The Purple Heart Battalion

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

<span style='color:green'>After the attacks on Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941, all Japanese-Americans were reclassifed as hostile aliens and thrown into concentration camps and barred from enlisting for military duty.

However, soon the army required higher manpower and started an initial experiment with 1329 Japanese-American soldiers forming the 100th Battalion.

After finishing training in the US, the 100th was shipped out to Africa on September 2, 1943. In the meantime, by excelling at training and making themselves known as one of the hardest training units in the entire US military, the powers that were decided to form the 442nd Infantry Regiment, against solely composed of Japanese-Americans.

After three weeks of impressive work in North Africa, the 100th was then shipped (now attached to the 34th "Red Bull" Division) to Italy.

In Italy, the 100th had to endure hard battle after hard battle, fighting at Monte Milleto, and afterwards facing the 29th Panzer Grenadiers near San Angelo d'Alife. On January 24, 1944, the 100th faced its most famous -and bloodiest- battle of all - the Battle for Monte Cassino! When Monte Cassino finally fell in February, the 100th had been in battle for 5 months. These five months saw a 61% casualty rate - of 1329 original men in the 100th, by the end of February only 521 could be mustered.

The 100th fell back to Naples and waited for the newly formed 442nd to finish training and ship to Italy. They finally arrived in June and the 100th and the 442nd were merged into a single unit. Thus replenished, they embarked again for battle.

After heavy fighting at Belvedere, Luciana, and Livorno, the 442nd was pulled back for a rest and was presented with a Presidential Unit Citation. After fighting at the Arno River in August, 1944, the 442nd moved to France for an attack in the Vosages Mountains. While in France, the 442nd was detached from the 34th Division and attached to the 36th Division of the Seventh Army. Given the assignment to capture the town of Bruyeres, the 442nd fought a bitter house to house battle and captured over 200 German soldiers.

Their bloodiest battle occured during their rescue of the "Lost Battalion". The First Battalion of the 36th Division had been given the assignment to clear a ridge deep in the Vosages, but had been cut-off by the Germans. The battalion, the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment (a former Texas National Guard unit), had been cut off since October 24,1944. The other two battalions of the 141st were unable to break through. The 100th /442nd, was ordered to rescue the Lost Battalion in a real-life "Saving Private Ryan" mission (More men were lost in the 100th/442nd in the rescue operation than there were to save in the 1st of the 141st.).

In five days and nights of continuous combat trying to save the "Lost Battalion", the 100th/442nd RCT had suffered more than 800 casualties. In the 3rd Battalion, Company K had 17 riflemen left and Company I had eight riflemen left. Sergeants commanded both companies; all the officers had been killed or wounded. The 2,000 men on the casualty list included 140 killed.

In spring, 1945, the 442nd was sent back to Italy. The 442nd was made part of the U.S. 92nd Infantry Division, which also included the all-African American 370th Infantry and the all-white 473rd Infantry. 1 Mounting a diversionary attack in the Appenine Mountains, the 442nd took their assigned objectives cracking ther German defensive line. By May 2, 1945 the war was over in Italy.

These Japanese American units suffered an unprecedented casualty rate and received over 18,000 individual decorations. Many were awarded after their deaths for bravery and courage in the field of battle. Among the decorations received by the 100th/442nd soldiers were one Medal of Honor, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 28 Oak Leaf Clusters to the Silver Star, 4,000 Bronze Stars and 1,200 Oak Leaf Clusters to the Bronze Star and, perhaps most telling of the sacrifices made by these gallant soldiers, 9,486 Purple Hearts. The 442nd Combat Infantry group emerged as the most decorated combat unit of its size in the history of the United States Army. For its service in eight major campaigns in Italy and France, the 100th Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team earned eight Presidential Unit Citations.

In June 2000, President Clinton awarded an additional 20 Medals of Honor to members of the 100th Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This was the result of a re-examination of the files of dozens of Japanese-American soldiers to see if any of them might have been denied awards because of possible prejudice. One of these recipients was Hawaii's U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, whose right arm was shattered by a grenade while successfully destroying three German machine gun nests.</span>

[Billabong81 0]

It's a great story and these men showed a lot of courage to do what they did, and don't get me wrong, I support them 100% (like the 100th Battalion ). But what was the point to this topic. Sorry if I don't catch the drift

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

It's a great story and these men showed a lot of courage to do what they did, and don't get me wrong, I support them 100% (like the 100th Battalion ). But what was the point to this topic. Sorry if I don't catch the drift

Red Oct mentioned something about them in a post earlier on, I read around a bit, and found it fascinating enough to decide and condense some information into an informative post, which you may add to, discuss, criticise, slate, whatever I like writing, and for the first time in months I actually have the time again, so here you go. It's within the forum's intended purpose too, plus I got all the handy mod tools, so you can't stop me

Look into the forum history, I have been doing this sporadically over the last three years.

[Billabong81 0]

I'd rather not go back past a year or so. I have ventured to the old part of this section before...and quite frankly it was a hell house . People making 3 topics for one subject, each time it wasn't answered within an hour .

On another note, it is some very good information you found. I had never heard of the 100th before .

[red oct 2]

cool! im kinda flattered i inspired a thread thanks Ex-RoNiN

on the serrious note, i can't understand why Hollywood hasn't taken a interest in these men. taking out 3 machine gun nests by yourself and loosing your arm in the process is no small feat.

[hellfish6 7]

The 100th/442nd Infantry is still an Army unit, comprised mainly of Samoans and Pacific Islanders, and are part of the 29th Seperate Infantry Brigade (Hawaii Army National Guard). They're currently deployed or deploying to Iraq.

I had the good fortune of doing a JRTC rotation as part of an aviation unit attached to the 29th - there is little in the world quite so magnificient as the sight of a company of gigantic Samoan warriors singing as they march. It'll send shivers down your spine.

[billybob2002 0]

Quote[/b] ]The 442nd was made part of the U.S. 92nd Infantry Division, which also included the all-African American 370th Infantry and the all-white 473rd Infantry. 1 Mounting a diversionary attack in the Appenine Mountains, the 442nd took their assigned objectives cracking ther German defensive line. By May 2, 1945 the war was over in Italy.

92nd was called the "rainbow" division has a joke (or did it replace the original nickname.. ) after the white and japanese units joined that division. The 92nd Infantry division, when it was a "all black" division, had a lot racism problems (it still did when those other units joined) and affected them on the battlefield (combat performance-wise). However, two did earn the medal of honor years after WWII for their actions during WWII.

[shinRaiden 0]

... there is little in the world quite so magnificient as the sight of a company of gigantic Samoan warriors singing as they march. It'll send shivers down your spine.

I was in Japan on 9-11 and had a number of Tongan and Samoan and Maori buddies over there with me. They don't make trucks big enough for those guys. The only problem is that they love roast pig, so it must be extra hard for them over in Iraq. And when they break out in a full "Haka" war dance, it's like tanks rolling down street or worse. I'm not talking about the cheesy ones done for the tourists, I'm talking about the underground ones done by pit fighters with the cauliflower ears to prove it. It truely is an awesome experience - and you won't sleep well at nights if you cross those guys.

[hellfish6 7]

... there is little in the world quite so magnificient as the sight of a company of gigantic Samoan warriors singing as they march. It'll send shivers down your spine.

I was in Japan on 9-11 and had a number of Tongan and Samoan and Maori buddies over there with me. They don't make trucks big enough for those guys. The only problem is that they love roast pig, so it must be extra hard for them over in Iraq. And when they break out in a full "Haka" war dance, it's like tanks rolling down street or worse. I'm not talking about the cheesy ones done for the tourists, I'm talking about the underground ones done by pit fighters with the cauliflower ears to prove it. It truely is an awesome experience - and you won't sleep well at nights if you cross those guys.

Heh... we flew into one LZ, came under simulated sniper fire, and the Samoan platoon we dropped off just dropped everything and ran after the sniper screaming at the top of their lungs. They didn't even bother to try to shoot the sniper, but I think they freaked him out pretty good.