Most Decorated U.S. Army Unit: Japanese-Americans in the U.S. Army (WW2)
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- Опубліковано 7 сер 2024
- On the 7th of December 1941, the Japanese launched their surprise military strike on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. It led to the United States formally declaring war on Japan, and vice versa, the next day.
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As war broke out in the Pacific Theatre, on the United States mainland measures were taken against supposedly potentially hostile Japanese as well. In February 1942 President Roosevelt authorised Executive Order 9066, an executive that in practice was used to relocate Japanese Americans to internment camps forcibly. The Nisei, a term to describe Japanese that were born and raised in the United States, were forcibly relocated into internment camps. The treatment of Japanese-American citizens during the second world war is pretty well known, even outside of the United States. But what’s so curious is that although Japanese Americans were viewed as a potentially hostile threat by mere reason of their ancestry, the 442nd Infantry Regiment fought as part of the United States Army in the European theatre. This regiment consisted entirely of Nisei soldiers, Americans with Japanese ancestry. And what is more, it became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history.
The Infantry Regiment Combat Team and 100th Infantry Battalion were forbidden from participating in the Pacific war theatre. The only Nisei that the US used there were those that were fluent in Japanese in order to work for the military intelligence service, as translator, spy and interrogator.
Now, the 100th Infantry Battalion was sent to the European war theatre before the 442nd. They landed at Salerno on Sicily on the 19th of September 1943. They participated in the Battle of Monte Cassino and the liberation of Italy. The Battle of Monte Cassino was a major assault that took four months and led to the defeat of the Germans holding the Gustav line. Nevertheless, the 100th suffered a disproportionate amount of casualties. Due to this siege, they earned the nickname ‘The Purple Heart Battalion’, because of the amount of Purple Heart medals that were awarded following the battle. As they were sent to Europe before the 442nd, the soldiers from that regiment were often sent to replenish the ranks of the 100th infantry, an acute need that emerged after the battle of Monte Cassino. By February 1944, after six months of seeing combat, the fighting had been brutal to the degree that of the originally 1300-strong battalion only 521 remained. The number of casualties did not just affect regular soldiers.
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:26 History of the 100th and 442nd
5:47 The units in combat
9:26 "Purple Heart Battalion"
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Sources:
www.armytimes.com/news/your-a...
www.the442.org/activation.html
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www.100thbattalion.org/learn/...
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Disgustingly unconstitutional to have done that to the Japanese Americans. Definitely not a proud moment for our nation.
Unconstitutional but necessary to take precaution, a smart move by the government even if its cruel
democrats did it remember that
@@zacharycarrier2890 well aware.
@@FDNY101202 I was more saying that to anyone who would read the replies not just you
@@zacharycarrier2890 gotcha.
My great grandfather’s brother served in the 100th battalion and died as a war hero on the Road To Rome.
He not only lead his comrades threw a mine field under machine gunfire then crawled under barbed wire which was mined. In Italy, he left his trench to uncover his comrade who was buried completely under debris, reviving him and taking his place.
The 100th battalion did missions along side the 442s that were deemed as suicide.
Gary Truro Hisaoka(My great grampa’s brother) also saved the one in charge, single handedly, under gun fire and was never mentioned for it.
As a teenager I had the privilege of interning for Senator Daniel Inouye . He lost his arm charging a machine gun nest of Nazis fighting for the 442 and he was awarded the Medal of Honor .Great Soldier and Statesman .
LUCKY
@@Kevin-qt4vy no not lucky. Heroes
Such magnificent fighting men! A huge shame that their losses were so great, but they made their point in the best way possible. Honour to them all ...
"Go for broke"
I'm reading an excellent book titled "Facing the Mountain" about the American Japanese who fought in these units. Unbelievable brave........To say "Thank you for your service" is simply not enough for the brave young men who joined during the discrimination that they endured back home.
Being an American of part Japanese ancestry, the 442nd RCT are one of my favorite parts of US history. These men were pioneers for the desegregation of the US military. Sadly many of my fellow Americans never heard of the brave men of the 442nd RCT because our schools rarely teach about them or just briefly mention them in our textbooks.
It's because, even after 80 years America/Americans still aren't ready to have Asian heroes. So, instead of making a big block buster movie about the 442nd, they make movies like Saving Private Ryan, instead. As much as I loved Saving Private Ryan, that movie's characters were fictitious. They could have made a REAL movie about the 442nd, instead. The Rescue of The Lost Battalion was an epic battle of helplessness, despair, determination, tragedy, and victory. But, like I said, Americans still aren't ready to accept 5'3" 120-lb Japanese-American men as their heroes.
Great video as usual, your commentary is always very calm and helps take the information in, very underrated channel.
I think a video on the German WW2 Free Arabian/Indian/Chinese Legion along with the Iraqi pro-German coup would be interesting, possibly you can find some information on the subject not very known
superb knowledge, thx
I had the honor and the privilege to meet a Japanese American World War Two Veteran yesterday in Long Beach California who fought in Europe . I just wanted to thank him and his fellow veterans for their sacrifice and courage and that there were still people that will always remember them. He told me that he lost a good friend by a sniper just a day before the war ended in Europe. I could tell it still bothered him. God bless them all for everything they did.
Japanese Americans showed us how to overcome prejudice against their group by self sacrifice, hard work, being good citizens and not by protesting, nor by anti-discrimination legislations.
My great-grandfather was in the 100th Battalion
Thank you very much for describing the difference between the 100th and the 442nd! that part had been confusing me for quite a while
You're very welcome!
An amazing revelation!! Wow!! I thought I knew all about WWII. I knew about the internment camps for Japanese Americans but I did not know they served with honour for the country they were born in. Wow. Thanks!!
You also may not know about the thousands of German and Austrian Jews who fled to Britain to escape Nazi persecution. Very many fought for Britain during WW2..... Very many of them chose to change their names to English sounding ones, to avoid being shot if taken prisoner.........
So much is made of the Tuskegee airman (and some false claims too), and yet how many know about the 442nd?
Very interesting video! Please keep up the great work. I did think Hawaii was basically an internment camp, due to the fact it was under Marshall law at the time. But I could be wrong. Also Lost Batallion is great Sabaton song!!!
Actually Hawaii did not intern anyone.
Not a single piece of evidence that any Japanese American was disloyal during the war. They robbed them of their assets too.
@@bricemantel6619 , mahalo for your reply. While it is true that 120,000 citizens of Japanese descent living along the West Coast were forcibly interned, a larger number (158,000) living in Hawaii were not, excepting for about 2,000. Unlike the drastically different treatment faced by mainland Japanese Americans who were subject to intense fear and suspicion in their everyday lives that eventually led to internment, courageous individuals who, along with the support of the large majority of Hawaii’s multi-ethnic residents, advocated the fair treatment of its fellow citizens. After reading the linked article, check out FBI head in Hawaii Robert Shivers, YMCA leader Hung Wai Ching, University of Hawaii regent Charles Hemenway, Honolulu Police officer John A. Burns, Colonel Kendall Fielder, and military governor General Delos Emmons among the countless government and community leaders in Hawaii who believed in and trusted their fellow citizens of Japanese descent that prevented mass incarceration from happening here. archives.starbulletin.com/2006/12/07/features/story07.html
As a result of the differences in treatment, Hawaii provided the large majority of soldiers who served in the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd RCT.encyclopedia.densho.org/100th%20Infantry%20Battalion/?fbclid=IwAR0PUATmm39XYIMave1sm2Ghzo0493BjuMCeUhSuHuUgECv1Z8QT9Vewnas www.goforbroke.org/learn/history/military_units/442nd.php
Heroes
One of my favourite stories from World War 2!
Especially when I exclude the laundry list of those related to the Polish units.
BTW there is a movie "Go For Broke!" from 1951 about the 442nd, staring six real veterans of the unit.
Great movie and it is available (or at least is was six months ago) on UA-cam free of charge.
One of my favorites as well.
I was told by 442nd RCT veterans that almost all of the Japanese American extras in the movie were actual veterans. My father who was the 1st Sergeant Fox Company 442nd RCT was present at the filming but was not in the movie. The veterans were sometimes used as German soldiers in the movie and you have to remember that the movie was made only five years after WWII.
I was told by my father who was the 1st Sergeant Fox Company 442nd RCT from March 1943 through March 1945 that Fox Company was composed of equal numbers of Japanese Americans from Hawaii and US Mainland. I found out that most of the soldiers had dual citizenship from Japan and from the US because their parents had registered their names in Japan but few of them even lived in Japan. They fought for the US even though many of them had families interned during WWII including my father's family who were interned in Manzanar Interment Camp located near Lone Pine, California. I was also told that soldiers fought to make conditions better for their families living in the US and many were killed in the war which earned respect of the US citizens. I am glad that I was born just after WWII and was not in an internment camp.
A movie was made of this unit with Van Johnson .
There is, of course the story of Senator Daniel Inouye of the 442nd
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Inouye
You cannot force respects from others, you can only earn them.
Korea was Japan then. Of course, There were Koreans It should not be forgotten or taken lightly that there was a Korean officer named Capt. Kim Yongock in the 442nd. This is an important part of our history.
Amazing unit. Great story 🇺🇸
It sure was an amazing unit!
Canada also interned nesei Japanese. Not sure about their military history, could you elaborate?
Good question, I will have to look into that. On this website (www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2019/3/19/japanese-canadian-vets/) it says from 1942 to 1945 Nisei were banned from participating in Canadian forces, although many tried very hard to enlist.
There were only 32 Nisei serving in the Canadian armed forces during the war, apparently.
The Purple Heart is also awarded for being killed in combat.
マッコイってStar TrekのMcCOYですね。
The Purple Heart is also awarded for being killed in action. That is most likely the reason for the 9,500 give to this unit. Truly one heroic group of soldiers. 🇺🇸
The actual number of Purple Hearts awarded to the 100th/442nd was over 4,000. www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/442nd-regimental-combat-team
Can you make a video covering the Axis holdouts in Stalingrad? There were thousands of them and I can never find any videos about it.
As usual for this channel, an excellent presentation of a remarkable combat unit, but if I may, I would like to make an observation;
While I am not defending the internment of Japanese-Americans during the war, I would like to point out that it was a (misguided) matter of security rather than a matter of racism, because it did NOT only happen to the Japanese. While the existence of Japanese internment camps is well known, it is almost unknown that there were also internment camps for both Italian-Americans and German-Americans in the United States. The internment camps were established to confine people with connections (or suspected connections) to ALL THREE nations with which the United States suddenly found itself at war, whether Asian or European, regardless of race. Unconstitutional? Yes, without a doubt. Over reaction? Maybe. But it WAS applied to both Asian and Europeans which lessens the accusation of racism. (In the case of the latter, it may have actually been justified, since in several of the German internment camps the detainees actually held pro-Nazi rallies and celebrations.)
BTW, I read the book "Go For Broke" and many of the Japanese-Americans in the 442nd, especially those from Hawaii who witnessed Pearl Harbor, were angry (major understatement) that they were NOT allowed to go to the Pacific and fight those who actually attacked THEIR country.
The Military Intelligence Service (MIS) consisting of 6,000 men served in all areas of the Pacific including in combat areas, with one group served with Merrill Marauders in Burma. www.misveteranshawaii.com/
Incorrect information. During WW2, the United States did place some Germans into internment camps, but the majority of them were German nationals who were living in the United States. In contrast, the Untied States interned Japanese-AMERICANS, who were born and raised in the United States, and who were U.S. citizens by BIRTH. Big, big difference. They interned practically all of the Japanese living in the Untied States. The government absolutely DID NOT intern all of the German-Americans and Italian-Americans living in the United States. There was absolutely NO justification for the mass internment of Japanese-Americans during WW2. No justification back then. No justification now.
@@user-sg8kq7ii3y No no justification, but you need to know that there were Japanese spies in Hawaii, who sent pictures of our planes, and ships to the Empire of Japan. They did arrest those spies and expelled them.
@@isamiyoshihara8589my father as a OSS scout worked with Roy Matsumoto as a member of Merrill’s Marauders.
One's traitor is always the other's hero and vice versa...
The Purple Heart is also awarded to all military personnel killed in combat.
Thank you for covering these American Heroes of Japanese ancestry.
Although my late Father fought in TH Pacific Theater, as a child in th 60's he told me of the brave unit of men. Naturally, at the wars end, The great units of Black and Japanese hero's went back to segregation from living in White neighborhoods.
And the most underpresented. And i am mad bcoz of it.
Their Banzais will surely match that of the Soviet Urrah’s.
The same we’re done of a lot of German Americans just wasn’t as public.
Dang I'm late for a change.
Franklin roosevelt and his intelligence military industrial complex knew date /time japenese were attacking their code breakers broke the japenese code.
They allowed it to happen the inside jobe.
Utterly ridiculous. The US is no doubt ashamed of this. During WW2, many German and Austrian Jews fled to Britain to escape Nazi persecution. Many of them eventually ended up fighting for the British armed forces in all three branches of the services. The RAF could boast at least one German born fighter pilot who had a quite successful career. Many more served active roles in both the Royal Navy and the British Army. Very many also took British citizenship, and changed their names to more English sounding ones, hopefully to avoid being shot by the Nazis if they were taken prisoner.....
@Brian-om2hh yes we are ashamed but as the Hawaiian Senato who fought with the division,the US is the only Nation that admitted they did wrong. So get over arrogance
Why were they so highly decorated? The US army has a history of ignoring and not acknowledging anyone, anywhere, at any time that suited them to ignore?
..
When are we gonna find out they painted mustangs with a red dot and launched them from our own carriers?
“Delete the Elite!”
I think that you put in a WWI stock photo.
At what time? Could very well be, sometimes those mistakes slip in.
@@HoH At 9:03 - 9:13
@@thelastjohnwayne very sharp observation, thank you for pointing it out!
Thought that looked a little..dated for the time we were talking about lol.
The 442nd's official history says they received 810 Bronze Stars, 3,600 Purple Hearts, and 7 DUCs, not 9,500, 4,000, and 8 respectively. There is quite a lot of unnecessary embellishment surrounding this unit's history unfortunately.