For their heroism during the rescue, the unit won a Presidential Unit Citation; Barney Hajiro, James Okubo, and George Sakato each got the Medal of Honor; and virtually every man engaged earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. In 1962, Texas Governor John Connally selected members of the 100th/442nd âHonorary Texansâ. In the years that followed, the Texas delegation to Congress was instrumental in securing statehood for Hawaii, recognizing the blood debt that needed to be fulfilled. After battling their way through the Vosges Mountains, the Nisei troops were sent to police the French-Italian border in the Maritime Alps and French Riviera. They slept and restored their strength during periods of little or no combat before returning to the war to destroy Nazi Germany. However, which fights would they engage in?
The 442nd RCT's Color Guard stands at attention as accolades are read in the aftermath of severe battle in France's Vosges region. 12 November 1944 Courtesy of the Army Signal Corps of the United States of America. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was the most decorated unit in the history of the US Military for its size and duration of service. Around 18,000 soldiers served in all, collecting approximately 4000** Purple Hearts, 21 Medals of Honor, and a record-breaking seven Presidential Unit Citations.
Go For Broke, which was originally shown at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, demonstrates the critical role these troops played in the Japanese American struggle for justice both abroad and at home. The Japanese American National Museum is thrilled to host this exhibition, which highlights the extraordinary legacy of our Nisei soldiers. The exhibition is complemented with objects from the Museum's permanent collection and an unique Guide by Cell audio tour led by Nisei veterans, courtesy of the Go For Broke National Education Center's Hanashi Oral History Program. Additionally, at the Terasaki Orientation Theater, A Flicker in Eternity, a film chronicling Stanley Hayami's life behind barbed wire and as a soldier in the 442nd RCT, will be exhibited continually. Ann Kaneko, Joanne Oppenheim, and Sharon Yamato created the video, which is based on his diary, which is part of the Museum's collection.
2 Historical context The 442nd Regimental Fighting Unit is an all-Japanese American army combat team comprised of more than 12,000 volunteers. Separate 100th Infantry Battalion: The first fighting unit in US history to be entirely composed of Japanese Americans from Hawaii Both were composed entirely of Nisei (Second generation Japanese-Americans) The 141st Texas Regiment, sometimes known as the âLost Battalion,â was formed by members of the 100th Infantry Battalion. 3 The 442nd Combat Team and the 100th Battalion are organized.
