Marine corps linguist full#

He took with him a copy of the Marine Bulletin that had an interesting ad about language immersion training in Japan and Russia. He had no idea why he was wanted for the meeting, but he wanted to make sure he had something to talk about if conservation lagged. Before that, in the mid-1930s, he was working in the base supply, when he was told to report to his commanding officer. Lasswell, USMC, who would go on to translate critical messages concerning the Battle of the Coral Sea, Battle of Midway, and the shootdown of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, among others. One of the people sent to this language training was 2nd Lt. The participants were also frequently tested, either with written tests or on field trips to various places of cultural interest. For several hours a day, native Japanese speakers came to their homes to teach the language. Embassy as military liaisons, but their sole purpose was to learn the language.

Marine corps linguist full#

In 1918, the Navy started sending small groups of sailors for a three-year, full immersion program in Japan. They decided that immersion training was the best way to achieve that goal. Navy leadership wanted experienced naval personnel who also understood Japanese. The majority of the people who understood Japanese were either Japanese heritage speakers or missionaries. However, the U.S. Finding students who had studied Japanese was nearly impossible though. In the interwar period, finding American students who had studied German, Italian, or other European languages wasn't particularly difficult. side in WW I) and that the country would need Japanese language analysts in that fight. Navy that it might have to fight Japan at some point (though Japan had been on the U.S. After WWI, Japan was seen not only as a potential threat to other countries in the region, but to American economic and military interests. In the early 20th century, Japan was becoming a major naval power. However, one of the participants, NSA Hall of Honor member Col Alva Lasswell, may never have studied the Japanese language if not for a serendipitous meeting. Navy saw an ever-increasing threat from the Empire of Japan, the leadership decided to set up a language program to train naval personnel as skilled language analysts.

Language analysts have always been an important part of intelligence work.