[2] In 1939, he enrolled as an officer candidate in the 55th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Academy northwest of Tokyo.

After this he was assigned to the 70th Sentai, flying the Nakajima Ki-44 Shōki, called "Tojo" by the Allies of World War II.

[2] American B-29 groups were next directed to bomb Japan itself, so to counter the attacks the 70th Sentai was transferred in November 1944 to Kashiwa, Chiba, northeast of Tokyo.

In February, Captain Yoshida was made the leader of 3rd Chutai; a position he held until the end of the war in August 1945.

[2] In the summer of 1945, Yoshida underwent testing to see if he was physically fit enough to fly the rocket-powered Mitsubishi J8M Shūsui, Japan's copy of the German Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet.