16-046 Garand Picture of the Day - 100th battalion - baka-tani

[Mark in Rochester]

Information

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[ed skeels]

Clue me in please.
All oriental battalion?
Thanks
Ed

[browningautorifle]

Japanese American...look them up on Google Ed, they're downright famous...

[ed skeels]

Thanks Jim.
Will check them out.
A part of history I sure missed.
Regards
Ed

[Bob Seijas]

442nd RCT? "Go For Broke"

BTW and just FWIW, I learned that "Oriental" is now considered prejudicial... I am hardly a PC guy, but I can see it, we don't call westerners "Occidentals." They prefer the simple "Asian." I don't know what to do with my oriental carpets now.

[Bob Womack]

It was called an "All-Nisei" unit. These units has some really tough fighters such as Sen. Daniel Inouye, MOH, 1924-2012.



Citation:

Second Lieutenant Daniel K. Inouye distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 21 April 1945, in the vicinity of San Terenzo, Italy. While attacking a defended ridge guarding an important road junction, Second Lieutenant Inouye skillfully directed his platoon through a hail of automatic weapon and small arms fire, in a swift enveloping movement that resulted in the capture of an artillery and mortar post and brought his men to within 40 yards of the hostile force. Emplaced in bunkers and rock formations, the enemy halted the advance with crossfire from three machine guns. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. Although wounded by a sniper’s bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite the intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions. In the attack, 25 enemy soldiers were killed and eight others captured. By his gallant, aggressive tactics and by his indomitable leadership, Second Lieutenant Inouye enabled his platoon to advance through formidable resistance, and was instrumental in the capture of the ridge. Second Lieutenant Inouye’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.

Inouye's right arm was amputated at a field hospital without proper anesthesia because he had accidentally been double-dosed with morphine at an aid station.

Bob

[fboyj]

The 100th battalion was a guard outfit from Hawaii primarily made up of Nisei or second generation Japanese Americans and the 442 RCT was recruited from the internment camps in the inland empire and Arizona. Also look up the Lost Battalion, which was dramatized in the movie Go for Broke. Much respect to these fine warriors.

[Fjordforder]

My introduction to the 442nd was from a book of (heavily embellished) war stories published immediately postwar. There was a unit in Germany that came under fire, one guy yelled "Be careful! The Germans have killed medics!" when the medico ran out to grab someone. He yelled back "Well this Medic's killed Germans!"