry Division, which earned him a
to the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, As quickly as Sakamoto translated In June 1944, Chase personally sub- second Bronze Star.
23-year-old Thomas Sakamoto was portions of the document, Chase plot- mitted Sakamoto for a Bronze Star. He
drafted into the U.S. Army. Born in ted the information on a map and im- wrote that the soldier “submitted valu- In the post-war period, he had sev-
California and educated in Japan, Saka- mediately notified naval destroyers to able reports to me on enemy unit iden- eral interpreter assignments, including
moto was a second-generation Japanese fire on the enemy positions. Under naval tifications, strength of units, command- one for President Dwight D. Eisenhower
American, or Nisei. bombardment, Allied forces were able ers’ names, unit sectors, and the plans during his visits to Okinawa, Taiwan
to land on the island and overtake the and intentions of enemy units. This in- and Korea. In 1968-1969, Lt. Col. Saka-
In November, he was selected to at- Japanese airstrip. formation, together with the valuable in- moto was the chief, Counterintelligence
tend the first Japanese language class at formation reported by front line troops, Division, Office of the Assistant Chief
the Fourth Army Intelligence School, Following enemy sniper fire in the late enabled me to make good use of naval of Staff, G2, U.S. Army, Vietnam. Later
Presidio of San Francisco. There he afternoon of March 1, a Japanese patrol gun fire, artillery support, bombers and Sakamoto would claim proving loyalty
learned Japanese military terminology was captured within 75 yards of the 1st concentrated mortar and machine gun to America on the battlefield was his
that would be useful to American troops Brigade command post. In the documents fire against the enemy.” most significant accomplishment.
in the event of war. found on members of the patrol, Sakamoto
discovered an operations order indicating In late 1944, Sakamoto was assigned Sakamoto passed away at 95 on Oct.
Because of his exceptional class re- the enemy was planning to attack the 1st to the ATIS office in Manila. Upon ar- 18, 2013.
cord, Sakamoto then served as an in- Brigade’s perimeter that same afternoon.
structor at the school, which moved to
Camp Savage, Minnesota, and was re- Again, Chase immediately relayed
named the Military Intelligence Service the information to offshore destroyers.
Language School in June 1942. Mean- He later commented that the excellent
while, his parents and family were in- intelligence provided by Sakamoto al-
terned at the Rohwer Relocation Center lowed the Allies “to smother this attack
in Arkansas for the duration of the war. with ease by naval gun fire and a B-25
squadron.” As the battle for Los Negros
Staff Sgt. Sakamoto yearned to put his and the Admiralty Islands persisted,
language skills to the test, so in 1943, he Sakamoto continued to supply his com-
volunteered for service in the South Pa- mander with information gleaned from
cific. He served in the Allied Translator captured documents as well as interro-
and Interpreter Service, or ATIS, within
Capt. Tom Sakamoto, left (writing), served as an interpreter for President Dwight D. Eisenhower,
middle, during the president’s visits to Okinawa, Taiwan and Korea in June 1960.
