AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF NISEI SOLDIERS
READING:
The most decorated World War II military unit was the 100th/442nd,
a segregated military unit made up of Nisei
(second generation Japanese American) soldiers.
The 100th
Infantry Battalion (Separate) was the first Japanese American
unit to engage in combat. The government found that in Hawaii,
over half of the members of the Hawaii National Guard (the 298th
and 299th Infantry) were of Japanese ancestry. Questioning their
loyalty in case of a possible attack by Japan, these soldiers
were separated and removed from the Hawaiian islands. When they
arrived in Oakland, California, they were activated into a new
unit, the 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate). The 100th saw action
at the Battle
of Monte Cassino, which General Mark Clark in his memoir,
Calculated Risk said, "… was the most grueling,
the most harrowing, and in one aspect the most tragic, of any
phase of the war in Italy."
For the Nisei soldier, the Battle of Monte Cassino was
a defining moment. Nisei soldiers displayed their courage and
determination, proving that they would fight and die with honor
for America. From a full battalion of 1,300, five months earlier,
the 100th Battalion’s numbers stood at 521 after the Battle
of Cassino. The 100th earned the nickname "The Purple Heart
Battalion" for the number of Purple
Hearts (the military decoration awarded in the name of the
President for those wounded or killed) received for their sacrifices
at Cassino.
Later, the 100th was incorporated into the 442nd
Regimental Combat Team. Formed after the 4-C "enemy alien"
classification was lifted, the 442nd was comprised of three rifle
battalions: the 100th, 2nd, and 3rd, the 522nd
Field Artillery Battalion and the 232nd Combat Engineer Company. The 100th/442nd went on to
make military history, becoming the most decorated unit for its
size and length of service in U.S. military history. This distinction
was well earned.
The 100th/442nd’s first mission together was the capture
of the town of Belvedere. For their actions at the Battle
of Belvedere the 100th received the Presidential
Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism in action against
an armed enemy. In order to earn a Presidential Unit Citation,
a unit must display gallantry, determination, and espirit
de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult
and hazardous conditions as to set it apart and above other units
participating in the same campaign. The 442nd went on to win seven
Presidential Unit Citations.
The work of the Nisei linguists
who served in the Military
Intelligence Service in the Pacific during World War II remained
classified for many years. Their skill in the translation of intercepted
Japanese messages and documents and in the interrogation of prisoners
of war provided valuable information. Their efforts saved American
lives and shorten the war in the Pacific. On June 30, 2000, the
Military Intelligence Service was awarded its own Presidential
Unit Citation. According to the Secretary of the Army, Louis Caldera,
"The Presidential Unit Citation is the best way we can honor
the thousand of MIS members who served with great skill and courage
in WWII, but whose wartime contributions have never received appropriate
credit because their services were cloaked in secrecy. I hope
that with this award, the MIS will at last begin to receive the
recognition they deserve, and that more of our citizens will appreciate
the valuable service they rendered in the war against tyranny."
Individually, the Nisei soldiers of World War II were
recognized for their bravery and sacrifice under fire. They went
on to earn 18,143 individual decorations.
Only
one Medal of
Honor (the nation’s highest individual award for conspicuous
bravery at the risk of life in action with the enemy) was given
at the end of World War II. It was given to the family of Sadao
Munemori of Los Angeles. On June 21, 2000, 55 years after
the end of World War II, President Clinton awarded an additional
twenty Medal of Honor awards to Japanese American members of the
442nd Regimental Combat Team; eleven were killed in action and
three had died since the war. The average age of the surviving
veterans was 80 years old.
POST-WAR ACHIEVEMENTS
The men of the 100th/442nd returned as heroes. They were the
only military unit to be received by the President. On July 16,
1946, they marched down Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C.
In presenting the 100th/442nd with their seventh Presidential
Unit Citation, President Truman addressed them with these words:
"You have fought for the free nations of the world. You fought
not only the enemy you fought prejudice. Keep up that fight…continue
to win—make this great Republic stand for what the Constitution
says it stands for: ‘the welfare of all the people, all
the time.’"
The veterans of the 100th/442nd became a powerful civic force
after the war. The initiative and drive that they demonstrated
during the war was put to good use. Many went on to become community
and political leaders. Senator Masayuki "Sparks" Matsunaga
served in the 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate) and was wounded
twice in battle. Senator Daniel Inouye served in the 442nd Regimental
Combat Team. He received the Distinguished
Service Cross for his actions in a battle two days before
the end of the war. Because of wounds suffered, Inouye lost his
right arm. When Hawaii became a state in 1959; both Inouye and
Matsunaga went on to serve in Congress. Inouye was the first to
Japanese American to be elected to the House of Representative.
Inouye was elected to the Senate in 1962 and is serving his 7th
term. Sparks Matsunaga was elected to the House in 1962 and to
the Senate in 1976. Matsunaga served in the Senate until his death
in 1990. Both men have been role models for others championing
the cause of justice.
ACTIVITIES
Framework Standards Context California Standards
Grade 11
11.7 Students analyze the American participation in World War
II.
RESEARCH
There are thousands of individual stories of courage and sacrifice.
Find out about the lives and experiences of the Nisei soldier.
Start with the Medal of Honor recipients listed in the reading.
Go to the Go For Broke National Education Center Web site- www.GoForBroke.org
and secure in-depth information. Write a short report describing
the actions that prompted the award.
The Nisei soldiers earned a long list of medals and decorations.
Select one category of decorations, such as the Distinguished
Service Cross. Identify the recipients and write a short report
about one soldier.
| Decorations
received by the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental
Combat Team |
| 21 |
Medals of Honor
(20 awarded on June 1, 2000) |
| 33 |
Distinguished Service Crosses |
| 559 |
Silver Stars with 28 Oak
Leaf Clusters (in lieu of second Silver Star) |
| 8 |
Presidential Unit Citations |
| 1 |
Distinguished Service Medal |
| 22 |
Legion of Merit Medals |
| 15 |
Soldier's Medals |
| 4,000 |
Bronze Stars with 1,200 Oak
Leaf Clusters (in lieu of second Bronze Star) |
| 9,486 |
Purple Hearts |
| 12 |
French Croix de Guerre with
2 Palms (in lieu of a second award) |
| 2 |
Italian Crosses for Military
Valor |
| 2 |
Italian Medals for Military
Valor |
| Decorations
received by the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) |
| 3 |
Distinguished Service Crosses |
| 5 |
Silver Stars |
| 1 |
Presidential Unit Citation
(awarded June 30, 2000) |
| 5 |
Legion of Merit Medals |
| 8,143 |
Total
Individual Decorations |
Read excerpts from books such as I Can Never Forget by
Thelma Chang or Japanese Eyes, American Heart by the Hawaii
Nikkei Historical Editorial Board and then write a book report
selecting a portion that you found of interest.
Go on line and conduct research on one of the following Web
sites:
Go For Broke National Education Center
Home of Heroes - www.homeofheroes.com/moh/citations
Merrill’s
Marauders
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