Fort Huachuca, Arizona - Military Intelligence history has numerous examples of heroic Japanese-American Soldiers who served during World War II. In honor of Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage month, this Moment in MI History celebrates another of these amazing individuals, who fought not only an enemy abroad, but distrust among his fellow citizens here in the U.S.
In February 1941, 10 months prior to the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, 23-year-old Thomas Sakamoto was drafted into the U.S. Army. Born in California and educated in Japan, Sakamoto was a second-generation Japanese American, or Nisei.
In November, he was selected to attend the first Japanese language class at the Fourth Army Intelligence School, Presidio of San Francisco. There he learned Japanese military terminology that would be useful to American troops in the event of war.
Because of his exceptional class record, Sakamoto then served as an instructor at the school, which moved to Camp Savage, Minnesota, and was renamed the Military Intelligence Service Language School in June 1942. Meanwhile, his parents and family were interned at the Rohwer Relocation Center in Arkansas for the duration of the war.
Staff Sgt. Sakamoto yearned to put his language skills to the test, so in 1943, he volunteered for service in the South Pacific. He served in the Allied Translator and Interpreter Service, or ATIS, within Gen. Douglas MacArthur's G2 organization. In early 1944, Sakamoto was attached to the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, as it prepared for its attack on the Japanese base on Los Negros in the Admiralty Islands.
During the first three days of the campaign on Los Negros, Sakamoto was busy translating captured documents for Brig. Gen. William Chase, the 1st Brigade commander. Among the documents was a Japanese operations order showing the locations of Japanese troops on the island.
As quickly as Sakamoto translated portions of the document, Chase plotted the information on a map and immediately notified naval destroyers to fire on the enemy positions. Under naval bombardment, Allied forces were able to land on the island and overtake the Japanese airstrip.
Following enemy sniper fire in the late afternoon of March 1, a Japanese patrol was captured within 75 yards of the 1st Brigade command post. In the documents found on members of the patrol, Sakamoto discovered an operations order indicating the enemy was planning to attack the 1st Brigade's perimeter that same afternoon.
Again, Chase immediately relayed the information to offshore destroyers. He later commented that the excellent intelligence provided by Sakamoto allowed the Allies "to smother this attack with ease by naval gun fire and a B-25 squadron." As the battle for Los Negros and the Admiralty Islands persisted, Sakamoto continued to supply his commander with information gleaned from captured documents as well as interrogations of enemy prisoners.
The Admiralty Islands campaign ended in mid-May 1944 after the Allies had cut off the Japanese troops from their supply routes and from reinforcements. As a result, MacArthur was able to move his troops to more critical targets. The Admiralties became the location of a key Allied airstrip that put B-24 bombers within easy reach of Japanese forces in other strongholds throughout the South Pacific.
In June 1944, Chase personally submitted Sakamoto for a Bronze Star. He wrote that the soldier "submitted valuable reports to me on enemy unit identifications, strength of units, commanders' names, unit sectors, and the plans and intentions of enemy units. This information, together with the valuable information reported by front line troops, enabled me to make good use of naval gun fire, artillery support, bombers and concentrated mortar and machine gun fire against the enemy."
In late 1944, Sakamoto was assigned to the ATIS office in Manila. Upon arrival, he received a field commission as a second lieutenant. Completing his World War II service, in late September 1945, Sakamoto escorted and interpreted for war correspondents covering the surrender of Japan aboard the USS Missouri and the effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Sakamoto served in the U.S. Army 28 years until his retirement as a lieutenant colonel in 1969. During the Korean War, he led an interrogation team for the 25th Infantry Division, which earned him a second Bronze Star.
In the post-war period, he had several interpreter assignments, including one for President Dwight D. Eisenhower during his visits to Okinawa, Taiwan and Korea. In 1968-1969, Lt. Col. Sakamoto was the chief, Counterintelligence Division, Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, G2, U.S. Army, Vietnam. Later Sakamoto would claim proving loyalty to America on the battlefield was his most significant accomplishment.
Sakamoto passed away at 95 on Oct. 18, 2013.
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