442nd Regimental Combat Team

This unit is close to being unknown by many. The only ones who really know about it are those who actually served in it and military historians or those with an interest in World War II or military history

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Interesting facts

-A highly decorated but segregated military unit

-It consisted almost completely of second-generation Japanese (Nisei) who lived in the internment camps, both in Hawaii and on the mainland

-These soldiers volunteered for service to show their loyalty

-This is the most decorated unit in the history of the US military because of its size, strength, length of service. This unit earned many awards, including 21 Medals of Honor and eight Presidential Unit Citations

Surviving members of the 442

Additional members of the 442

-The motto for the unit was "Go for Broke", a phrase used in gambling meaning risk everything to win

-The 442 came to the attention of the world for rescuing the "Lost Battalion" in the Vosges Mountains in France

-They faced racial prejudice from the enemies in Europe and from the people in the US. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, many felt that the Japanese people were not to be trusted. There was a strong feeling of anti-Japanese shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor

World War II Museum

-After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, "a day that will live in infamy", in the words of then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, he signed Executive Order 9066, stating that "enemy aliens" were to be relocated to "war relocation centers", better known as internment camps or incarceration camps

-There was heightened paranoia and fear of many Americans of Japanese descent because of the many victories the Japanese military were having overseas. But those of Japanese descent in the US were just as angry as other US citizens at the bombing of Pearl Harbor. And when given the chance, many of the residents enlisted in the military

-On February 1, 1943, President Roosevelt created the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This team would consist almost solely of American-born Japanese, both from the US mainland and Hawaii. At least two thirds of the regiment were Hawaiian Japanese. They introduced the motto "Go for Broke", meaning risk everything to win. Unfortunately, the members of this regiment were fighting two wars-one against the Axis Powers and one against racial prejudice at home

-Many men would be sent to Europe to replace members of the 100 Infantry Battalion. The 442 had succeeded in training and were proving to be successful. By August 1944, the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442 were all one unit, working under the motto "Go for Broke". September 1944 seen the 442 invading southern France and liberating the cities from the Nazis. The 442 went on to join up with the 92nd Infantry Division, an all black segregated unit. Together they pushed German soldiers out of northern Italy

The unit had a total of 18,000 men, winning over 4,000 Purple Hearts, 4,000 Bronze Stars, 560 Silver Medals, 21 Medals of Honor, seven Presidential Unit Citations. This unit is remembered as the most decorated unit in the history of the US military for its size and length of service

U.S. Army

-Their motto "Go for Broke" was introduced by the Hawaiian Japanese, who loved to gamble until they had nothing left

-At least two thirds of the unit were Hawaiian Japanese. The other remaining third were mainlanders. The unit began their training at Camp Shelby in Mississippi. There was immediate fighting between the men because of their perspectives of where they grew up

-Any American-born Japanese who was in the ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corp) had their status changed to 4C, meaning "enemy alien" on January 19, 1942. 170 students signed a petition to the governor of the military saying "Hawaii is our home; the United States our country. We know but one loyalty and that is to the stars and stripes. We wish to do our part as loyal Americans in every way possible, and we hereby offer ourselves for whatever service you may see fit to use us."

-On February 1, 1943, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was created. Consisting solely of second generation American-born Japanese, known as nisei, the unit included both mainland residents and residents of Hawaii. The commanding officers and most of the higher ups were Caucasian. The team also included the 442nd Infantry Regiment with three battalions attached to it, the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion and the 232nd Engineer Company. The units trained for a year at Camp Shelby in Mississippi before shipping out to the Mediterranean in May 1944

-In September 1944, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, shortened to the 442nd RCT, was assigned to the Seventh Army for a mission into southern France. They were attached to the 36th Infantry Division for a mission into the Vosges Mountains. After four weeks of heavy combat, the teams liberated the cities of Bruyeres and Biffontaine and even rescued a battalion deemed "lost" from the 36th Division

Go for Broke National Education Center

-At the time Pearl Harbor was bombed, the largest ethnic group on the islands were Japanese. Everyone on the island, Japanese and native Hawaiians, came together to assist where they could. Japanese members of the Hawai'i Territorial Guard were told that this unit was disbanding. Unfortunately, on January 19, 1942, the Hawai'i Territorial Guard reformed the unit, without the Japanese members

-Many of these American-born Japanese were considered "enemy aliens" and had to give up their books and dreams of higher education that would take them beyond their pineapple plantation jobs, construction jobs and other plantation jobs

-Immediately after the bombing, everyone became suspicious of anyone of Asian descent. Newspapers would announce that those of Japanese descent were being "relocated" to war relocation centers, better known as internment camps. Although the papers would use the horribly offensive term Jap, referring to this particular group of people

-Nearly 40% of the population in Hawaii was Japanese, and the idea of relocating all of those people was abandoned, while on the mainland, it was already happening. The mainland Japanese were nicknamed "Katonks" by the Hawaiians because of the noise that is said to be made by the hollow sound of their heads getting hit in a fist fight. While the Hawaiians were called "Buddhaheads" because in Hawaiian "buta" means pig while others claim it was a reference to Buddhist monks who shave their heads

-There was immediate fighting between the Hawaiian Japanese and mainland Japanese. The Hawaiians thought the mainlanders were unfriendly. The mainlanders thought the Hawaiians were crude and impulsive. While the mainlanders spoke clear English, the Hawaiians spoke a language called Pidgin, a type of language in Hawaii that is a mixture of Hawaiian, Japanese, Portugese, Chinese and Englis

-Money was a hot topic between the two groups. The Hawaiians loved to gamble without a care in the world because they had families sending them money while the mainlanders were more liberal with their money. They sent what little money they did earn back to their families still in the internment camps. To enlighten the Hawaiians to the situation the mainlanders were suffering, the Hawaiian Japanese were put into a truck and taken past the towns of Jerome and Rohwer, to see the camps. They thought these towns were predominantly Japanese until they saw the tar paper barracks, barbed wire and guard towers with machine guns mounted. With that in mind, the Hawaiian Japanese finally understood what the mainlanders were going through and suddenly both groups became closer than ever

The George C. Marshall Foundation

-One soldier was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. It was Private First Class Sadao Munemori. He single handedly destroyed a German gun emplacement. He saved other soldiers when he was able to return to an artillery grater and throwing a grenade. He was killed on impact, but saved the other soldiers

Private First Class Sadao Munemori

-When a review was later done, many more Medals of Honor were awarded. Including a man who would later become the Senator of the state of Hawai'i, Daniel Inouye

Hyotaro Inouye and his son Daniel Inouye. Daniel had lost his arm in combat and had it replaced with a hook

-To this day, this unit is still the most decorated unit in the entire history of the US military. This unit was awarded more than 4,000 Purple Hearts, eight Presidential Unit citations, 559 Silver Stars and 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, along with other awards by the end of WWII