His mother and father moved back to Japan shortly before the war (Dec 4th) he stayed behind and joined the army and was in the corp of engineers digging trenches. After Pearl Harbor he was saved being sent to the mainland internment camp due to being in the army.  In January he was given the opportunity to join an infantry regiment and took it.  He didn't want to dig with a pick and shovel anymore.  the 442nd became a Japanese unit sent to Italy.

Nobody?



I thought this was a cool subject.

I love the stories of the 442nd.  One of the most decorated units in history.  The battle where they rescued the unit from Texas that was pinned down was incredible.

That was a tough time for American citizens of Japanese descent that were forced into the internment camps.

You just dont beat an outfit with the battle cry of, "Go for broke!"

A whole lotta angry in a little package.

Thanks for sharing that OP.

when being American meant more than being a 'japanese-American'

We're not italian Americans, afro Americans, etc etc, we're Americans!

Apple pie was invented in England.

But yeah they were some badass American soldiers, despite the discrimination they faced.

Back in the days when the response to "you're not American" wasn't "Fuck you, give me stuff" but "Fuck you, I'll prove you wrong."

I mean, these guys and their families were being put into fucking camps by FDR. If anybody had a right to be pissed at the USG it was them.

from Wikipedia:

The 442nd Regiment is the most decorated unit in U.S. military history. Created as the 442nd Regimental Combat Team when it was activated February 1, 1943, the unit quickly grew to its fighting complement of 4,000 men by April 1943, and an eventual total of about 14,000 men served overall.

The unit earned more than 18,000 awards in less than two years, including 9,486 Purple Hearts and 4,000 Bronze Star Medals.

The unit was awarded eight Presidential Unit Citations (five earned in one month).

Twenty-one of its members were awarded Medals of Honor.

In 2010, the Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and associated units who served during World War II, and in 2012, all surviving members were made chevaliers of the French Légion d'Honneur for their actions contributing to the liberation of France and their heroic rescue of the Lost Battalion.

I personally knew a 442nd vet in Chicago who gave me all kind of playful hell before I moved to Texas.

He loved that they bailed out the Texas boys.

He had pure white hair when he was in his late 40s. I think I know how he got it.

My grandfather was in the 442. He passed away before I could ask him about his service. I did get to go to DC and accept the Congressional Gold Medal on his behalf.

This.

hardcore

I re-watched Ken Burns's The War last month. The 442nd and their story gets pretty good coverage there.

General Dahlquist threw those guys into the meat grinder repeatedly.

After the Lost Battalion shit show, he called the 442nd in for a review formation and got pissed about a lack of attendance because he apparently didn't know how many casualties they sustained.

it was a great story... an inspirational story...

They were hardcore.

State Route 99 between Fresno and Madera is named the 100th Infantry Battalion Memorial Highway.
State Route 99 between Salida and Manteca is named the 442nd Regimental Combat Team Memorial Highway.

There’s a number of books on the 442nd, can’t remember which one I read but it had really funny quotes throughout the book, sometimes anonymous that related to the text.  There was also a movie made I think in the 60s that I heard was good but I’m thinking a remake might prove to be really successful.

Living in Hawaii you realize how tight island life is.  Everyone knows each other - would have been more so then.  You would be hard pressed to find a more cohesive group and I think that was one of the keys to their success.  Most had never been in snow - or even cold.  They were used to eating fish and pig and lots of rice.  They were small compared to mainlanders and as a result the military didn’t have clothes that fit them.  Some of them rarely wore shoes!  One guy had a size 4EEE - almost a hoof.  Just the immense physical and psychological shock of ending up in Europe in brutal conditions would have been enough, but they had to fight for their lives on top of that.  Just an amazing story.  I still see a few members from time to time, usually at fundraisers.

Also worth reading is the battle of Niihau.

The movie you are thinking of may be Go for Broke! (1951)


Hey look what I found:


Read the synopsis carefully:

If you're interested in listening to a bunch of the old timers, there are a number of interviews http://goforbroke.org/learn/archives/index.php. The senator inouye one was interesting, covers his moh and visiting an internment camp

The search function kind of sucks there though.

The hawaii internment camps are not super well known.

LOL