Sidney Mashbir
Encyclopedia
Sidney Forrester Mashbir (12 September 1891 – 13 June 1973) was a senior officer
in the United States Army
who was primarily involved in military intelligence
. Born in New York
, he served in the Arizona Army National Guard
during the Mexican-American Border War
. Mashbir then held several posts in intelligence positions, taking credit for catching the first German spy
in the United States, before departing for on a four-year assignment as a language officer to Japan in 1920. He resigned from the army in 1923 in an attempt to execute his own master plan devised to extract intelligence from Japan in event of a war. His plan failed as a result of the Great Kantō earthquake in September 1923 and he was left bankrupt; he consequently returned to the US as an engineering businessman.
In 1937, Mashbir returned to Japan in a second attempt to activate his plan on behalf of the Office of Naval Intelligence
; it again failed, and Mashbir was dis-enrolled from the reserves in 1939. However, following the attack on Pearl Harbor
, Mashbir was re-enrolled in January 1940 to lead the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section
of Southwest Pacific Area, where he quickly rose to the rank of Colonel. He later served as the Executive Officer for the Army Adjutant General's Office before retiring in 1951.
, New York, on 12 September 1891, but moved to Safford, Arizona
in 1899. Sidney's father was Professor Eliazar S. Mashbir, a Russian immigrant who was well-educated and became the first Russian-speaking attorney to practice Law in New York City
. Sidney's mother, Frida Freudenthal was also well-educated, and in 1906 became the postmistress of Safford, which included the area of Solomonville
.
Mashbir attended public schools in Safford and Tucson
, later studying engineering at the University of Arizona
for six months each year until 1911, whilst simultaneously maintaining a career as an engineering draughtsman
, primarily for the engineering department of Tucson, and railroad companies. He married his first wife Blanche Beckwith on 12 September 1913, with whom he had his first son, Forrester Mashbir; the couple separated during the mid/late-1920s.
at a young age, and served as the bugler of Company B in 1904. He later became the First Lieutenant and adjutant
of the University Battalion whilst studying at the University of Arizona. In 1912, he served as a Lieutenant
in Company K of the National Guard encampment, which based at Fort Huachuca
. The senior instructor at the time was Captain Louis Joseph Van Schaick.
In early 1916, Mashbir received his first official intelligence assignment, when he was assigned as the Assistant Intelligence Officer of the Ajo
-Yuma
district of Arizona
as apart of the first Arizona Infantry under General Frederick Funston
. The unit was at the time was involved in the Mexican-American Border War
. Mashbir's duties included mapping roads, trails and waterholes in northern Sonora
. Additionally he would scout Mexican towns with Papago
Indian scouts, reporting on the strength and equipment of Mexican garrisons and installing primitive wiretaps on Mexican communication lines. Mashbir was also responsible for investigating Japan's physical presence in Mexico at the time.
In late 1916, Mashbir applied for a commission in the Regular Army and was accepted with General Funston's support despite the Army’s policy that married men not be accepted. After attending the Army Service Schools at Fort Leavenworth
, he joined the 22nd Infantry Regiment, which was stationed at Governors Island
, New York, but was soon detailed for counter-espionage duty and was recommended to join a new Counter Intelligence service that was being formed.
On 10 September 1917 Mashbir was detailed as assistant to the Department Intelligence Officer at Governors Island. He enrolled in the Military Intelligence Division
G-2 Reserves, where he was promoted to temporary Lieutenant Colonel
. During this time he wrote the Provisional Rules for Counter Espionage, Eastern Department, which would become a model for future counterintelligence manuals until World War II, as well as a 52-page book titled Ten Lessons in Bayonet Fighting published by George Banta Publishing Company
at the end of 1917. Mashbir is also credited with investigations as a Coast Defense Intelligence Officer at Fort Hamilton
, which uncovered the first German spy to be apprehended in the United States, Paul Otto Kuhn.
at Syracuse University
, where he first considered studying the Japanese language and culture. In August 1919, he asked the War Department if he could embark on this course of study, stating that it was his intention to apply for a posting to Japan for the purpose of learning the language if the War Department saw fit. Ranked Captain, Mashbir was assigned as one of four US Army Language Officers in Japan on 7 July 1920. He relocated to Tokyo
the following month to begin his four-year tour. When he arrived he reported for duty to Lieutenant Colonel Charles Burnett, the military attaché
. Having few Army colleagues, while in Tokyo Mashbir sought the company of other intelligence professionals in the Navy, one of whom was an assistant naval attaché, Lieutenant-Commander Ellis M. Zacharias
, with whom Mashbir began a lifelong friendship and collaboration. In July 1922, at Zacharias' request, Mashbir secretly worked day and night to produce a secret plan to gather intelligence and get information out of Japan in case of war; it become known as M-Plan, named after Mashbir. His undisclosed activities working for the naval attaché did not sit well with his superiors, however.
In order to establish a network of foreign businessmen in Japan who could be turned into an intelligence network in time of war, it was suggested by his commander, Colonel Burnett, that Mashbir resign his commission and become a businessman in Tokyo himself, in order to put the M-Plan in effect. Consequently, Mashbir resigned in 1923 to pursue business interests and undercover secret intelligence operations, under the impression that he could be reinstated in the Army when his work was done. However the Great Kantō earthquake of September 1923 bankrupted him and, when he sought reinstatement in the military, discovered that it was not possible, because the reinstatement clause of the law under which he had resigned was no longer valid. Neither Mashbir nor Colonel Burnett, who had urged Mashbir to resign, was aware of this, and it become a sticking point for Mashbir in later life, noting that even in 1926 the law was still being reprinted without the correct clause. Consequently, the M-Plan to establish an intelligence network in Japan was scrapped. Mashbir returned to the United States in 1926 under the impression that his military career was over, and sought employment selling refrigerators. He managed to rejoin the Military Intelligence Division
G-2 Reserves, but only spent one year in active duty beginning in the summer of 1927 during which time he updated the Order of Battle documentation on Japan. For the next ten years he returned to his original profession of engineering, including some government work on technical standards.
In 1937, Mashbir returned to Japan after an 11-year absence in a second attempt to launch the M-Plan on behalf of the Office of Naval Intelligence and his friend, naval attaché Zacharias. This mission aroused suspicions among ill-informed military attachés in Tokyo and an investigation was started into Mashbir. In a misunderstanding that would come close to damaging his career irreparably once more, Mashbir was investigated in Hawaii and, influenced by the military attaché suspicions, a prejudicial report based upon erroneous assumptions was delivered on 24 June 1937. Colonel Mashbir was advised on 25 February 1939 that he was disenrolled from the Military Intelligence Division G2 Reserves for failure to report on the specified day for physical examination. However, it appeared that the actual cause of the disenrollment was due to suspicions aroused by failure to communicate to uninformed individuals the nature and the extent of the work on which he was actually engaged. Mashbir’s dismissal and the failure to implement an intelligence network such as that suggested in Mashbir's M-Plan has been described as a key factor in the United States' failure to have more information on Japan before the attack on Pearl Harbor
on 7 December 1941.
between Japan and the US, led to him being immediately sought after by the Signal Corps due to his military experience, wide technical skill and knowledge of the Japanese language. He was sworn in for active duty on 24 January 1942 and sent to Brisbane, Australia, and later Manila, Philippines to co-ordinate the inter-service joint Australian/American Allied Translator and Interpreter Section
(ATIS), within the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA). It was at this time that the suspicions which lingered about Mashbir’s 1937 mission to Japan on behalf of Naval Intelligence were cleared up with the assistance of Admiral Zacharias, now Assistant Director of Naval Intelligence, interceding with the Assistant Chief of Staff of G2.
The prompt accomplishments of the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section and Mashbir’s executive ability resulted in Mashbir being promoted to full Colonel
by General Douglas MacArthur
after only one month. Mashbir then joined the forefront of MacArthur’s intelligence activities and Japanese surrender negotiations, remaining the Commandant
of ATIS until December 1945. He was made famous at the time in the motion picture and still photograph of the preliminary surrender negotiations at Manila, as the man who pushed the ink-well, indicating that General Richard K. Sutherland
should correct the Japanese Instrument of Surrender
; and also as the man who thumbed the Japanese Lieutenant General Torashirō Kawabe
along as he attempted to shake hands. The second incident provoked some mixed feelings, including sentiment that it could have damaged surrender talks. Mashbir also played a critical role retrieving and translating the Z Plan
and in organizing the final surrender of Japan
.
Colonel Mashbir left Japan on 8 December 1945 to serve on the management staff of the Adjutant General’s office in Washington, later becoming the executive officer. He retired in October 1951, having reached the statutory age of 60. As a result of his military service, Mashbir received several medals including the Army Distinguished Service Medal
, Army Commendation Medal
(Silver Oak Leaf Cluster
), Army of Occupation Medal
, World War II Victory Medal
, American Defense Service Medal
and American Campaign Medal
. He was also recommended to become an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1946 by the Australian Governor-General, as was presented OBE insignia in 1948.
" (whom Mashbir used as translators in ATIS) he pays tribute to Military Intelligence Service (MIS) soldiers in these words: "The United States of America owes a debt to these men and to their families which it can never fully repay."
Because of the highly classified and secret nature of ATIS missions, and the work of many MIS soldiers, knowledge of Mashbir and his colleagues was largely missing during the war and even decades afterwards. The role and activities of the MIS was kept in secrecy for more than 30 years; the few records about its activities were finally made available to the public in 1972 under the Freedom of Information Act, however much still remains unknown today. Consequently, many MIS soldiers did not receive recognition or decorations for their efforts. They became "unsung heroes", unacknowledged for their contributions in wartime as well as postwar activities. An exception to this was the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame
, of which Mashbir was inducted in 1988.
Sidney Mashbir died on 13 June 1973 and was buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
, Point Loma, California. His second wife, Mary Irene (Donahue) Mashbir (born 10 April 1896), with whom he had his second son, Don, and with whom he was buried, died earlier on 3 May 1964. He was survived by his third wife, Alice Moore Mashbir (1928–2003), and his two sons, Forrester Mashbir (1921–2003) and Don Stuart Mashbir (1931–2008).
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
who was primarily involved in military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
. Born in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, he served in the Arizona Army National Guard
Arizona Army National Guard
The Arizona Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
during the Mexican-American Border War
Border War (1910–1918)
The Border War, or the Border Campaign, refers to the military engagements which took place in the Mexican-American border region of North America during the Mexican Revolution. The Bandit War in Texas was part of the Border War...
. Mashbir then held several posts in intelligence positions, taking credit for catching the first German spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
in the United States, before departing for on a four-year assignment as a language officer to Japan in 1920. He resigned from the army in 1923 in an attempt to execute his own master plan devised to extract intelligence from Japan in event of a war. His plan failed as a result of the Great Kantō earthquake in September 1923 and he was left bankrupt; he consequently returned to the US as an engineering businessman.
In 1937, Mashbir returned to Japan in a second attempt to activate his plan on behalf of the Office of Naval Intelligence
Office of Naval Intelligence
The Office of Naval Intelligence was established in the United States Navy in 1882. ONI was established to "seek out and report" on the advancements in other nations' navies. Its headquarters are at the National Maritime Intelligence Center in Suitland, Maryland...
; it again failed, and Mashbir was dis-enrolled from the reserves in 1939. However, following the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, Mashbir was re-enrolled in January 1940 to lead the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section
Allied Translator and Interpreter Section
The Allied Translator and Interpreter Section , also known as the Allied Translator and Interpreter Service or Allied Translator and Intelligence Service, was a joint Australian/American World War II intelligence agency which served as a centralized allied intelligence unit for the translation of...
of Southwest Pacific Area, where he quickly rose to the rank of Colonel. He later served as the Executive Officer for the Army Adjutant General's Office before retiring in 1951.
Early life
Sidney Mashbir was born in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York, on 12 September 1891, but moved to Safford, Arizona
Safford, Arizona
- History :Safford was founded by Joshua Eaton Bailey, Hiram Kennedy and Edward Tuttle, who came from Gila Bend, in southwestern Arizona. They left Gila Bend in the winter of 1873-74; their work on canals and dams having been destroyed by high water the previous summer...
in 1899. Sidney's father was Professor Eliazar S. Mashbir, a Russian immigrant who was well-educated and became the first Russian-speaking attorney to practice Law in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Sidney's mother, Frida Freudenthal was also well-educated, and in 1906 became the postmistress of Safford, which included the area of Solomonville
Solomonville, Arizona
Solomonville is a small unincorporated community in Graham County, Arizona, United States. It is part of the Safford Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
.
Mashbir attended public schools in Safford and Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, later studying engineering at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
for six months each year until 1911, whilst simultaneously maintaining a career as an engineering draughtsman
Draughtsman
A draughtsman or draftsman , is a person skilled in drawing, either:*drawing for artistic purposes, or*technical drawing for practical purposes such as architecture or engineering...
, primarily for the engineering department of Tucson, and railroad companies. He married his first wife Blanche Beckwith on 12 September 1913, with whom he had his first son, Forrester Mashbir; the couple separated during the mid/late-1920s.
Early service
Mashbir joined the Arizona National GuardArizona National Guard
The Arizona National Guard is the National Guard of the American state of Arizona. It consists of the Arizona Army National Guard and the Arizona Air National Guard.Both components are part of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs...
at a young age, and served as the bugler of Company B in 1904. He later became the First Lieutenant and adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the University Battalion whilst studying at the University of Arizona. In 1912, he served as a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in Company K of the National Guard encampment, which based at Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca is a United States Army installation under the command of the United States Army Installation Management Command. It is located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about north of the border with Mexico. Beginning in 1913, for 20 years the fort was the base for the "Buffalo...
. The senior instructor at the time was Captain Louis Joseph Van Schaick.
In early 1916, Mashbir received his first official intelligence assignment, when he was assigned as the Assistant Intelligence Officer of the Ajo
Ajo, Arizona
Ajo is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 3,705 at the 2000 census. Ajo is located on State Route 85 just from the Mexican border. It is the closest community to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument....
-Yuma
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....
district of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
as apart of the first Arizona Infantry under General Frederick Funston
Frederick Funston
Frederick N. Funston also known as Fred Funston, was a General in the United States Army, best known for his role in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War...
. The unit was at the time was involved in the Mexican-American Border War
Border War (1910–1918)
The Border War, or the Border Campaign, refers to the military engagements which took place in the Mexican-American border region of North America during the Mexican Revolution. The Bandit War in Texas was part of the Border War...
. Mashbir's duties included mapping roads, trails and waterholes in northern Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
. Additionally he would scout Mexican towns with Papago
Tohono O'odham
The Tohono O'odham are a group of Native American people who reside primarily in the Sonoran Desert of the southeastern Arizona and northwest Mexico...
Indian scouts, reporting on the strength and equipment of Mexican garrisons and installing primitive wiretaps on Mexican communication lines. Mashbir was also responsible for investigating Japan's physical presence in Mexico at the time.
In late 1916, Mashbir applied for a commission in the Regular Army and was accepted with General Funston's support despite the Army’s policy that married men not be accepted. After attending the Army Service Schools at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, he joined the 22nd Infantry Regiment, which was stationed at Governors Island
Governors Island
Governors Island is a island in Upper New York Bay, approximately one-half mile from the southern tip of Manhattan Island and separated from Brooklyn by Buttermilk Channel. It is legally part of the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
, New York, but was soon detailed for counter-espionage duty and was recommended to join a new Counter Intelligence service that was being formed.
On 10 September 1917 Mashbir was detailed as assistant to the Department Intelligence Officer at Governors Island. He enrolled in the Military Intelligence Division
Military Intelligence Division
The Military Intelligence Division was a military intelligence branch of the United States Army, established in 1885. It was the first standing intelligence agency of the Army; the Union Army had had a Bureau of Military Information, but that had reported to the Commanding General for less than a...
G-2 Reserves, where he was promoted to temporary Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. During this time he wrote the Provisional Rules for Counter Espionage, Eastern Department, which would become a model for future counterintelligence manuals until World War II, as well as a 52-page book titled Ten Lessons in Bayonet Fighting published by George Banta Publishing Company
Banta Corporation
Banta Corporation was a major printing, imaging, and supply chain management company of the United States, based in Menasha, Wisconsin for all of its 105 years. Founded in 1901, it was acquired by Chicago-based RR Donnelley in late 2006.-History:...
at the end of 1917. Mashbir is also credited with investigations as a Coast Defense Intelligence Officer at Fort Hamilton
Fort Hamilton
Historic Fort Hamilton is located in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst, and is one of several posts that are part of the region which is headquartered by the Military District of Washington...
, which uncovered the first German spy to be apprehended in the United States, Paul Otto Kuhn.
Between the wars
Following World War I, Mashbir held a position teaching military science and tacticsMilitary science
Military science is the process of translating national defence policy to produce military capability by employing military scientists, including theorists, researchers, experimental scientists, applied scientists, designers, engineers, test technicians, and military personnel responsible for...
at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, where he first considered studying the Japanese language and culture. In August 1919, he asked the War Department if he could embark on this course of study, stating that it was his intention to apply for a posting to Japan for the purpose of learning the language if the War Department saw fit. Ranked Captain, Mashbir was assigned as one of four US Army Language Officers in Japan on 7 July 1920. He relocated to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
the following month to begin his four-year tour. When he arrived he reported for duty to Lieutenant Colonel Charles Burnett, the military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
. Having few Army colleagues, while in Tokyo Mashbir sought the company of other intelligence professionals in the Navy, one of whom was an assistant naval attaché, Lieutenant-Commander Ellis M. Zacharias
Ellis M. Zacharias
Ellis Mark Zacharias, Sr. was a Rear admiral and naval attaché to Japan, who served in World War I and World War II...
, with whom Mashbir began a lifelong friendship and collaboration. In July 1922, at Zacharias' request, Mashbir secretly worked day and night to produce a secret plan to gather intelligence and get information out of Japan in case of war; it become known as M-Plan, named after Mashbir. His undisclosed activities working for the naval attaché did not sit well with his superiors, however.
In order to establish a network of foreign businessmen in Japan who could be turned into an intelligence network in time of war, it was suggested by his commander, Colonel Burnett, that Mashbir resign his commission and become a businessman in Tokyo himself, in order to put the M-Plan in effect. Consequently, Mashbir resigned in 1923 to pursue business interests and undercover secret intelligence operations, under the impression that he could be reinstated in the Army when his work was done. However the Great Kantō earthquake of September 1923 bankrupted him and, when he sought reinstatement in the military, discovered that it was not possible, because the reinstatement clause of the law under which he had resigned was no longer valid. Neither Mashbir nor Colonel Burnett, who had urged Mashbir to resign, was aware of this, and it become a sticking point for Mashbir in later life, noting that even in 1926 the law was still being reprinted without the correct clause. Consequently, the M-Plan to establish an intelligence network in Japan was scrapped. Mashbir returned to the United States in 1926 under the impression that his military career was over, and sought employment selling refrigerators. He managed to rejoin the Military Intelligence Division
Military Intelligence Division
The Military Intelligence Division was a military intelligence branch of the United States Army, established in 1885. It was the first standing intelligence agency of the Army; the Union Army had had a Bureau of Military Information, but that had reported to the Commanding General for less than a...
G-2 Reserves, but only spent one year in active duty beginning in the summer of 1927 during which time he updated the Order of Battle documentation on Japan. For the next ten years he returned to his original profession of engineering, including some government work on technical standards.
In 1937, Mashbir returned to Japan after an 11-year absence in a second attempt to launch the M-Plan on behalf of the Office of Naval Intelligence and his friend, naval attaché Zacharias. This mission aroused suspicions among ill-informed military attachés in Tokyo and an investigation was started into Mashbir. In a misunderstanding that would come close to damaging his career irreparably once more, Mashbir was investigated in Hawaii and, influenced by the military attaché suspicions, a prejudicial report based upon erroneous assumptions was delivered on 24 June 1937. Colonel Mashbir was advised on 25 February 1939 that he was disenrolled from the Military Intelligence Division G2 Reserves for failure to report on the specified day for physical examination. However, it appeared that the actual cause of the disenrollment was due to suspicions aroused by failure to communicate to uninformed individuals the nature and the extent of the work on which he was actually engaged. Mashbir’s dismissal and the failure to implement an intelligence network such as that suggested in Mashbir's M-Plan has been described as a key factor in the United States' failure to have more information on Japan before the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
on 7 December 1941.
World War II and after
Despite Mashbir's dismissal, the outbreak of hostilities in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
between Japan and the US, led to him being immediately sought after by the Signal Corps due to his military experience, wide technical skill and knowledge of the Japanese language. He was sworn in for active duty on 24 January 1942 and sent to Brisbane, Australia, and later Manila, Philippines to co-ordinate the inter-service joint Australian/American Allied Translator and Interpreter Section
Allied Translator and Interpreter Section
The Allied Translator and Interpreter Section , also known as the Allied Translator and Interpreter Service or Allied Translator and Intelligence Service, was a joint Australian/American World War II intelligence agency which served as a centralized allied intelligence unit for the translation of...
(ATIS), within the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA). It was at this time that the suspicions which lingered about Mashbir’s 1937 mission to Japan on behalf of Naval Intelligence were cleared up with the assistance of Admiral Zacharias, now Assistant Director of Naval Intelligence, interceding with the Assistant Chief of Staff of G2.
The prompt accomplishments of the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section and Mashbir’s executive ability resulted in Mashbir being promoted to full Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
by General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
after only one month. Mashbir then joined the forefront of MacArthur’s intelligence activities and Japanese surrender negotiations, remaining the Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of ATIS until December 1945. He was made famous at the time in the motion picture and still photograph of the preliminary surrender negotiations at Manila, as the man who pushed the ink-well, indicating that General Richard K. Sutherland
Richard K. Sutherland
Richard Kerens Sutherland was a Lieutenant General of the US Army and General of the Army Douglas MacArthur's Chief of Staff in the South West Pacific Area during World War II.-Early life:...
should correct the Japanese Instrument of Surrender
Japanese Instrument of Surrender
The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the written agreement that enabled the Surrender of Japan, marking the end of World War II. It was signed by representatives from the Empire of Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist...
; and also as the man who thumbed the Japanese Lieutenant General Torashirō Kawabe
Torashiro Kawabe
- Notes :...
along as he attempted to shake hands. The second incident provoked some mixed feelings, including sentiment that it could have damaged surrender talks. Mashbir also played a critical role retrieving and translating the Z Plan
Z Plan (Japan)
The Z Plan is a set of captured World War II documents describing Japanese military plans to counterattack the Americans in the central Pacific ocean for one last decisive battle...
and in organizing the final surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
.
Colonel Mashbir left Japan on 8 December 1945 to serve on the management staff of the Adjutant General’s office in Washington, later becoming the executive officer. He retired in October 1951, having reached the statutory age of 60. As a result of his military service, Mashbir received several medals including the Army Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (Army)
The Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States military, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great...
, Army Commendation Medal
Commendation Medal
The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. For valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy force, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bronze Star, the Valor device may...
(Silver Oak Leaf Cluster
Oak leaf cluster
An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...
), Army of Occupation Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
The Army of Occupation Medal is a military award of the United States military which was established by the United States War Department on 5 April 1946. The medal was created in the aftermath of the Second World War to recognize those who had performed occupation service in either Germany or Japan...
, World War II Victory Medal
World War II Victory Medal
The World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of...
, American Defense Service Medal
American Defense Service Medal
The American Defense Service Medal is a decoration of the United States military, recognizing service before America’s entry into the Second World War but during the initial years of the European conflict.-Criteria:...
and American Campaign Medal
American Campaign Medal
The American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt...
. He was also recommended to become an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1946 by the Australian Governor-General, as was presented OBE insignia in 1948.
Later life
Two years after retiring, Mashbir published a 374-page memoir describing his military and intelligence career in I Was an American Spy (New York: Vantage, 1953). In Chapter 13, "The NiseiNisei
During the early years of World War II, Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated from their homes in the Pacific coast states because military leaders and public opinion combined to fan unproven fears of sabotage...
" (whom Mashbir used as translators in ATIS) he pays tribute to Military Intelligence Service (MIS) soldiers in these words: "The United States of America owes a debt to these men and to their families which it can never fully repay."
Because of the highly classified and secret nature of ATIS missions, and the work of many MIS soldiers, knowledge of Mashbir and his colleagues was largely missing during the war and even decades afterwards. The role and activities of the MIS was kept in secrecy for more than 30 years; the few records about its activities were finally made available to the public in 1972 under the Freedom of Information Act, however much still remains unknown today. Consequently, many MIS soldiers did not receive recognition or decorations for their efforts. They became "unsung heroes", unacknowledged for their contributions in wartime as well as postwar activities. An exception to this was the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame
Military Intelligence Hall of Fame
The Military Intelligence Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame established by the Military Intelligence Corps of the United States Army in 1988 to honor soldiers and civilians who have made exceptional contributions to Military Intelligence...
, of which Mashbir was inducted in 1988.
Sidney Mashbir died on 13 June 1973 and was buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is situated in the city of San Diego, California, on the Fort Rosecrans Military Reservation. The cemetery is located approximately 10 miles west of downtown San Diego, overlooking the bay and the city...
, Point Loma, California. His second wife, Mary Irene (Donahue) Mashbir (born 10 April 1896), with whom he had his second son, Don, and with whom he was buried, died earlier on 3 May 1964. He was survived by his third wife, Alice Moore Mashbir (1928–2003), and his two sons, Forrester Mashbir (1921–2003) and Don Stuart Mashbir (1931–2008).
See also
- Charles A. Willoughby
- Military Intelligence DivisionMilitary Intelligence DivisionThe Military Intelligence Division was a military intelligence branch of the United States Army, established in 1885. It was the first standing intelligence agency of the Army; the Union Army had had a Bureau of Military Information, but that had reported to the Commanding General for less than a...
- Military Intelligence Corps