Congress Honors Japanese American World War II Soldiers

Japanese American World War II soldiers took part in the recent Congressional Gold Medal ceremony in Washington, D.C.

More than 300 of the aging WWII soldiers are able to receive their Gold Medals in person as the nation honors their unselfish heroics.

By Associated Press and P.C. Staff
November 18, 2011

WASHINGTON—Thousands of Japanese Americans who fought in the fiercest battles of World War II and became some of the most decorated soldiers in the nation’s history were given an overdue thank-you from their country Nov. 2 when Congress awarded them its highest civilian honor.

Nearly seven decades after the war’s beginning, Congress awarded three units the Congressional Gold Medal. In all, about 19,000 JAs served in the units honored at the ceremony: the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service.

“This has been a long journey, but a glorious one,’’ said Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii., who lost his right arm fighting with the 442nd and was one of the honorees Nov. 2.

About 1,250 people attended the award ceremony at the Capitol. About a quarter of those present were former soldiers, now in their 80s and 90s. Hiroshi Kaku, originally from Hawaii, served in the 442nd and his older brother, Haruo, served in the 100th. He said he volunteered for the Army because he had something to prove.

“We wanted to show American citizens that we loved our country,’’ Kaku said. “We were born and raised here.’’

After Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, JAs were viewed with suspicion. Nearly 110,000 were sent to internment camps. Lawson Sakai learned how much the world had changed when he drove with some of his buddies to the local Navy recruiting station and tried to enlist. While his white friends were quickly accepted, Sakai was considered an “enemy alien’’ and could not join.

Sakai then watched as the FBI rounded up JA leaders in Los Angeles. When the federal government authorized the relocation of people with Japanese ancestry, a sister and some of his friends were sent to internment camps.

“We were blackballed,’’ Sakai said. “Basically, they took away our citizenship.’’

Sakai’s story is similar to thousands of other Nisei. Even as they fought in Europe, many JA troops had family members who would spend much of the war in U.S. internment camps. American officials, citing concerns that those of Japanese ancestry could be security risks, sent men, women and children to camps around the country.

Sakai served in the 442nd, which consisted of volunteers, about two-thirds from Hawaii and the rest from the mainland. The 442nd experienced some of the most horrific fighting in Europe and became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service. In just 10 months of combat, more than 700 were killed or listed as missing in action.

Sakai, 88, was wounded four times and received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He said the years following the war were difficult and that he often drank to deal with his memories. Now, he said, he’s able to take pride in his peers’ accomplishments and the subsequent congressional recognition.

“We certainly deserved the record that we produced. It was done by shedding a lot of blood. As far as I know, we didn’t give up an inch of ground. We were always attacking and the Germans were always on the higher ground,’’ he said.