A TRADITION OF HONOR
"A Tradition of Honor" is an 82-minute
documentary that follows the remarkable story of the legendary
Japanese American World War II units, the 442nd Regimental Combat
Team, the 100th Infantry Battalion, and the Military Intelligence
Service. Through the testimonies of 40 Japanese American
veterans, “A Tradition of Honor” traces the emotional stories
from their humble beginnings in the sugarcane fields of Hawaii
and farming communities on the West Coast, to the events that
made them the most decorated unit for their size and length of
service in American military history.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor
by Japan, many people saw Japanese Americans as the enemy.
The government reinforced this belief and was guilty of forced
segregation when it forced nearly all 110,000 Japanese Americans
on the West Coast into concentration camps. When the
government finally asked Japanese American men to fight for their
country, many saw this as an opportunity to prove their loyalty.
“A Tradition
of Honor” follows the journey of the 100th Bn and the 442nd RCT
as they fought their way through Italy and eventually to France
where they successfully rescued the Lost Battalion, one of the 10
most significant battles in US history. In one of the more
ironic chapters of the war, soldiers whose own families were still
in American concentration camps, helped liberate survivors
of the Holocaust a sub-camp at Dachau. In the Pacific Theatre,
Japanese Americans serving as interpreters used their understanding
of the Japanese language and traditions to provide intelligence
that decreased allied casualties. The final chapter of the
war is a unique perspective of the formal surrender by Japan aboard
the deck of the battleship USS Missouri. Following the surrender
is the stirring first-hand account of the devastation of Hiroshima
after the dropping of the world’s first atomic bomb.
After September
11, this story serves as a reminder that as Americans, we all
have a diverse heritage but never again shall American citizens
of any descent, be denied their constitutional rights. “A
Tradition of Honor” is a compelling illustration of personal
strength, courage and a testimony to the power of the human spirit.
To purchase "A Tradition
of Honor" visit our
General Store
