Congressional Gold Medal Awarded

[RHY]

In Washington D.C. this morning the Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to the WWII veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 100th Battalion, and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS). These units were comprised of second generation Japanese-Americans from Hawaii and the continental United States (many who volunteered from "internment" camps because they and their families were "relocated" at the insistence of the military after December 1941).

The 442nd and 100th earned a total of 9,486 Purple Hearts, 21 Congressional Medals of Honor, 8 Presidential Unit Citations, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Siver Stars with 28 Oak Leaf Clusters, 4,000 Bronze Stars, 22 Legion of Merit Medals, 15 Soldiers Medals, and 1 Distinguished Service Medal. The men of the 442nd and 100th received 18,143 total awards and medals. It is the "most decorated unit for its size in the history of the U.S. Army".

The following are news stories from around the nation about the award and the men who earned this distinction:

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/...eterans-are-awarded-congressional-gold-medal/

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/Live_video_Congressional_Gold_Medal_Ceremony.html

http://billingsgazette.com/news/sta...cle_90ab0018-0334-11e1-a7b5-001cc4c002e0.html

http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineHeadlineNews/tabid/968/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3479/ItemId/18744/Default.aspx

http://www.themadisontimes.com/news_details.php?news_id=1467

http://www.asianweek.com/2011/10/30/lawson-sakai-to-receive-congressional-gold-medal/

http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_19235103

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/oct/30/oxnard-veteran-to-receive-congressional-gold/

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/oct/29/shawn-vestal-honoring-a-really-really-good-man/

http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_19231214

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humani...al-for-japanese-american-world-war-ii/1199262

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20111023/COLUMN0807/110230328/Japanese-veterans-WWII-honored

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/munster/article_27a900ae-c120-5b5d-9d5e-2dfee5d2f359.html

http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story.asp?storyid={d3301b9c-95b5-4d72-a573-367de07c9fc3}

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home2/52805487-75/says-veterans-japanese-nisei.html.csp

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52722309-78/akagi-japanese-100-battalion.html.csp

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/...-Utah-receiving-Congressional-Gold-Medal.html

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_dea9cada-058a-11e1-a2e0-001cc4c002e0.html

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/01/us/veterans-in-focus-susumu-ito/

In 1951 a movie detailing the trials and tribulations of the 442nd RCT was made with Van Johnson and veterans of the 442nd. It was titled, "Go For Broke", the motto of the regiment. It can be seen on YouTube for free at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcSAs6ms_N0

 

[ButteMT61]

Great post! Thanks for the movie link too - never saw that and I watched the first 40 mins over lunch. Long overdue this was...