December 7th, 1941: “a date which will live in infamy.” The day after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt declared war against Japan and entered a unified America into the Second World War. A wave of rising fear and resentment against Japanese living in America led to the internment of more than 110,000 Japanese; sixty percent or more of whom were American citizens. Imprisoned in camps, labeled as enemy aliens and ineligible for military service, many Japanese Americans sought a way to prove their loyalty. After almost a year, the enemy alien designation was lifted and an all Japanese American Army unit—the 442nd Regimental Combat Team—was created. More than ten thousand men volunteered for combat from Hawaii alone.

The men of the 442nd chose their slogan: “Go For Broke.” This reference to the ultimate gamble represented exactly what these enlisted Japanese Americans were doing. They were risking it all on one great effort to win big. Their gamble, however, was to offer their lives to prove their loyalty. The predecessor to the 442nd was the 100th Infantry Battalion, which fought valiantly through Europe, earning tremendous respect..

Upon arrival in Italy on June 11, 1944, the heroic 100th was re-designated as the 1st Battalion of the 442nd RCT. These soldiers were well trained and ready for battle as they moved in to the theatre of war. Following in the footsteps of the hard fighting 100th, the 442nd rescued many towns in Italy and eastern France, including the town of Bruyeres. The 442nd is also heralded for the famous rescue of the “Lost Battalion,” when during a fierce five-day battle, they fought to free 275 fellow US soldiers trapped by German forces in the Vosges Mountains.

Victory came at an astounding cost: the 442nd’s commander reported combat casualties of two to three times the number of rescued. The rescue of the Lost Battalion has gone down in legend as one of the most ferociously fought battles in the history of the US Army. The 442nd’s growing reputation as saviors of those in need continued throughout the duration of the war. A division of the 442nd was among the first of Allied forces to free Jews from the camps at Dachau. Many of those members of the 442nd found the liberation to be highly ironic and bittersweet when thinking of the internment camps they, and their loved ones, were sent to back home.

The tremendous record of valor and sacrifice earned the soldiers of the 442nd the nickname of “The Purple Heart Battalion.” Holding the distinction of being one of the most highly decorated units of its size and period of combat in the history of the U.S. Army, the 442nd received over 18,000 individual awards. The unit produced twenty-one Medal of Honor recipients, including George Joe Sakato and Senator Daniel Inouye. They also claim more than five thousand Purple Hearts, 33 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 22 Legion of Merit Awards, and over 4,000 Bronze Stars. Additionally, the 100th and 442nd received the Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation eight times.

For their valor, courage and loyalty to country, all of the men who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team are being recognized as the recipients of the American Veterans Center’s 2007 Audie Murphy Award.