Nisei First to Reach ‘Lost Battalion’

With The U. S. 7th Army in France — On the 7th day while Nazi guns kept hammering away, picking off one after another of the American lost battalion which had been cut off on a Vosges hill, 2nd Lt. Edwin Blonder, Cleveland, Ohio, an artillery observer, remarked, “I’ll bet the 442nd is the first to reach us. I'd give $1000 to see a Jap come through these woods right now.”

And, according to Seymour Kerman, Chicago Tribune correspondent, Lt. Gordon Nelson, Dedham, Mass., a company commander, had jested back, “yes, and I'll bet you're the first man in the American army who has ever said they wanted to see that.”

“Sure enough,” the correspondent wrote, “the 442nd was the first to breakthrough the encirclement and the first of that outfit to reach the beleaguered men was a private first class with the colorful name of Mutt Sakamoto.

“Mutt who comes from Oahu, Hawaii, had a lump in his throat at the tremendous welcome he got and all he could say was, “do you guys need any cigarettes?”

Leader of the first platoon to reach the besieged men was Staff Sgt. Patrick Senzaki, of Los Angeles, according to Kerman.

Thus, did the 442nd add to its lengthening list of legends now being built around it.

The lost battalion, saved by the 442nd which was called from a rest period for the particular purpose of trying to breakthrough the encirclement, was composed of veterans of the 141st regiment of the famous 36 Texas Infantry Division.

The famous Texas outfit and the equally famous 442nd had previously fought side-by-side in Italy where they were the first division to go ashore at Salerno. The division was involved in fighting in front of c

Cassino and attempting the ill-fated Rapido river crossing, where its casualties were heavy. It later was at Anzio beachhead and it was General Fred Walker's brilliant encirclement maneuver around Velletri which opened the door to Rome.

The division, now under the command of Maj. Gen. John W. Dahlquist, landed on the Riviera on the southern France D-Day, Aug. 15, and with the 3rd Division trapped a large portion of the German 19th Army at Montelimar.

The 442nd Regiment is attached to the 36th for this campaign. It was first placed in the line here several weeks ago and took part in capturing Bruyeres, an important outpost of the enemy's main Vosges defense line.