Figure 1.--

Japanese Americans were among the Americans drafteed in 1940 and 1941. President Roosevelt issued Executive order 9066 interning Japanese Americand (February 1942). After this, the Japanese Americans in the military were reclassified 4c meaning enemy aliens. Those living along the Pacific coast were then were interned with their families. The military later authorized the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT), a segregated Japanese unit (January 1941). There was a debate among the internees as whether they should volunteer. Many did volunteer. Overall about 17,000 Japanese Americans enlisted for military service. Their motives were mixed. Many observers claim that they wanted to donstrate their loyalty to America. [Ichiuji] It is likely that many wanted to get out of the camps. Another writer suggests that their motives were like other Americans more mixed and does not make the claim that every volunteer was out to prove his loyalty. [Asahini] The Army formed a segregated Japanese unit with Caucasian officers which was deployed in Italy and became one of the most decorated units in the U.S. Army. The Germans were surprised to be fighting Japanese-looking soldiers. The Japanese battalion in Italy suffered such high caualties that it was integrated in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) which fought in France. The unit was involved in more tough fighting. 442nd entered France after the invasion of southern France. The Germans after the Normabdy breakout were rapidly retreating from France. The drivevnorth from southern France has been called the champaign campaign. German resistance, however, stiffened as the Allies neared the borders of the Reich. The 442nd ironically liberated Jews in a Dachau subcamp. [Ichiuji]

Pre-War Drafts

President Roosevelt convinced Congress to institute the first peace-time draft. Congress approved a draft in 1940 and reauthorized it by a narrow vote in 1941 only weeks before Pearl Harbor. Japanese Americans were among the Americans comscripted in the pre-War 1940 and 1941 drafts. At the time almost all Japanese-Americans lived in either California or Hawaii.

Pear Harbor

It was the Japanese carrier attack on Pearl Harbor that brought America into the War. While Pearl Harbor was a stunning tactical victory, it was a strategic blunder by the Japanese of incaluable proportions. It was a stunningly successful military success, brilliantly executed by the Japanese. Eight battle ships, the heart of the American Pacific fleet were sunk. But the three carriers were not at Pearl. Despite the success of the attack, it was perhaps the greatest strtegic blunder in the history of warfare. The Japanese attack on the Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor changed everything. A diverse and quareling nation, strongly pacifistic was instantly changed into a single united people with a burning desire to wage war. The issolationism that President Roosevelt had struggled against for over 7 years instantly disappeared. Even Lindburg asked for a commision to fight for the United States. The Japanese attack had a terrible repercussions for Japanese Americans. War itself with Japan would have been bad enough. The nature of the attack and subsequent relevations of Japanese attrocities made matters even worse.

Internment

President Roosevelt issued Executive order 9066 interning Japanese Americand (February 1942). After this, the Japanese Americans in the military were reclassified 4c meaning enemy aliens. Those living along the Pacific coast were then were interned with their families.

442nd Regimental Combat Team Formed

The military later authorized the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT), a segregated Japanese unit (January 1941). There was a debate among the internees as whether they should volunteer. Many did volunteer. Overall about 17,000 Japanese Americans enlisted for military service. Their motives were mixed. Many observers claim that they wanted to donstrate their loyalty to America. [Ichiuji] It is likely that many wanted to get out of the camps. Another writer suggests that their motives were like other Americans more mixed and does not make the claim that every volunteer was out to prove his loyalty. [Asahini] The 442nd was a segregated Japanese unit with Caucasian officers. During trainng at Fort Gordon, Georgia there was much discord between the california and Hawaiian Japanese Americans. This disappered after the men were permitted a leave to visit an internment camp in Arkansas. Until that time, the Hawaiians had not been fully aware of what the internment camps were like. Two U.S. Senators came out of the unit, Masayuki Matsunaga and Daniel Inouye. The Army was unsure just what to do with the 442nd and how reliable it would be. The Army was afraid to deploy the 442nd in the Pacific so they were deployed to Europe. The unit was for its size to become the most decorated in the U.S. Army.

Italy

The Japanese Americans were first deployed in Italy and became one of the most decorated units in the U.S. Army. The Germans were surprised to be fighting Japanese-looking soldiers. The unit's performance was exceptional, reflected in part by the high casualty rate.

France

The Japanese battalion in Italy suffered such high caualties that it was integrated in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) which fought in France. The unit was involved in more tough fighting. 442nd entered France after the invasion of southern France. The Germans after the Normabdy breakout were rapidly retreating from France. The drivevnorth from southern France has been called the champaign campaign. German resistance, however, stiffened as the Allies neared the borders of the Reich. There was hard fightening in the Vosges Mountains of northeastern France. The most notable incident was the rescue of a unit of the 36th Texas Division which was surrounded by the Germans. The ferocity of the fightinging is shown by an entry in the 100th Batalion's diary, "Very few prisioners were taken." [Asahina] The rescue was prominently reported by the New York Times. The accompanying picture showed one of the 442nd white officers with a rescued Texan.

Germany

The 442nd ironically liberated Jews in a Dachau subcamp. [Ichiuji]

Sources

Asahina, Robert. Just Americans: How Japanese Americans Won a War at Home and Abroad (Gotham: 2006), 339p.

Ichiuji, Joseph. "Loyalty's trial by combat," The Washington Post May 28, 2004. p. W10.

Created: 6:19 PM 6/4/2006
Last updated: 6:19 PM 6/4/2006