Presidio in Monterey in Monterey County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Aiso Library
Photographed by Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret), August 20, 2025
1. Aiso Libraty Marker
Dedicated to the memory of
Judge John Fujio Aiso
1909-1987
Aiso was the first director of academic training of the military intelligence service language school (MISLS), predecessor of the Defense Language Institute. He was born in 1909 in Burbank, California, the son of Japanese immigrants and graduated from Brown University and Harvard Law School. In 1936-37 he studied at Chuo University, Tokyo, and worked until 1941 for a British company in Japanese-occupied Manchuria. He returned to the United States in early 1941 and was conscripted into the army within months he was released from active duty to serve as chief instructor for the hastily-formed secret Japanese language school. Under his inspiring leadership as director of academic training, MISLS rapidly expanded. He recruited instructors and trained them, developed course materials, and set the highest academic standards. The more than 6,000 MISLS graduates contributed immeasurably to the American victory over imperial Japan and to winning the peace that followed. In 1946 he was given a direct commission as major and awarded the Legion of Merit.
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Education • Military. A significant historical year for this entry is 1909.
Location. 36° 36.326′ N, 121° 54.7′ W. Marker is in Monterey, California, in Monterey County. It is in Presidio. It can be reached from Lewis Road. The marker is mounted on the exterior of the Aiso Library, Building 617. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1759 Lewis Road, Monterey CA 93944, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Central Coast and specifically on the Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, on the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically,
Photographed by Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret), August 20, 2025
2. Aiso Library Viewed from Parking Lot
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Pomerene Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Weckerling Center (approx. 0.4 miles away); James W. Finch House (approx. 0.6 miles away); Fort Mervine (approx. ¾ mile away); Sloat Monument (approx. ¾ mile away); Presidio of Monterey Museum (approx. 0.8 miles away); Perry House (approx. 0.9 miles away); Trimmer Hill (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Monterey.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Mayo Hayes O'Donnell Library (was approx. 0.9 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . .
1. John Aiso (Wikipedia). Overview:
John Fujio Aiso (Japanese: 相磯 藤雄, December 14, 1909 – December 29, 1987) was an American nisei military leader, lawyer and judge. Aiso was the Director and head instructor of the Military Intelligence Service Language School, and the highest-ranking Japanese American in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was also the first Japanese American appointed as a judge in the contiguous United States.(Submitted on September 8, 2025.)
2. Memorialization (US Army Garrison-Presidio of Monterey). Alphabetical listing of memorials at the Monterey Presidio. The Aiso Memorial Library is thus listed first. Includes additional photos. (Submitted on September 8, 2025.)
3. John Aiso (Densho Encyclopedia). (Submitted on September 8, 2025.)
Additional keywords. 相磯 藤雄
Credits. This page was last revised on September 16, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2025, by Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret) of Coronado, California. This page has been viewed 84 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 1, 2025, by Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret) of Coronado, California. 2. submitted on September 12, 2025, by Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret) of Coronado, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
