Title: The Most Decorated Unit in American History -- (442nd REGIMENT) | Hawaii Reporter
Headings: The Most Decorated Unit in American History — (442nd REGIMENT)
The Most Decorated Unit in American History — (442nd REGIMENT)
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Content: Though they were treated with suspicion by many Americans, several young Japanese American men of the Nisei generation still volunteered to join the group of approximately 4,500 troops. Many of these volunteers chose to fight in the war because they wanted to better the future of the Japanese in America by showing their dedication and loyalty to the country through this endeavor. No loyal citizen of the United States should be denied the democratic right to exercise the responsibilities of his citizenship, regardless of his ancestry. The principle on which this country was founded and by which it has always been governed is that Americanism is a matter of the mind and heart; Americanism is not, and never was, a matter of race or ancestry
President Truman said to the soldiers, in his speech to the 442nd battalion, “You fought not only the enemy, you fought prejudice – and you won.” I agree that like the 54th regiment of the Civil War, in which Black Americans fought for a country that had formerly enslaved them, the men of the 442nd battalion showed so much courage in fighting adversity and decades of discrimination with hope and determination to carry out an important duty for America. These Japanese Americans emerged from the shadows of the internment camps and the sufferings of their parents to uphold the honor of their culture and people. In fighting for a country that had thwarted their efforts to thrive in so many ways, their pride and valor reflected the spirit of their families who immigrated to America and strove to survive despite the hardest conditions. These soldiers paved the way for great change in the perception and status of Japanese Americans, as well as all Asian Americans, in the country that we are now proud to call home. The troops in the 442nd Regiment trained in Camp Shelby, Mississippi, and were then sent overseas to Europe for combat.