Jon

Author Archives: Jon

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Assistance for One-Time “Free” Replacement of Military Awards & Decorations

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PUBLIC SERVICE ASSISTANCE FOR A ONE-TIME “FREE” REPLACEMENT OF MILITARY AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Veterans of the 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion; 100th Infantry Battalion; 442nd Regimental Combat Team; Military Intelligence Service; and all other AJA World War II male/female veterans assigned to military unit(s) outside of the previously identified units.

Honor and perpetuate the AJA World War II Veteran’s legacy and request a one-time “gratuitous” replacement of his/her authorized military awards and decorations through the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), and the Awards and Decorations Branch (ADB), US Army Human Resources Command (USAHRC).

Jeff Morita, a retired US Army Sergeant First Class and GG-13, Department of the Army Civilian and member of the Sons & Daughters is pleased to offer his public service assistance for this not widely known “FREE” benefit program. The two (2) separate, yet loosely interlinked request programs are available to surviving veterans, or posthumously to their primary next-of-kin (NOK). US Army regulatory policy governing the military awards and decorations program is very explicit with regard to NOK eligibility and issuance of awards and decorations. Posthumous awards are issued only to the service member’s primary NOK starting sequentially with the surviving (but not remarried) spouse, eldest child, father or mother, eldest brother or sister, or eldest grandchild.

Previous requests have resulted in replacements of the following military awards and decorations:

– Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)
– Silver Star Medal (SSM)
– Legion of Merit (LOM)
– * Bronze Star Medal (BSM)
– Purple Heart Medal (PHM)
– Army Good Conduct Medal (AGCM)
– American Defense Service Medal
– American Campaign Medal
– Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
– European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Campaign Medal
– World War II Victory Medal
– World War II Occupation Medal (with potential Germany or Japan bar)
– Army Meritorious Unit Commendation (ribbon)
– Presidential Unit Citation (ribbon) (previously known as the Distinguished Unit Badge)
– * Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB)
– * Combat Medical Badge (CMB)
– Expert; or Sharpshooter; or Marksman Badge (with appropriate qualification bar, e.g., carbine, rifle, machine gun, etc.)
– Honorable Service Lapel Button-World War II (pin)
– Cold War Certificate
– Bronze “V” Device (affixed to service medal or ribbon for an award of heroism or valor other than meritorious service or achievement)
– Bronze Arrowhead (affixed to service medal or ribbon for amphibious assault landing, combat parachute jump, helicopter or combat glider landing)
– Bronze/Silver Campaign/Service Star (affixed to service medal or ribbon for subsequent award[s])
– Bronze/Silver Oak Leaf Cluster (affixed to service medal or ribbon for subsequent award[s])

* World War II veterans awarded the CIB or CMB are eligible to receive a BSM for World War II Service. Not many veterans, or their primary NOK, are aware of this policy extended only to eligible World War II veterans.

NOTE:  The NPRC request will engrave the full name of the veteran on the reverse of each verified DSC, SSM, LOM, BSM, PHM, or AGCM service medal.

For assistance with the process for a one-time “fee free” replacement of military awards and decorations, or for more information contact Jeff Morita at — jeff_kine_57@icloud.com

Examples of ADB, USAHRC results of Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart Medal certificates for Corporal Yoshio James Morita, F “Fox” Company, 2nd Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team (Jeff’s uncle). Official US Army certificates are not available through the NPRC request.

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13th Annual Joint Memorial Service

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The 13th Annual Joint Memorial Service (JMS), honoring Japanese American Soldiers in World War II, will be held at 9:30 am on Sunday, September 30, 2018 at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.

The theme for this celebration is: “Remembering their sacrifice by challenging ourselves.”

Tom Coffman, author of books on the history and political development of Hawai’i, will be our keynote speaker.

Nisei veterans and their personal care attendants who would like to arrange for transportation to attend this ceremony should call 949-7997 (Mon-Thu) by September 14, 2018.

We hope that all Nisei veterans who can join us will take advantage of this free service.

For further information about the JMS, please contact Larry Enomoto, (808) 255-8971, JMS Co-Chair.

JMS

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CA State Senate Resolution honoring 75th Anniversary of 442nd RCT formation

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To All 442nd Veterans, Families and Friends

On June 25, 2018, the California State Senate will be passing a resolution honoring the 75th anniversary of the formation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The Go For Broke National Education Center wishes to extend an invitation to our veterans, families and friends in Hawaii in hopes that some can join us in Sacramento for this event.

Here is an informational letter on the event.

Download (PDF, 960KB)

For any questions and to attend, please contact Ms. Erin Sato of the Go For Broke NEC.

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Helping People via our S&D website

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Helping People Interested in 442nd RCT Veterans through our S&D website
Contributed by S&D Secretary Juanita Wright Allen

Our S&D website is located at 442sd.org. Not only does it have a wealth of information for members and the general public, everything from our activities to a full roster of 442nd soldiers to interesting articles, it also serves as a portal through which those interested in the 442nd and those with specific questions can contact us.

The variety of queries is astonishing. The following are my Top 5 interesting queries – in descending order:

5. About McKinley High School. Jordan, an Eagle Scout in Honolulu, asked if we have a list of all McKinley (high school on Oahu) graduates who served in the 442nd in WWII. He was installing a native plant memorial garden at the school and wanted to memorialize these graduates. I directed him to the school as I could find nothing in the newspapers of that time.

4. Can You Decipher Radio Messages? A query from Riccardo in northern Italy doing research on the 442nd’s liberation of his town. He was reading a transcript of radio communications during the battle and wanted to know what all the military terms meant. Our member Bill Wright read the reports, deciphered the terms and then spent days reading more reports “just for fun.”

3. But My Father Was in the 442nd. We have had two of these types of queries. WWII veteran M. Valentine’s son wrote that his father was in the 522 as a “full track driver” for 26 months. “Hmmm,” Bill Wright (whose father was an officer in the 522) thought, “that doesn’t sound right.” After some digging, it was revealed that the unit was not our 522 Field Artillery, much to the son’s regret. Another just came in for veteran K. Searles, who his nephew says was an EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) specialist with the 232nd Engineers. Bill is checking into this now. It’s not likely as there were no Caucasian enlisted men in the 442nd and by extension the 232nd. But it’s very nice that so many want to be part of the 442nd.

2. The Mysterious Dog Tags. A man in Texas asked if we could locate a R. Kim, whose WWII dog tags he had dug up in his back yard while gardening. His theory was that perhaps Kim had something to do with the rescue of Texas’ Lost Battalion. After some tracking I found that Dr. Kim was in the MIS, he is still alive and well and lives 20 miles from where his dog tags were found. He has no earthly idea how his dog tags ended up there. He likely has them back by now.

1. Finding Sam. The all-time winner for queries – this one will never be topped. A lady in Australia was searching for her father. All she had was a lovely note signed “Sam” written to her mother as he departed Donauworth, Germany, in 1945. Sewn to the note was his 442nd patch. We knew that Sam had to be in the 522nd Field Artillery, the only 442nd unit that was in Germany. For months I researched all the men named Sam, Isamu, Osamu, or anything similar. I looked at as many 522nd photos I could find, searching for a resemblance. This is still an “open case,” and it’s heartbreaking to have not yet found Sam. He is likely long gone, and never knew a few months after he left Germany his child would be born.

photo of Sam and his fräulien during happy days in Donauworth
image of Sam and fraulien

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Volunteer Project between the S&D and the Archives & Manuscripts Dept of Hamilton Library, University of Hawaii at Manoa

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Volunteer project between the Sons & Daughters of the 442nd RCT and the Archives & Manuscripts Department of Hamilton Library, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Contributed by S&D member Jon Ishihara

Since August of last year, a dedicated group of Sons & Daughters members have been giving their time and effort each week for a volunteer project at Hamilton Library of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

image of Steve scanning documentsThe volunteer project is to digitize the holdings in the Archives & Manuscripts Department of Hamilton Library that were donated to the Library by the 442nd Veterans Club years back and which consists of thousands of documents from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and other material such as the memoirs of Love Company, 3rd Battalion. After digitization, the material will be available to all with Internet access via the Archives & Manuscripts Department’s web pages for perusal and research. Currently, the bulk of the material must be accessed in person by visiting Hamilton Library on the Manoa campus.

The results of this volunteer project will differ from 442nd Regimental Combat Team-related NARA documents currently available online via the Archives & Manuscripts Department and other websites such as the Japanese American Veterans Association (https://java.wildapricot.org/) and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team Legacy website (the442.org) in that the digitization by the Sons & Daughters and the Archives & Manuscripts Department involves creating files by use of optical character recognition (OCR) software that are searchable within the documents themselves. Additionally, the JAVA website and the442.org website each appears to have some of the same documents as the Archives & Manuscripts Department but also different documents in their respective collections. Therefore, it seems safe to state that all three collections are useful to those interested in information about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

image of Mae doing OCR work

In brief, this story has its roots in the work led by veterans such as Ted Tsukiyama in Hawaii and dedicated persons on the mainland to seek out material in the NARA collections (in Washington, D.C. and Maryland) related to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the incarceration of Japanese Americans and their Issei parents and family members after the Pearl Harbor attack, the Military Intelligence Service and the WWII period. Copies of the material compiled were donated to the University of Hawaii Library by the 442nd Veterans Club/442nd RCT Foundation where it resides in the Archives & Manuscripts Department.

Our S&D volunteers are re-scanning the thousands of documents to meet accessibility standards, are using OCR software to create the searchable files and are compiling the “metadata” on each document that will be used for identification and discovery. Scanning is the most straightforward task. The OCR step involves checking that each word in a document is correctly recognized by the OCR software and can mean retyping an entire document if the document is of too poor quality to be “read” by the software. Creating the metadata involves inputting a document title, author, date, etc. and also reading the entire document in order to summarize the contents in one or a few sentences. This is a time-consuming effort and to date, approximately 24 of 35 boxes of the NARA documents at the Archives & Manuscripts Department have been scanned. However, our S&D volunteers feel this project is a concrete way to help keep the legacy of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team alive into the future. Each of us is also learning much more about the 442nd RCT and the WWII period than we imagined prior to starting the project.

This is a true win-win situation as the goal of both the Sons & Daughters and Hamilton Library is to make this material related to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team publicly accessible online. The Sons & Daughters volunteers are the manpower and heart of this project and the Archives & Manuscripts Department provides the guidance, equipment and facilities for the digitization. Mahalo Nui Loa to our Sons & Daughters volunteers Juanita Wright Allen, Lynn Heirakuji, Jon Ishihara, Mae Isonaga, Gayle Kawahakui, Steve Migdol, Tracy Sakai, Caitlin Shishido, Laughlin Tanaka, Janice Trubitt and Bill Wright who each volunteer several hours per week for this large undertaking. Mahalo Nui Loa also to Leilani Dawson and the staff at the Archives & Manuscripts Department of Hamilton Library for the training and support of our volunteers. We look forward to seeing the material online.

image of Caitlin receiving a lei from Leilani in appreciation

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Aloha Luncheon for Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr. – “A Hero for our time”

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The Aloha Luncheon for Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr. – “A Hero for our time”
Contributed by S&D member Gail Nishimura

Admiral Harris and Bruni Bradley 4.21.2018On April 21, 2018 we along with 200 community members were able to extend our Aloha to Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr. and his wife Bruni Bradley. A luncheon planned by a committee of members from the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans, Sons & Daughters of the 442nd RCT, Military Intelligence Service Veterans Club of Hawaii, Nisei Veterans Legacy and other organizations was held at the Hale Koa Hotel in Waikiki in honor of Admiral Harris’ outstanding service including in his present position as Commander of the United States Pacific Command as well as for his steadfast support of the legacy of Nisei veterans including the 442nd RCT.

Barbara Tanabe was the mistress ceremonies and program speakers and presenters included Harry Nakayama, President of the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans; the Honorable David Ige, Governor of Hawaii; Lawrence Enomoto, President of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) Veterans Club of Hawaii; and our own Grace Fujii, President, Sons and Daughters of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Admiral Harris also spoke and Mr. Shinye Gima, MIS veteran, led the audience in the “Harris Hurrah!”

Admiral Harris and S&D president Grace Tsubata FujiiThe audience was advised that Admiral Harris and Ms. Bradley were leaving the luncheon and going directly to the airport to leave for Australia, his expected post upon his upcoming retirement from the Navy. Then a day later we found out through the news that he may be going to South Korea instead! What a surprise!

Thank you, Admiral Harris, for the years you were in Hawaii: you embraced the people here as we embraced you. Good luck in your future endeavors.

Aloha!

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Thank you from the 75th Anniversary Banquet planning committee

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Thank you from the 442nd Regimental Combat Team 75th Anniversary Banquet planning committee

Contributed by S&D member Mae Isonaga (and 442nd Legacy Center director)

Mahalo to the Sons and Daughters of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (S&D) for helping make the 442nd RCT’s 75th Anniversary Banquet, “Remembering – With Pride and Gratitude”, a success.  The monetary support and the hours of hard work by the S&D are greatly appreciated by the Banquet Committee.  The monetary donation helped pay registration and parking fees for veterans and their wives and for widows of veterans.  There were 47 veterans registered and 50 wives and widows.  Close to 600 people attended the March 18th, 2018 banquet at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.

Special mahalo to Gwen Fujie, who planned a wonderful program with many “chicken skin” moments.  She organized the heartfelt opening procession of the veterans followed by descendants of veterans carrying the 442nd guidons and photographs of veterans who are no longer with us, and the “Okage Sama De” portion of the program where descendants read snippets from letters, news pieces, reports and other material related to the actions of the 442nd.  There’s always so many moving parts to events like these and Gwen took time from her super busy schedule to contribute to the Banquet Committee in significant ways.  She arranged for the Army Band to play, invited exhibitors – the Survivors Support Group and Stacey Hayashi, ran ads on local station KIKU TV, and booked Howard Sugai and Tom Coffman on the news station KGMB “Sunrise” show with Billy V.  Gwen joined the Committee late into the planning, but despite this, her ideas and hard work made the program even better.  Her efforts are very much appreciated.

Mahalo to Juanita Wright Allen, who organized and performed the “Earl Finch Hula” with a group of excellent volunteer dancers.  It was a great way to honor Mr. Finch, who was dearly loved by “the boys.”  This hula should now be included in everyone’s music collection!

S&D President Grace Tsubata Fujii gave a “Special Mahalo” to the 442nd RCT and shared photos of the recently dedicated Memorial Monument at Punchbowl Cemetery.  Grace did a wonderful job, overcoming her untimely laryngitis!

Others who must be acknowledged: Anita Nihei for contacting the JR ROTC from Punahou, who exhibited their keen skills in the procession; Tyrone Tahara, Clayton Ito, Jon Ishihara, Shirley Igarashi, Gail Nishimura, Colleen Hirai, Laura Hirayama and Wayne Kuwata who helped with assembling the favors and name tags.  Tyrone, Clay, Jon, Wayne and Laughlin Tanaka helped with loading material in and out of the Sheraton.  Mahalo to all the descendants who were just awesome in “Okage Sama De.”  Geralyn and Willard Holck kept the procession orderly and helped with set up.  Also helping out were Claudie Deschaseaux Fisher and Francette Deschaseaux Valance, daughters of Monsieur Gerard Deschaseaux (France), who along with 442nd veteran Wilbert “Sandy” Holck, Cannon Co., established the Bruyeres/Honolulu Sister City relationship.  To Pat Murakami, Caitlin Shishido, Jayne Hirata and Drusilla and Stan Tanaka, Annie and Macky Catania and others who helped with numerous duties whose names I have neglected to mention here, mahalo to you!  And last, but not least, mahalo to the dynamic duo of Ann Kabasawa and Clyde Sugimoto, our fabulous photographers who faithfully bring their team of skilled photographers to 442nd events.  You guys are awesome!

image of dancers during the Earl Finch hula

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Free Screening of “Rescuing the Lost Battalion”, an NHK documentary, on June 5, 2018

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S&D members and Friends,

There will be a free screening of a documentary by NHK (national broadcasting org in Japan) on Oahu at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii (JCCH). Details summarized below and included in the pdf document that follows.

NHK WORLD-JAPAN Cordially Invites You to a screening of NHK Documentary –
Rescuing the Lost Battalion, The story behind the “Heroes”

Date: Tuesday, June 5th
Place: Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, Manoa Grand Ballroom

Doors Open 5:30 pm
Event begins 6:00 pm

Admission: Free (Light refreshments will be served).

About “Rescuing the Lost Battalion”
During World War II, Japanese-Americans formed the 442 Infantry Regiment to show their loyalty to the United States. Despite discrimination at home, they served with distinction on the Western Front and were regarded as heroes. This documentary explores their bravery through recollections of its members and confidential records.

To attend, please RSVP to Sal Miwa by Friday May 25th. – Sal Miwa smiwa@mylandhawaii.com

Download (PDF, 173KB)

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Las Vegas Mini-Reunion 2018 registration

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The 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team/Military Intelligence Service/1399th Eng Construction Battalion Veterans & the Friends & Family of Nisei Veterans (FFNV) Las Vegas Mini-Reunion 2018

This year’s annual reunion hosted by the Friends & Family of Nisei Veterans (FFNV) will be held at the California Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in October. Some of us are again joining with Lawson Sakai’s FFNV group. It was so enjoyable and fun last year

Attend and you will be able to meet friends and families of the 100th, 442nd, MIS, 1399 and other friends from the West Coast and other areas. There will be a welcome banquet on Monday nite (15th) and and a farewell banquet luncheon on Wednesday (17th). We’ll as usual have our own Hospitality Room. We have several days of slot tournaments, shopping excursions and of course all the gambling you wish for.

A group tour is being organized from Hawaii for the dates of October 14 to October 19, 2018 (5 nights). See the Registration form below.

The payment deadline to join the tour is Tuesday, August 8th.

Any questions, call S&D member and tour organizer Ann Kabasawa at 781-8540 or e-mail at diverseinnov@gmail.com.
ALL ARE WELCOME TO COME AND HAVE FUN!!!!

Download (PDF, 65KB)

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Dedication of a Memorial Monument Inspired by the 442nd RCT (March 16, 2018)

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Dedication of A Memorial Monument Inspired by the 442nd RCT
Contributed by S&D member Laura Hirayama

image of bronze plaque on black marble
On March 16¸ 2018 the Sons & Daughters of the 442nd RCT held a ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl (Oahu) to dedicate a memorial monument for their fathers, uncles and friends of the 442nd RCT and all men and women who served our country in World War II.

A bronze plaque affixed onto a black granite stone was installed along the Memorial Walkway at the Cemetery with words that were inspired by the 442nd RCT:

With gratitude and pride we honor your courage and service in holding high the torch of freedom. Your enduring legacy lights the path for future generations.”

The 442nd RCT torch and “Go For Broke!” motto highlight the plaque for perpetuity.

About 35 people attended the ceremony¸ including 8 veterans who made their way up the Walkway like true dedicated soldiers. Sons & Daughters president Grace Tsubata Fujii opened the ceremony and Eileen Sakai¸ former Sons & Daughters president¸ spoke on keeping the 442nd RCT legacy alive in the present and the future. Judge Frances Wong gave the invocation¸ recognizing the fact that there were both Christian and Buddhist 442nd RCT veterans¸ and then gave a benediction that paid tribute to the spirit and legacy of the 442nd RCT veterans. Sandy Tsukiyama gave powerful renditions of the “Star Spangled Banner¸” “Hawai’i Pono’i¸” and “America the Beautiful” and Alan Miyamura moved the audience with “Amazing Grace” on his bagpipes. As lei were placed on the memorial monument¸ Stanton Haugen honored the soldiers of World War II with a haunting “Taps” on his bugle.

image of veterans at new monument 3.16.2018

Please go to see this new monument on the Memorial Walkway when you next stop at Punchbowl.

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Reception and Exhibit at Hamilton Library at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, March 2018

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Reception at Hamilton Library at the University of Hawaii at Manoa

Volunteers and friends of the Sons and Daughters of the 442nd RCT:

The Archives and Manuscripts Department of Hamilton Library invites us to this event to celebrate the ongoing S&D volunteer efforts digitizing documents from the 442nd Veterans Club collection at the Library. The event will be in the Moir Reading Room, 5th floor in the Hamilton Library Addition (please ask at main Library desk if not familiar with the Addition) on March 20, 2018, Tuesday, 5 pm – 6:30 pm.

All S&D members are welcome to attend to be applauded, enjoy beverages and pupus and view the Library’s new exhibit commemorating the 442nd’s 75th Anniversary. Note that after 4pm, upper campus parking is a flat rate $6 fee (instead of $2/half hour).

Guests are welcome – feel free to forward this information to others!–and RSVPs are appreciated but not required: either email Leilani Dawson at ltdawson@hawaii.edu or just show up and join the festivities! Here is a flyer about the Library’s exhibit.

Download (PDF, 108KB)

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Hawaii Nikkei Legacy Exhibit

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Hawaii Nikkei Legacy Exhibit as part of the Gannenmono 150th Commemoration Events in Hawaii

image of exhibit In Tokyo
In 2018, this exhibit is planned to be shown around the State of Hawaii jointly by the Nisei Veterans Legacy (NVL) and the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu as part of the 150th anniversary celebration of initial Japanese immigration to Hawaii. The immigrants who arrived in 1868 to Hawaii were called “gannenmono” because they arrived in the first year, or gannen, of the Meiji era.  The first venue will be at the Honolulu Festival being held in March (exhibit showing on Mar 10 and 11 from 1000 am – 300 pm at the Hawaii Convention Center).

The NVL successfully toured the photographic exhibit in several locations in Japan in 2017. The intent of the exhibit is to educate people on the story of Hawaii’s Japanese Americans and to promote goodwill between Japan and the United States through deeper understanding of the cross-cultural values and customs between Japan and Hawaii.

The Hawaii Nikkei Legacy Exhibit covers the period from the initial immigration of Issei (first generation immigrants) from Japan in the late 1800s up to modern day Hawaii, showing how Japanese Americans in Hawaii have merged their Japanese cultural values with the blend of other cultural values in Hawaii. It addresses the Japanese American experience during World War II including the incarceration of over 110,000 people in internment camps, what life was like for Japanese Americans in Hawaii during the War and the exploits of the Nisei (second generation) Japanese American soldiers that fought in both theaters of war to prove their loyalty to the United States.

The exhibit also shows how the Nisei Veterans contributed to life in Post-War Hawaii after returning home such as campaigning for Statehood, changing the political environment and helping to make Japanese customs and culture popular again after the War. Prominent Japanese Americans from Hawaii are featured along with the prefectures in Japan that their ancestors emigrated from.

The exhibit was produced with an all-volunteer effort and in collaboration with the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii and the Japan-American Society of Hawaii. It was shown in several locations in Japan in 2017 with warm responses from the Japanese public, including at the: Japanese Overseas Migration Museum, Yokohama (June 24 to September 18, 2017); Hawaii Expo, Tokyo (July 15-17, 2017); Minpo Publishing Company Exhibition Hall, Fukushima (July 19-29, 2017, where the exhibit was scheduled to coincide with the 110th anniversary celebration of Fukushima City and a visit by several groups from Hawaii including the Honolulu Fukushima Kenjin Kai); Usa City Library (September 7-16, 2017 as part of a Peace Symposium sponsored by the Pacific Aviation Museum and Usa City); and the Former Bank of Japan Building, Hiroshima (October 1-14, 2017 where the exhibit was scheduled in conjunction with a visit from the Honolulu Hiroshima Kenjin Kai as part of the 20th anniversary celebration of the Sister State relationship between Hawaii and Hiroshima Prefecture).

image of Hiroshima exhibit banner
The narrative text and captions are in Japanese and English. If you have a chance, please go to see the exhibit.  The date and times are listed on the Honolulu Festival web site.

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A Look Back at the 442nd RCT In Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary

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A Look Back at the 442nd RCT

442 logoIn Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Establishment of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, we offer these selected facts and resources, many perhaps well known to you already with others less so, related to the brave and honorable men of the 442nd.  Any errors are inadvertent and the responsibility of the E-/web editor.

◊ U.S. Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall approves formation of Nisei combat team on January 1, 1943.  The combat team is formally authorized by President Roosevelt on Feb. 1.

◊ The call for volunteers is issued on January 28, 1943 by the War Department, with a proclamation in Hawaii and by posters, press and other means on the U.S. mainland and later by recruiting teams, and the 442nd is activated on February 1 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi.

◊ Volunteers for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in the Territory of Hawaii are given an aloha ceremony on March 28, 1943 at Iolani Palace while on the mainland, officers and enlisted men had already begun reporting to Camp Shelby in small groups and individually from February 1.

◊ We must not forget that many mainland Nisei of the 442nd volunteered from internment camps.  Read this series of articles by law professor Geoffrey R. Stone published in the Huffington Post in 2017: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/5a10b5e2e4b0e6450602eb9c (Part I), https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/it-can-happen-here-the-75th-anniversary-of-the-japanese_us_5a121186e4b023121e0e9439 (Part II) and https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/it-can-happen-here-the-75th-anniversary-of-the-japanese_us_5a135f12e4b05ec0ae8444e2 (Part II) (accessed 2.8.2018).

◊ Volunteers from Hawaii depart on April 4, 1943 for Camp Shelby, arriving 2,686 strong on April 13.

◊ The 442nd RCT begins basic training on May 10, 1943.

◊ The 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate), who had arrived at Camp Shelby in January 1943 from Camp McCoy (Wisconsin), leave Camp Shelby on August 11 and ship out for North Africa on August 21, 1943 where the Battalion joins the 34th Division.

◊ Basic training ends for the 442nd RCT on August 23, 1943 and platoon and company level training begins in October followed by battalion training in November.

◊ Ten officers and 165 enlisted men from the 442nd RCT are transferred to be replacements for the 100th Inf Bn in January 1944 with another 20 officers and 210 enlisted men transferred in February.

◊ The 442nd RCT is reviewed by Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall on March 4, 1944.

◊ Another 10 officers and 155 enlisted men are transferred to be replacements for the 100th Inf Bn in (month).

◊ The 442nd RCT (short one infantry battalion) leave Camp Shelby on April 22-23, 1944 and board Liberty ships on May 1.  On May 2 the 442nd ship out from Virginia via convoy for Naples, Italy.  The remainder of 1st Battalion stay at Camp Shelby to later become the 171st that trains replacement personnel for the 442nd for the duration of the war.

◊ The 442nd, minus most of 2nd Battalion whose ships had detoured to Oran (Algeria), arrive at Naples on May 28, 1944.  Most of 2nd Battalion join the rest of the 442nd, who were on the move, on June 17 near Tarquinia, Italy.

◊ The 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate) becomes part of the 442nd RCT on June 11, 1944 and is redesignated the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry on Aug 10, 1944 (instead of being designated the 1st Battalion).

◊ The 442nd RCT enters combat on June 26, 1944 near Belvedere, Italy as part of the 34th Infantry Division.

◊ The Anti-Tank Company is detached from the 442nd from July 13-Oct 24, 1944 during which time the men become “glider troops.”

◊ The 442nd RCT take part in the Vosges Campaign (including the liberation of Bruyeres and Biffontaine) and the fighting to rescue the “Lost Battalion” in October and November 1944.

◊ The 100th is detached from the 442nd from Nov 10-28, 1944 and make their way to Menton in Southern France.

◊ The 442nd (less the 522nd FAB) help break the Gothic Line in the Po Valley Campaign in March 1945.

◊ The 522nd FAB is detached from the 442nd on March 15 and pursue German troops into Germany along with other American units.  The 522nd encounter those who had been held in Nazi death camps and sub-camps near Dachau.

◊ The war in Europe ends on May 8, 1945.  Men of the 442nd start being sent back to the U.S. and then on home to their families.

◊ Members of the 442nd RCT march to the White House Lawn on July 16, 1946 and the RCT is presented a seventh Presidential Unit Citation by President Truman.

◊ The 442nd RCT is deactivated in August 1946 but is reactivated in July 1947 as part of the Army Reserve.

◊ The Album, 442nd Combat Team 1943 created by the 442nd (includes photos of each company at Camp Shelby in 1943) and Americans: The Story of The 442d Combat Team by Orville C. Shirey are available online via Peter Wakamatsu’s website at https://www.the442.org/home.html (accessed 2.8.2018)

◊ A selection of photograph’s from the 442nd 10th Anniversary gathering courtesy of the family of Kazutoshi Fujino, Easy Co., is available on the S&D website at this link.

◊ An electronic copy of the 442nd 50th Anniversary booklet, Go For Broke 1943 * 1993 (accessed 2.8.2018), is available on the Densho website in two files at https://ddrstage.densho.org/media/ddr-csujad-1/ddr-csujad-1-207-mezzanine-acdcfc588a.pdf (first file) and at https://ddrstage.densho.org/media/ddr-csujad-1/ddr-csujad-1-207-mezzanine-acea0781ac.pdf
(second file) and an electronic copy of the picture booklet recapping the 50th Anniversary events is found at https://ddrstage.densho.org/media/ddr-csujad-1/ddr-csujad-1-195-mezzanine-0f028d0279.pdf (accessed 2.22.2018).

1995 Homecoming event at Camp Shelby https://ddrstage.densho.org/media/ddr-csujad-1/ddr-csujad-1-46-mezzanine-6e161c6818.pdf (accessed 2.22.2018)

◊ Select Unit Decorations (out of a total of 7)
General Orders awarding the 442nd RCT (less the 522 FAB) a Presidential Unit Citation: https://www.442.us.com/images/GO_34-442_less_522.pdf (accessed 2.7.2018)

General Orders for one of the two Presidential Unit Citations awarded to the 100th Inf Bn: https://www.442.us.com/images/GO_360-100_Oct_44_.pdf (accessed 2.7.2018)

Extract of General Orders awarding the 2nd Bn a Distinguished Unit Citation: (Japanese American Veterans Association file accessed 2.6.2018)

General Orders awarding the 3rd Bn a Presidential Unit Citation: https://www.442.us.com/images/GO_317-3rd_Bn.pdf (accessed 2.7.2018)

General Orders awarding Fox and Love Companies 3rd Bn a Presidential Unit Citation: (Japanese American Veterans Association file accessed 2.6.2018)

General Orders awarding the 232nd Engineers (with the 111th Engineer Combat Bn) a Presidential Unit Citation: https://www.442.us.com/images/GO_425-232_Eng.pdf (accessed 2.7.2018)

Resources
442nd Veterans Club website, https://www.442.us.com

Go For Broke National Education Center website, https://www.goforbroke.org/index.php

442nd Regimental Combat Team website, https://www.the442.org

Americans: The Story of The 442d Combat Team, Orville C. Shirey, 1946. (see link above)

University of Hawaii Japanese American Veterans Collection material, https://manoa.hawaii.edu/library/research/collections/archives/manuscript-collections/japanese-american-veterans-collection/

Boyhood To War: History and Anecdotes of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Dorothy Matsuo, 1992.

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This Time in 442nd RCT History (Mar 2018)

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Selection of photos from the 442nd RCT 10th Anniversary events, 1953

These photos were made available courtesy of the family of the late Kazutoshi Fujino, Easy Company.

(double click on an image to see a larger size photo; you may also be able to right click on an image to save a copy to your device. apologies for the page layout that covers the right side of larger sized photos)

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ATTENTION – March 28, 2018 payment deadline for Aloha Luncheon Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr.

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Aloha to the families and friends of the Sons and Daughters of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team,

Dear Members and Friends,

The time will soon arrive for Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr. to complete his current assignment as the 24th Commander, United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) to become the United States Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Australia.

We encourage you to still register to attend the special Aloha Luncheon for Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr. and his wife Ms. Bruni Bradley. For many, many years Admiral Harris has been a staunch supporter and admirer of the Nisei veterans including our fathers of the 442nd RCT and has spoken at anniversary banquets and other 442nd related events.

The Aloha Luncheon will be on Saturday, April 21, 10:30 to 2:30 at the Hale Koa Hotel, DeRussy Hall 2nd floor, 2055 Kalia Road, Honolulu, Hawaii.  The flyer/registration form for the Aloha Luncheon can be found below.

There are already a number of members registered and anyone else interested in attending to honor and thank Admiral Harris and his wife should submit the registration form with payment to the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans no later than March 28. DeRussy Hall can hold up to 370 people so let’s fill the hall with the maximum of 370 Harris well-wishers for their continuing service to our country!

Mahalo nui loa,

Sons and Daughters of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team officers

Fill out the reservation form and submit with total payment BY MARCH 28, 2018 to the following receiving organization:

100th Infantry Battalion Veterans
520 Kamoku Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96826
(Phone: 946-9272)

Download (PDF, 932KB)

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