Check Six: History of the Hawaii Air Defense System

Posted on Feb 25, 2018 in Uncategorized*

Arthur Ishimoto served as the Adjutant General from January 1, 1982 to April 7, 1983.

He enlisted in the Army in 1944 and served as an interrogator and translator in General Douglas MacArthur’s intelligence section during World War II.  After the war, he joined the 442nd Infantry and received a direct commission to second lieutenant. He transferred to the Hawaii Air National Guard in 1949.

During his HIANG career, he is credited as the chief planner of the Hawaii Air Defense System. In this April 5, 2017 interview with an unnamed University of Alaska researcher, Ishimoto details the development of the air defense system. The interview was later posted on the Japanese American Veterans’ Association website.

Ishimoto’s interview