Gender

Male

Birth date

1917-1-7

Place of birth

San Luis Obispo CA, U.S.A.

Inducted

1947-7-23, Cleveland OH

Enlistment type

Volunteer

Service branch

Army

Service type

Peacetime

Unit type

Support

Units served

US Army Intelligence School; Hq US Forces Japan; XV US Army Corps; Hq United Nations Command/ Far East Command; Hq Army Forces Far East; Army Language School.

Military specialty

Primary: Military Intelligence Officer

Stationed

Japan; Temporary Duty Korea; Ft. Dix, New Jersey; Presidio of Monterey, CA; Presidio of San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Baltimore, MD.

Separated

Ft. Holabird MD

Unit responsibility

My assignments, for the most part, were related to intelligence activities, e.g. Chief Doctrine and Literature, US Army Intelligence School; Liaison Officer; Interpreter; Translator; POW Interrogation Officer; Instructor, POW Interrogation; Instructor, Japanese language.

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

Legion of Merit; Commendation Medal; six service medals. The Legion of Merit, awarded August 11, l967, reads, in part as follows: 'The President of the United States has awarded the Legion of Merit to Lt. Colonel Masato Inouye for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services . . . .(He) distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious service as Director, Office of Doctrine and Literature, United States Army Intelligence School, Fort Holabird, Maryland from January 1966 to July1967 . . . .(His) distinguished performance of duty . . . represents outstanding achievement in the finest traditions of the United States Army and reflects the utmost credit upon himself and the military service.'

Most vivid memory of military experience

As Interpreter for the Commander-in-Chief, Far East Command, I interpreted for General Matthew B. Ridgway when he addressed 60,000 fans at the traditional Waseda-Keio baseball game at the Meiji Shrine Stadium, Tokyo, June 21, l951.

Missed most whilst in the military

Military duties limited opportunities to visit with my widowed mother.

Most important thing, personally, to come from military experience?

A deep sense of pride in being a part of our effort to maintain and further our national security interests. I would like to have my family (including six grandchildren) share this sense of pride.

Additional information

A background of college education in Japan (Meiji University 1936-39) and an M. A. degree in International Relations (Yale University) helped in language endeavors and area expertise. Prior to military service, I served as civilian in Japanese at the University of Michigan, in the Military Intelligence Service Language School program (1943-1946); also Technical Translator at the Air Materiel Command, Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio (1946-47). After retiring from the Service in 1967, I was with the Veterans Administration as Counselor and Division Chief, for a period of 15 years (1968-83).