Gathering Storm 1924 - 1941
Tripartite Pact by Axis Powers
Hawaii Territorial Guard Federalized
298th & 299th Infantry Regiments of the Hawaii Territorial Guard are federalized. Over the coming year, their ranks swell with 3,000 Hawaii draftees, half of them Nisei.
Preparing AJA Community for War
Hawaii Council for Interracial Unity established to prepare Japanese American community for impending war. Hung Wai Ching, Director of the YMCA in Honolulu, plays a major role in organizing this foundational interracial effort in Hawaii.
Honolulu Police Form Espionage Bureau
Honolulu Police Department forms Espionage Bureau headed by Police Captain John A. Burns. This unit has connections in all the Japanese American community groups on Oahu, and it will work closely with the FBI unit in Hawaii.
Commitment 1941 - 1942
Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
7:48 am – Japan begins attack on Pearl Harbor and 6 airfields on Oahu; 8 battleships sunken/ damaged, 64 of 223 Army aircraft destroyed; 2,335 military & 68 civilian deaths.
Hawaii Territorial Guard Mobilized
10:00 am – Hawaii Territorial Governor Joseph B. Poindexter calls University of Hawaii ROTC cadets to form the Hawaii Territorial Guard. Its primary mission is to protect critical infrastructure from sabotage.
Martial Law Declared in Hawaii
11:30 am – Martial law declared in the Territory of Hawaii: habeas corpus suspended; mandatory curfew; gas rationing; civil courts closed; mail/press censored. The civilian governor becomes subordinate to the Military Governor.
Territorial governors wartime:
Joseph B. Poindexter (1934-1942)
Ingram M. Stainback (1942-1951)
Military governors:
Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short – December 7-17 1941
Lt. Gen. Delos C. Emmons – December 17, 1941-June 1, 1943
Lt. Gen. Robert C. Richardson – June 1, 1943-October 24, 1944
11:30 am – Martial law declared in the Territory of Hawaii: habeas corpus suspended; mandatory curfew; gas rationing; civil courts closed; mail/press censored. The civilian governor becomes subordinate to the Military Governor. Territorial governors wartime: Joseph B. Poindexter (1934-1942) Ingram M. Stainback (1942-1951) Military governors: Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short – December 7-17 1941 Lt. […]
Hawaii Internment Camps Opened
Call for Mass Internment of Hawaii AJAs
Secretary of Navy Franklin Knox visits Hawaii December 11 & 12 to assess the situation. In December 14 report, he calls for mass incarceration or removal of Japanese Americans in Hawaii.
Lt. Gen. Emmons Appointed Military Governor
Ten days after the Pearl Harbor attack, Lt. Gen. Delos C. Emmons is appointed as the Military Governor of the Territory of Hawaii and commander of the Hawaii Department of the U.S. Army. A 1909 graduate of West Point, Emmons served most of his career in the development of the Army Air Force. He is familiar with Hawaii having previously served two years there as the commander of the 18th Composite Wing, and Air Officer of Hawaiian Department.
Ten days after the Pearl Harbor attack, Lt. Gen. Delos C. Emmons is appointed as the Military Governor of the Territory of Hawaii and commander of the Hawaii Department of the U.S. Army. A 1909 graduate of West Point, Emmons served most of his career in the development of the Army Air Force. He is […]
Military Governor Establishes AJA Unit
Morale Section of the Military Governor’s Office established, headed by Shigeo Yoshida, Hung Wai Ching, and Charles Loomis. Very important subcommittees were created in this wartime element of the Territorial government, in particular the Emergency Service Committee, which worked with the Americans of Japanese ancestry community.
Morale Section of the Military Governor’s Office established, headed by Shigeo Yoshida, Hung Wai Ching, and Charles Loomis. Very important subcommittees were created in this wartime element of the Territorial government, in particular the Emergency Service Committee, which worked with the Americans of Japanese ancestry community.
Hawaii AJAs Saved From Mass Internment
Lt. Gen. Delos C. Emmons, Hawaii’s military governor, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and prominent local leaders argue successfully against mass forced interment of Hawaii Japanese. This is foreshadowed by General Emmons’ immediate creation of the Morale Section and subsequent deflection of direction from the War Department in Washington DC to begin mass internment.
Lt. Gen. Delos C. Emmons, Hawaii’s military governor, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and prominent local leaders argue successfully against mass forced interment of Hawaii Japanese. This is foreshadowed by General Emmons’ immediate creation of the Morale Section and subsequent deflection of direction from the War Department in Washington DC to begin mass internment.
Battle of Bataan Begins
Battle of Bataan begins in Philippines – US/Filipino forces surrender on April 9, 1942, the largest surrender in US history; 60,000 Filipino and 15,000 US POWs forced into 60-mile Bataan Death March.
AJAs on Mainland Interned
Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorizing forced removal of AJAs from the West Coast; 110,000 mostly US-born are sent to internment camps, where they are imprisoned for most of the war period.
Hawaii AJAs Interned on Mainland
First Hawaii AJAs are sent from the Sand Island detention camp on Oahu to Mainland prison facilities in the continental US; more follow in 1942 and 1943. Over 600 are sent from Hawaii to Mainland imprisonment. Eventually, many of their families are allowed to join them.
Varsity Victory Volunteers Start Work
Varsity Victory Volunteers are organized with 169 University of Hawaii ROTC students, most of whom had been in the Hawaii Territorial Guard. They are assigned as a labor battalion for the U. S. Army Engineers on Oahu.
100th Bn (Sep) Activated
1,432 Nisei soldiers, recruited before Pearl Harbor, depart Hawaii on S.S. Maui for training at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. Before departure from Hawaii they had been formed as the Hawaiian Provisional Infantry Battalion. On arrival at Oakland, California, they are renamed as the 100th Infantry Battalion, a name destined to make military history. It is designated “Separate” to indicate it is not part of a larger Army unit.
1,432 Nisei soldiers, recruited before Pearl Harbor, depart Hawaii on S.S. Maui for training at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. Before departure from Hawaii they had been formed as the Hawaiian Provisional Infantry Battalion. On arrival at Oakland, California, they are renamed as the 100th Infantry Battalion, a name destined to make military history. It is designated […]
Sacrifice 1943 - 1945
442nd RCT Activated
Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team authorized by War Department, composed of: 1 infantry regiment, 1 field artillery battalion, 1 engineer company, 1 medical detachment, and an army band. The cadre to organize, train, and lead the combat team is quickly formed and sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, to prepare for the arrival of the thousands of young Nisei men who are expected to respond to the call to volunteer. The officers selected are almost all experienced Caucasian soldiers and are given orders to report to Camp Shelby typically within 2 weeks. The enlisted cadre are AJA soldiers, many of whom had been drafted before Pearl Harbor and are now sidelined in menial tasks because of their ancestry.
Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team authorized by War Department, composed of: 1 infantry regiment, 1 field artillery battalion, 1 engineer company, 1 medical detachment, and an army band. The cadre to organize, train, and lead the combat team is quickly formed and sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, to prepare for the arrival of the thousands […]
Nisei Men May Be Drafted
War Department reclassifies Nisei men, allowing them to be drafted and to serve in the U.S. Army. This also opens the door to allow the U.S. Army to call for AJA volunteers for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
Call for Volunteers for the 442nd
The War Department plans for the 442nd RCT call for 4,000 men, 1,500 to come from Hawaii and 2,500 from the Mainland concentration camps where the west coast AJA families have been imprisoned. However, the expectation from the concentration camps is not met and the quota from Hawaii is increased. 10,000 volunteer in Hawaii and 2,686 are enlisted beginning Mar 23, 1943. They are sent to Schofield Barracks on Oahu island to organize and prepare for shipment to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, to be trained as a combat-ready regiment.
The War Department plans for the 442nd RCT call for 4,000 men, 1,500 to come from Hawaii and 2,500 from the Mainland concentration camps where the west coast AJA families have been imprisoned. However, the expectation from the concentration camps is not met and the quota from Hawaii is increased. 10,000 volunteer in Hawaii and […]
442nd RCT Sent to Mainland
The 2,686 volunteers from Hawaii for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team are sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, for training. Over 100 have fathers in internment camps. They sail on the S.S. Lurline for Oakland, California, where they board three trains that will take separate routes to Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
The 2,686 volunteers from Hawaii for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team are sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, for training. Over 100 have fathers in internment camps. They sail on the S.S. Lurline for Oakland, California, where they board three trains that will take separate routes to Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Company S Added to 442nd RCT
Company S added to the Combat Team, composed of Japanese Americans from Military Intelligence Service (MIS) Language School at Camp Savage, Minnesota. They are assigned to the 442nd for combat training prior to deployment to the Pacific Theater.
100th Bn (Sep) Departs For Europe
The 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate) departs Camp Shelby, Mississippi, by train for Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. On August 21 they board the S.S. James Parker at Staten Island, New York, and begin their voyage to the combat zone in Italy.
442nd Cannon Company Activated
Cannon Company of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team is activated at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. Its primary weapon is six light, truck-drawn, 105mm howitzers. They will provide close support to the regiment’s three infantry battalions, supplementing the fire power of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion.
Cannon Company of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team is activated at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. Its primary weapon is six light, truck-drawn, 105mm howitzers. They will provide close support to the regiment’s three infantry battalions, supplementing the fire power of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion.
First Nisei Killed in Action
100th Infantry Battalion (Separate) lands at Salerno, Italy, and enters combat September 29. Sgt. Joe Takata of Hawaii is first Nisei killed in action in the war to defeat the Nazis. He is awarded Distinguish Service Cross posthumously.
442nd RCT Lands at Anzio
442nd RCT lands at the Anzio beachhead and convoys by truck through Rome to Civitavecchia. Here they will have final training and demonstrate their readiness for front-line combat.
442nd Replacements to 100th Bn (Sep)
Second wave of 442nd replacements for the 100th (Separate) depart Camp Shelby in February. Two months later they arrive at the Anzio beachhead in Italy: 18 officers and 261 enlisted men.
442nd Replacements to 100th Bn (Sep)
First wave of 442nd replacements (mostly from Hawaii) to the 100th (Separate) in Italy depart Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The 10 officers and 165 enlisted men are sent to Fort Meade, Maryland, for shipment to Italy. They arrive at San Giorgio, Italy, on March 10, 1944.
442nd RCT Departs Camp Shelby
Their training now complete, the 442nd travels from Camp Shelby, Mississippi, by train for several days, arriving at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia. Here they will prepare for shipment to the combat theater in Europe. The orders are secret and they do not know where they are going to land.
1399th Engineers Activated
The 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion is activated at Schofield Barracks on Oahu. It is composed of Nisei soldiers combined from elements of the 395th Prewar Quartermaster Battalion, 370th Engineer Battalion, 1536th Dump Truck Battalion, and 1525th Base Equipment Company.
442nd Departs the US
The 442nd boards troop ships at Hampton Roads, Virginia. They join a large convoy of ships and set to sea, bound for Europe. The soldiers have not been told were they are going, but get a good clue when Italian language booklets are passed out. Sealed orders are opened once at sea and confirm they are on their way to Italy.
The 442nd boards troop ships at Hampton Roads, Virginia. They join a large convoy of ships and set to sea, bound for Europe. The soldiers have not been told were they are going, but get a good clue when Italian language booklets are passed out. Sealed orders are opened once at sea and confirm they […]
442nd Replacements to 100th Bn (Sep)
Third wave of 442nd replacements for the 100th (Separate) depart Camp Shelby in March. Two months later they arrive at the Anzio beachhead in Italy: 3 officers and 112 enlisted men. They arrive just in time to participate in the Anzio beachhead breakout.
442nd Arrives in Italy
Most units of the 442nd arrive at Naples, Italy. Due to port congestion, some of the units arrive later. The last to arrive this day are the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion and most of 2nd Battalion, whose ships land at Brindisi and Bari on the east coast of Italy. They move by train boxcars to the Naples area to join up with the 442nd.
100th Inf Bn Clears Way for Liberation of Rome
442nd Moves to Anzio Beachhead
Over several days, the 442nd sails by LST and LSI to the Anzio beachhead. Following closely on the heals of the breakout and liberation pf Rome, the 442nd convoys to an assembly area north of Rome near Citivitavecchia. Here they will have final combat training and make preparations to move to the front line.
Over several days, the 442nd sails by LST and LSI to the Anzio beachhead. Following closely on the heals of the breakout and liberation pf Rome, the 442nd convoys to an assembly area north of Rome near Citivitavecchia. Here they will have final combat training and make preparations to move to the front line.
100th Bn (Sep) Attached to 442nd RCT
100th Infantry Battalion (Separate) attached to 442nd Combat Team as its “1st” Battalion in place of the original 1st Battalion left at Camp Shelby as a training cadre.
1st Bn Becomes 171st Bn (Sep)
The 442nd original 1st Battalion, left behind at Camp Shelby as a training cadre for new 442nd soldiers, is redesignated the 171st Infantry Battalion (Separate).
100th Inf Bn (Sep) Joins 442nd RCT
100th Infantry Battalion (Separate) is redesignated 100th Battalion, 442nd RCT. It is allowed to keep the 100th designation in honor of its outstanding combat record. The entire Combat Team is reorganized according to new tables of organization.
Unit of the 442nd Invades Southern France
442nd Antitank Company takes part in Operation Dragoon — the Allied invasion of southern France. It lands by glider behind the lines in support of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment. It does not return to the 442nd until the battle for the Vosges is underway.
442nd RCT Assigned to 7th Army
442nd Moves to France
442nd embarks on Navy transport ships Thurston, Dickman, Chase, and Henrico at Naples, Italy, and sails for southern France. On September 29 they debark at Marseilles and begin preparations to move to the battlefront in northeast France.
442nd Arrives at France Battlefront
Travelling by truck convoy and rail boxcars, the 442nd moves from the south of France 500 mies to the battlefront in northeast France. The RCT is attached to the 36th Division and prepares to enter combat against the Nazi forces in the Vosges Mountains.
442nd RCT Reassigned to Southern France
The battles to drive the Germans from the Bruyères and Biffontaine region and rescue the “Lost Battalion” presented the 7th Army with an unexpected opportunity to flank their lines and force them in retreat. This was the first time in recorded history that an attacking force had broken through the Vosges Mountains. But the 442nd paid a very high price for this victory, with 140 men dead and about 1,800 in field hospitals. It was no longer battle-capable and was sent to man defensive positions on the French-Italian border in the Maritime Alps to the sea at Menton, France. Here the regiment rebuilds its strength and prepares for the final battles to win the war in Europe. The 442nd soldiers dub this the “Champagne Campaign.”
The battles to drive the Germans from the Bruyères and Biffontaine region and rescue the “Lost Battalion” presented the 7th Army with an unexpected opportunity to flank their lines and force them in retreat. This was the first time in recorded history that an attacking force had broken through the Vosges Mountains. But the 442nd […]
Yalta Conference
Yalta Conference – Joseph Stalin, FDR, Winston Churchill meet and discuss Europe’s postwar organization. They establish an agreement for organizing postwar Europe.
522nd FA Bn Enters Combat in Germany
522nd Field Artillery Battalion is detached from the 442nd RCT to fight in the Central Europe Campaign; it is the only Nisei unit in combat in Germany. They convoy by truck departing March 9, 619 miles north to reach the front lines on the German border. On March 13 they fire their first rounds in support of the attack to breach the Seigfried Line. By March 26 they are firing in support of the 45th Division crossing of the Rhine River.
522nd Field Artillery Battalion is detached from the 442nd RCT to fight in the Central Europe Campaign; it is the only Nisei unit in combat in Germany. They convoy by truck departing March 9, 619 miles north to reach the front lines on the German border. On March 13 they fire their first rounds in […]
442nd RCT Breaks Through Gothic Line
442nd RCT is key to Allied success in breaching the Nazi’s Gothic Line in northern Italy. Intended as a diversionary attack, the 442nd climbs in secret at night to the ridgeline and mountaintop German defenses, attacks at dawn, and completely defeats the enemy positions. What follows is a series of continuing attacks by the 442nd, chasing the Germans north into the Po Valley. The diversionary attack becomes a full breakthrough of the Gothic Line in the west, successfully drawing off German units from the center of the Gothic Line, and then defeating them as well. By the time the German Army in Italy surrenders, lead elements of the 442nd are in Turin, Italy.
442nd RCT is key to Allied success in breaching the Nazi’s Gothic Line in northern Italy. Intended as a diversionary attack, the 442nd climbs in secret at night to the ridgeline and mountaintop German defenses, attacks at dawn, and completely defeats the enemy positions. What follows is a series of continuing attacks by the 442nd, […]
522nd FA Bn Liberates French POWs
On April 30 the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion liberates a large number of French Army soldiers and captures their German Army prisoner of war guards near Moerlbach, Germany. It is likely that these French soldiers were captured in the failed attack on Moerlbach on 1-2 March 1945 by the 1st French Army Group.
On April 30 the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion liberates a large number of French Army soldiers and captures their German Army prisoner of war guards near Moerlbach, Germany. It is likely that these French soldiers were captured in the failed attack on Moerlbach on 1-2 March 1945 by the 1st French Army Group.
522nd FA Bn Liberates Dachau Prisoners
522nd Field Artillery Battalion discovers one of the Dachau concentration sub-camps; liberation of Jewish Holocaust prisoners begins. On May 2 they encounter surviving prisoners of the Dachau Death March, liberating several thousand.
German Army in Italy Surrenders
German Army in Italy surrenders, ignoring Hitler’s order to fight on. The 442nd transitions from attack mode to processing surrendering German Army units.
VE Day – Victory in Europe
Germany surrenders all forces unconditionally in Reims, France, on May 7. Victory in Europe is declared the next day, May 8. The 442nd in Italy becomes part of the occupation force, ultimately stationed in Livorno. In Germany, the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion also transitions to occupation duty. It is assigned responsibility for a district in Bavaria and headquartered in Donauwörth.
Germany surrenders all forces unconditionally in Reims, France, on May 7. Victory in Europe is declared the next day, May 8. The 442nd in Italy becomes part of the occupation force, ultimately stationed in Livorno. In Germany, the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion also transitions to occupation duty. It is assigned responsibility for a district in […]
Potsdam Declaration
Acceptance & Opportunity 1945 - Today
100th Veterans Clubhouse Opens
Original 100th Veterans clubhouse opens in Honolulu at 1444 Nuuanu Avenue. It was sold 3 years later and work began on a new clubhouse that opened in 1952.
442nd Returns to America
Ending their occupation duty in Italy, the 442nd sails home on Liberty Ship S.S. Wilson Victory. Their arrival is met with a jubilant New York City welcome. Then it’s on to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, to prepare for a presidential review in Washington, DC.
President Truman Awards 442nd
President Harry S. Truman presents the Presidential Unit Citation to the 442nd RCT. Awarded for its battle to break through the vaunted Nazi Gothic Line in the rugged North Apennine Mountains of Italy, this is the 7th PUC garnered by the 100/442nd. His words echo over America: “You fought not only the enemy, you fought prejudice–and you won. Keep up that fight, and we will continue to win–to make this great Republic stand for just what the Constitution says it stands for: the welfare of all the people all the time.”
President Harry S. Truman presents the Presidential Unit Citation to the 442nd RCT. Awarded for its battle to break through the vaunted Nazi Gothic Line in the rugged North Apennine Mountains of Italy, this is the 7th PUC garnered by the 100/442nd. His words echo over America: “You fought not only the enemy, you fought […]
442nd RCT Veterans Return to Hawaii
Welcome Home ceremony at Iolani Palace for 442nd RCT veterans who arrive on Liberty Ship S.S. Waterbury Victory; welcome speech by Governor Ingram M. Stainback.
President Truman Orders Desegregation
442nd RCT Veterans Club Opens in Honolulu
442nd RCT Veterans Club leases the Moiliili Young Men’s Association clubhouse at 933 Wiliwili Street, Honolulu. On June 27, 1952, the Moiliili YMA members formally affected a transfer of the property in fee simple to the 442nd Veterans Club.
1399th Veterans Club Organized
442nd Veterans Clubhouse Opens
Honolulu & Bruyères Sister Cities
Honolulu & Bruyères, France, establish Sister City relationship. To this day, they have a big celebration event every year that gives thanks to the Japanese Americans who liberated them from years of oppression by the Nazis. Many veterans, and now their grandchildren, have traveled to France to join in these celebrations.
Honolulu & Bruyères, France, establish Sister City relationship. To this day, they have a big celebration event every year that gives thanks to the Japanese Americans who liberated them from years of oppression by the Nazis. Many veterans, and now their grandchildren, have traveled to France to join in these celebrations.
Spark M. Matsunaga Elected US Representative
Executive Order 9066 Rescinded
President Gerald R. Ford issues Proclamation 4417 rescinding Executive Order 9066: “We now know what we should have known then – not only was that evacuation wrong, but Japanese-Americans were and are loyal Americans….I call upon the American people to affirm with me this American Promise-that we have learned from the tragedy of that long-ago experience forever to treasure liberty and justice for each individual American, and resolve that this kind of action shall never again be repeated.”
President Gerald R. Ford issues Proclamation 4417 rescinding Executive Order 9066: “We now know what we should have known then – not only was that evacuation wrong, but Japanese-Americans were and are loyal Americans….I call upon the American people to affirm with me this American Promise-that we have learned from the tragedy of that long-ago […]
Congress Admits Injustice of AJA Internments
Congressional Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians established; December 1982 report “Personal Justice Denied” states the mass incarceration of AJAs based on “race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership” and recommends an apology and payment to surviving internees.
Congressional Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians established; December 1982 report “Personal Justice Denied” states the mass incarceration of AJAs based on “race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership” and recommends an apology and payment to surviving internees.
Congressional Gold Medal Awarded to Nisei Units
Congressional Gold Medal is awarded to all the soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 100th Infantry Battalion, and Military Intelligence Service.
442nd Veterans Awarded Légion d’Honneur
Surviving 442nd Regimental Combat Team veterans who fought in France are awarded the country’s highest military medal, Légion d’Honneur, with Chevalier rank.