What did the declassified documents reveal?

This episode of Declassified presents a declassified CIA record detailing U.S. intelligence on the potential recruitment of Japanese mercenaries for the South Korean Army and Chinese Nationalist forces. This document, originating from General Headquarters, Far East Command, dated March second, nineteen-fifty, provides insight into early Cold War intelligence gathering in East Asia. The document can be found at archive.org under the entry CI00326. This record was released by the Central Intelligence Agency under the Freedom of Information Act. It represents part of a collection declassified to shed light on United States intelligence operations concerning China. The declassification authority is not specified on the document itself, but it was made public as part of a larger release of historical records. The document is an outgoing message from the Commander-in-Chief, Far East, in Tokyo, Japan, to the Department of the Army in Washington, D.C. It states, "Subject: Adjustment of Japanese mercenaries for South Korean Army: Indirect reports lacking substantiation that a small number, less than twenty-five, may have been smuggled into Formosa. It is not known, and believed to be doubtful, if any of these individuals have been incorporated in the Chinese fighting forces. These men can be regarded as international military adventurers, representatives solely of their own personal interests. There is no indication here of any formal recruitment or of any continuous processing of this nature known here." The message is signed by K. B. Bush, Brigadier General, A.G.D., Adjutant General, and approved by a Colonel, G-two. Attached to the message is a memorandum for record, referencing a Department of the Army Radio W.X. ninety-seven-zero-four-eight, dated December second, nineteen-forty-nine, which queried Commander-in-Chief, Far East, G-two, as to whether or not Chinese Nationalists or South Koreans had recruited any Japanese volunteers. The Commander-in-Chief, Far East, reply, C fifty-three-seven-eighty, dated December second, nineteen-forty-nine, stated, "None so far as known." The memorandum then states, "Info currently available indicates that Chinese Nationalist Forces have recruited approximately twenty-five former Japanese military personnel and transported same to Formosa. Chief of Staff informed by Memo, February twentieth, nineteen-fifty, of info available from G-two sources re Recruitment of Japanese Mercenaries for Chinese Nationalist Forces. This radio informs D.A. of current status of subject case, and was directed and approved by the Chief of Staff." The Black Vault archive, which hosts this document, notes that this record details the recruitment of Japanese mercenaries by Chinese Nationalists for the Chinese fighting forces on Formosa, now Taiwan, in nineteen-fifty. The initial request from the Department of the Army inquired about recruitment for the South Korean Army, but the intelligence gathered pertained to Chinese Nationalist forces…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

Case File · ARCHIVE-003Declassified

Filed NOV 11 · 2026Runtime 1 min

This Episode Of Declassified Presents A Declassified CIA Record Detailing U.s.

U.S. public record · FOIAUpdated November 11, 2026

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S. intelligence on the potential recruitment of Japanese mercenaries for the South Korean Army and Chinese Nationalist forces. This document, originating from General Headquarters, Far East Command, dated March second, nineteen-fifty, provides insight into early Cold War intelligence gathering in East Asia.

Date: NOV 11 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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Episode notes

This episode of Declassified presents a declassified CIA record detailing U.S. intelligence on the potential recruitment of Japanese mercenaries for the South Korean Army and Chinese Nationalist forces. This document, originating from General Headquarters, Far East Command, dated March second…

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What was This Episode Of Declassified Presents A Declassified CIA Record Detailing U.s. about?: S. intelligence on the potential recruitment of Japanese mercenaries for the South Korean Army and Chinese Nationalist forces. This document, originating from General Headquarters, Far East Command, dated March second, nineteen-fifty, provides insight into early Cold War intelligence gathering in East Asia.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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This Episode Of Declassified Presents A Declassified CIA Record Detailing U.s.

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