LIHU’E — It is hard to estimate how many thousands of lives were saved by the work of Kauaians and others who were members of the Military Intelligence Service in the Pacific theater during World War II. Their deeds, as
LIHU’E — It is hard to estimate how many thousands of lives were saved by the work of Kauaians and others who were members of the Military Intelligence Service in the Pacific theater during World War II.
Their deeds, as surely as the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s in Europe, helped shorten the war.
One of the founders of Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s top secret Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATIS) is Lihu’e resident and retired Kaua’i District Court Judge Arthur Satoshi Komori.
He was an undercover member of the Corps of Intelligence Police (CIP), later called the Counter-Intelligence Corps (CIC), in the Philippines prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Recently recovering from surgery to repair a broken hip, Komori, now 84, has been in Wilcox Hospital and Wailua Care Home. His wife, Rosa V. Komori, lives in Sun Village.
Komori will be the honored as the focal individual of the Kaua’i Veterans Council (KVC) during the annual Veterans’ Day Parade set for Saturday, Nov. 6, beginning at 10 a.m. along Kuhio Highway through Kapa’a.
The parade theme is “Flag and Country,” and the Military Intelligence Linguists of World War II is the council’s unit of honor this year, according to Dr. Quentin C. Belles, KVC parade chairman and president of the Military Intelligence Veterans of Kaua’i.
Active in battles and activities at Bataan and Corregidor, Komori interrogated captured Japanese prisoners, infiltrated the Japanese social hierarchy, and otherwise generally risked his life for a country that had interned several other AJA leaders.
Along the way, all in a rather unassuming fashion, he also uncovered a plan by the Japanese government to assassinate MacArthur.
He spent time in prison with other Japanese in Manila, and even in prison continued to do counter-intelligence work without blowing his cover.
Komori and Richard Sakakida had been specially recruited by the U.S. Army to serve as undercover agents against the Japanese community in Manila at least 10 months before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Using covers as members of the Japan Tourist Bureau, Domen News and the Japanese Consulate, Komori for eight months undertook surveillance of the Japanese business colony in Manila.
During that time, he gained the confidence and friendship of the Japanese consul general and the chiefs of the Japan Tourist Bureau, Japan Cultural Hall (where he taught English) and Domen News Agency.
“To be so entrusted with highly sensitive military intelligence assignments at a time when fear and distrust of Japan’s military ambitions was at fever pitch was indeed a great credit and honor for these two Niseis,” writes the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) Veterans of Hawai’i.
When Japan attacked Manila Dec. 8, 1941—the day after Pearl Harbor—Komori was interned by the Philippine Constabulary with all of the other Japanese, continuing to carry out his undercover duties until finally rescued by the U.S. military.
While in Bilibid Prison, which he called “the hell-hole of Manila,” he continued to try to extract information from his fellow prisoners, recalling how much he learned about the “arrogant and warlike mentality of the supposedly peaceful businessmen from Japan in that first week of war.” Back in U.S. military uniforms, Komori and Sakakida interrogated Japanese nationals and translated captured documents until forced by the advancing Japanese army to evacuate Bataan in late December.
From the beginning of his interrogation of prisoners, Komori adopted a style that would serve him well.
“Being human beings, what else could we do but treat them mercifully? Then and there began our practice of treating POWs kindly,” he wrote.
“We even gave them cigarettes. After all, the war involved nations, and was not a matter of personal grudges, except in individual combat.
“This practice produced intelligence news and dividends,” he continued.
“Though these POWs impressed us as being very poor representatives of the mythical warriors of Japan we had been hearing about, they proved to be a valuable war commodity.
“The information we gained from their shaven heads and stubby fingers eventually proved the undoing of their sacred war plans,” he said.
Komori and Sakakida interrogated Japanese prisoners of war, translated Japanese diaries, letters and combat documents, intercepted Japanese military communications, and pioneered psychological warfare against the Japanese with propaganda leaflets and loudspeaker broadcasts to surrender, all without any formal MIS training or education.
Komori was recommended for a commendation for his work in the Philippines, and later recommended for the Silver Star. He was also considered along with Sakakida for the Purple Heart, even though they were not wounded in war, as their superiors knew the importance of their oftentimes dangerous undercover work.
It was at that time that the criteria for the Purple Heart was changed from bravery in battle to wounded in battle.
Komori did receive the Bronze Star.
“He was stationed on Bataan, made frequent trips to the active front lines to interrogate prisoners of war and arrange for the delivery of captured enemy equipment and documents at great personal hazard,” one of his superiors said.
“His Japanese ancestry exposed him to certain death in case of capture. The faithful, unremitting work of the small group of interpreters enabled the U.S.A.F.F.E. staff to identify enemy units throughout operations.” When the fall of Bataan and Corregidor became imminent in April of 1942, Komori was ordered flown out to join MacArthur’s staff in Australia.
Komori escaped Corregidor on a flimsy Beechcraft and B-25 on a harrowing ride to Darwin, where he joined Gen. Willoughby’s staff, bringing with him a valuable report on Japanese jungle combat tactics on Bataan.
In September of 1942, Komori was placed in charge of the newly arrived first MIS graduates to translate Japanese documents and interrogate POWs captured at Guadalcanal, and this was the beginning of ATIS in the Southwest Pacific campaign.
Those MIS students at Camp Savage, Minn., in December of 1943 may remember Komori being sent back for 60 days to teach Japanese military intelligence tactics and techniques from the field.
From March of 1944, Komori was assigned to the Australian government, monitoring and evaluating Japanese radio broadcasts, and then rejoined the CIC in April of 1945 when that unit returned to Manila to compile intelligence in preparation of the invasion of Japan.
He was present at the surrender ceremonies aboard the USS Missouri in August of 1945, and thereafter served as interpreter for Gen.
Elliot Thorpe, commandant of the 441st CIC Detachment.
“Your devotion and loyalty to your country has been an example for other men to emulate,” Thorpe wrote to Komori on Nov. 3, 1945.
“The value of your contribution to the intelligence service of the Army was large.” In December of 1945, Komori re-enlisted with the 401st DIC Detachment stationed in Hawai’i investigating suspected Communists, and then served as CIC security agent at the Eniwetok atomic bomb testing in December of 1948.
From 1949, Komori’s regular Army career included commissions as a warrant officer, first lieutenant at Army Intelligence School, and captain in the Army Air Force Reserve.
In 1988, Komori was elected into the Military Intelligence Corps Hall of Fame at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., site of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and School.
In a personal history statement, the Haiku, Maui, native describes himself during the war years simply as an “enlisted man,” U.S. Army, where he served from March 13, 1941.
In that statement, dated December, 1947, his parents were already Kapa’a residents, his father born in Fukuoka, Japan, and his mother born in Hawai’i.
