442nd RCT - The most decorated US unit in WWII, and they were Japanese !!

I am not sure how many people know of the Japanese American 442nd Recgimantal Comabt Team. They were the most decorated US unit in WWII.



When the UnitedStates entered World War II in 1941, there were 5,000 Japanese Americans in the U.S. armed forces. Many were summarily discharged. Those of draft age were classified as 4-C, "enemy aliens," despite being US citizens.
In Hawai'i, however, a battalion of Nisei volunteers was formed in May 1942. As the 100th Infantry Battalion, they were sent to North Africa in June of 1943 where they joined the 34th Division in combat. By September 1943, they were sent to Italy where they saw fierce combat and came to be known as the "Purple Heart Battalion" due to their high casualty rate.

In January 1943, the US War Department announced the formation of the segregated 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) made up of Nisei volunteers from Hawai'i and the mainland. In June of 1944, the 442nd joined forces with the 100th Infantry Battalion in Europe and incorporated the 100th into the 442nd. Due to the stunning success of Nisei in combat, the draft was re-instated in January 1944 for Nisei in the detention camps to bolster the ranks of the 442nd. Eventually, the 442nd RCT consisted of the 2nd, 3rd, and 100th Battalions; the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion; the 232nd Engineering Company; the 206th Army Band; Anti- Tank Company; Cannon Company; and Service Company.

Due to their outstanding bravery and the heavy combat duty they faced, the 100/442nd RCT became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service. There were over 18,000 individual decorations for bravery, 9,500 Purple Hearts, and seven Presidential Distinguished Unit Citations.


Decorations - 100th Infantry Battalion and The 442nd RCT
8 Major campaigns in Europe

7 Presidential Unit Citations
9,486 Casualties (Purple Hearts)

18,143 Individual decorations including:

20 Congressional Medals of Honor
52 Distinguished Service Crosses
1 Distinguished Service Medal
560 Silver Stars, with 28 Oak Leaf Clusters in lieu of second
22 Legion of Merit Medals
4,000 Bronze Stars
1,200 Oak Leaf Clusters representing second
15 Soldier's Medals
12 French Croix de Guerre with two Palms representing second awards
2 Italian Crosses for Military Merit
2 Italian Medals for Military Valor


442nd RCT




[Edited on 12-1-2003 by mad scientist]

Yes yes we all should know this, it's only slapped in our American History books, with how much minorities are in it it should be called a "Anything in the world but America History book".

But to counter this, for no real purpose at all...the most decorated soldier in WW2 was a White man

Oh just read the very last sentence of this, apparently they are only the most decorated based on size and service guess some bigger unit in for 2 times as long racked up more....either way the list of medals is impressive especially the 20 Congressionals, that's hell I'd respect them for just those without the rest.

But now out of curiousity, is it just me or are the Japanese bullet magnets?

Sincerely,
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[Edited on 12-1-2003 by FreeMason]

Hmm...if there were only some 5000 men in this battalion, then that must mean some got more than one Purple heart.....I wonder how the japs felt about getting more than one...seeing as they were such honorable people and all.

Some would get 3 purple hearts and walk away from the war with only the scars, others would get one purple heart and go back as cripples or die later from complications.

I think you should be limited to only one.

Sincerely,
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The Purple Heart can be a very subjective award sometimes. I have heard of officers in the rear recieveing this decoration for something as small as a superficial cut ( sustained under dubious combat conditions at best ), whilst somebody else can have both legs blown off. I have no doubt the 442nd earnt all of their's. As you mentioned before, it would probably stain there honour if they knew they didn't deserve it.

However as far as recieving the award multiple times, surely that is fair if a soldier is wounded in differen actions.

Heh MS you watch that on tv tonight as well? Was just going to go research that meself

Pure propaganda then and now: a "gesture" at the time -with the backing of Roosevelt himself, largely to placate Hawaiians and draw fire from the policy of Japanese internment.
Let us at once dismiss the notion prevalent among non-American Allied WWII combatants that the Purple Heart can be awarded for cutting oneself shaving: the unit saw real action twice and got almost all of the awards when, having trodden on quite a few mines along the way, they ran into real soldiers at Monte Cassino -German paratroops.
The ordeal of any men under fire should never be made light of; but this is a good example of how politicians both sacrifice, and then use the sacrifice of, their soldiers.

I don't think receiving multiple purple hearts is fair ever...because someone can get shot in the arm and recover in a few days while someone else gets his legs blown off and that's the ONLY purple heart he'll ever receive.

I think if you get say two wounds, you still have only one purple heart, and it simply is for the graver of the two wounds.

Sincerely,
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