september june senior officer united_states_army primarily involved military intelligence born new_york served mexican american border war held posts intelligence positions taking credit catching german spy united_states departing year assignment language officer japan resigned army attempt execute master plan devised extract intelligence japan event war plan failed result great earthquake september left bankrupt consequently returned engineering businessman returned japan second attempt activate plan behalf failed enrolled reserves following attack pearl harbor enrolled january lead quickly rose rank colonel later served retiring early life born manhattan new_york september moved arizona father professor russian immigrant educated russian speaking attorney practice law new_york_city mother educated included area attended public schools later studying engineering months year whilst simultaneously maintaining career engineering primarily engineering department railroad companies married wife september son couple separated mid military career early service joined young age served company later lieutenant adjutant whilst studying served lieutenant company national_guard based fort senior instructor time captain early received official intelligence assignment assigned assistant intelligence officer district arizona general unit time involved mexican american border war duties included mapping roads trails northern additionally scout mexican towns scouts reporting strength equipment mexican garrisons installing primitive mexican communication lines responsible investigating japan physical presence mexico time late applied commission accepted general support despite army policy married men accepted attending joined 22nd infantry regiment stationed new_york soon detailed counter espionage duty recommended join new service formed september detailed assistant enrolled promoted temporary lieutenant colonel time wrote provisional rules counter espionage model future world war page book titled lessons bayonet fighting published end credited investigations fort hamilton uncovered german spy united_states wars following world war held position teaching military science tactics considered studying japanese language culture august asked embark course study stating intention apply posting japan purpose learning language saw fit assigned army language officers japan july relocated tokyo following month begin year tour arrived reported duty lieutenant colonel military having army colleagues tokyo sought company intelligence professionals navy assistant naval lieutenant commander began lifelong friendship collaboration july request secretly worked day night produce secret plan gather intelligence information japan case war known plan named undisclosed activities working naval sit superiors order establish network foreign businessmen japan turned intelligence network time war suggested commander colonel resign commission businessman tokyo order plan effect consequently resigned pursue business interests undercover secret intelligence operations impression reinstated army work earthquake september sought military discovered possible clause law resigned longer valid colonel urged resign aware sticking point later life noting law reprinted correct clause consequently plan establish intelligence network japan scrapped returned united_states impression military career sought employment selling managed rejoin spent year active duty beginning summer time updated documentation japan years returned original profession engineering including government work technical standards returned japan year absence second attempt launch plan behalf friend naval mission aroused suspicions ill informed military tokyo investigation started misunderstanding come close damaging career investigated hawaii influenced military suspicions report based erroneous assumptions delivered june colonel advised february reserves failure report specified day physical examination appeared actual cause suspicions aroused failure communicate individuals nature extent work actually engaged dismissal failure implement intelligence network suggested plan described key factor failure information japan attack pearl harbor december world war despite dismissal outbreak hostilities world war japan led immediately sought military experience wide technical skill knowledge japanese language sworn active duty january sent brisbane australia later manila philippines inter service joint australian time suspicions mission japan behalf cleared assistance admiral assistant director naval intelligence assistant chief staff prompt accomplishments executive ability resulted promoted colonel general month joined forefront intelligence activities japanese surrender negotiations remaining december famous time motion picture photograph preliminary surrender negotiations manila man pushed ink indicating general correct man japanese lieutenant general attempted shake hands second incident provoked mixed feelings including sentiment damaged surrender talks played critical role translating plan organizing final surrender japan autobiography explained permitted shake hands rude point ultimately lead awkward motion photographed colonel left japan december serve management staff adjutant general office washington later executive officer retired october having reached statutory age result military service received medals including army medal silver oak leaf cluster recommended officer order british empire honorary australian governor general presented insignia later life years retiring published page memoir describing military intelligence career american spy new_york chapter pays tribute military intelligence service soldiers words united_states_of_america owes debt men families fully repay highly classified secret nature missions work soldiers knowledge colleagues largely missing war decades role activities kept secrecy years records activities finally available public freedom information act remains unknown today consequently soldiers receive recognition decorations efforts heroes contributions wartime postwar activities exception military intelligence hall fame inducted died june buried fort national cemetery california second wife born april second son don buried died earlier survived wife sons
Sidney Mashbir