About the Nisei Veterans

Much has been written -- especially in the last few years -- about the unflinching bravery of the Nisei veterans, the experiences of their families who were interned or under house arrest, and the leadership roles the veterans assumed when they returned home after the war. See RELATED LINKS for a list of some of these sources.

More than 2,000 Japanese Americans were drafted into service in 1940 and 1941, and many were members of the Hawaii National Guard's 298th and 299th Infantry regiments.

When Pearl Harbor was bombed, they were placed in noncombat roles until the 100th Infantry Battalion was activated at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin in June 1942.

In September 1942 they were shipped to Europe. Fifteen months later they had earned the moniker of "the Purple Heart Battalion" of the US 5th Army afer their riflemen strength had dropped from 1,430 to 60 in five months of combat in Italy.

In January 1943, the segregated 442nd Regimental Combat Team, made up of Nisei soldiers from Hawaii and the mainland, was formed. In June 1944 the 442nd RCT was placed into service. With its distinguished service record, the 100th Infantry Battalion, which was the 1st Battalion of the 442nd RCT, was allowed to retain its original designation.

In addition to the 100th Battalion, the 442nd RCT consisted of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, 232nd Engineering Company, 206th Army Band, Anti-Tank Company, Cannon Comapny and Service Company.

By the end of World War II, the 100th/442nd had become the most highly decorated unit for its size and length of service in US Army history. Over 18,000 individual decorations, 9,500 Purple Hearts, seven Presidential Distinguished Unit Citations were awarded.

In 1996 Congress directed the Secretary of the Army to conduct a review of all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in World War II “to determine whether any such award should be upgraded to the Medal of Honor.”

The Medal of Honor was created in 1861 to recognize the nation's bravest soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen.

After extensive and exhaustive research, 20 veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team were awarded the Meal of Honor by President William Clinton at White House Ceremonies on June 21, 2000.