WEBVTT

00:00.270 --> 00:02.437
We interrupt this program to bring you

00:02.437 --> 00:04.603
a special news bulletin . The Japanese

00:04.603 --> 00:06.770
have attacked Pearl Harbor , Hawaii by

00:06.770 --> 00:10.170
air in the

00:10.180 --> 00:12.513
aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor ,

00:12.513 --> 00:14.458
misguided distrust of Americans of

00:14.458 --> 00:16.402
Japanese descent led to nearly all

00:16.402 --> 00:18.402
Japanese Americans being discharged

00:18.402 --> 00:20.458
from the US army with many placed in

00:20.458 --> 00:22.569
internment detention camps along with

00:22.569 --> 00:24.540
their families . In 1943 the US

00:24.549 --> 00:26.716
government needed personnel and called

00:26.716 --> 00:28.605
for volunteers to serve in an all

00:28.605 --> 00:30.771
Japanese American fighting unit . More

00:30.771 --> 00:32.830
than 4000 volunteers , many from the

00:32.840 --> 00:35.062
internment camps , their own government

00:35.062 --> 00:37.118
had placed them in answered the call

00:37.118 --> 00:38.840
and formed the 4 42nd infantry

00:38.840 --> 00:40.784
regimental combat team . Lingering

00:40.784 --> 00:42.784
distrust and prejudice barred the 4

00:42.784 --> 00:44.673
42nd from fighting in the Pacific

00:44.673 --> 00:46.562
Theater . So instead the regiment

00:46.562 --> 00:48.729
soldiers shipped off to Europe and saw

00:48.729 --> 00:51.062
their first action in Italy in May 1944 .

00:54.279 --> 00:56.390
The remainder of the war , the 4 42nd

00:56.390 --> 00:58.501
distinguished themselves as tenacious

00:58.501 --> 01:00.279
and fearless fighters but threw

01:00.279 --> 01:02.279
themselves headlong into combat and

01:02.279 --> 01:04.446
proved their worth time and time again

01:04.446 --> 01:04.410
in numerous battles throughout the

01:04.419 --> 01:06.599
European Theater . Embodying their

01:06.610 --> 01:08.550
motto of Go for Broke

01:10.819 --> 01:13.040
this attitude made the 4 42nd the most

01:13.050 --> 01:15.272
decorated unit for its size and time of

01:15.272 --> 01:17.599
service in army history with 21 medals

01:17.610 --> 01:19.554
of honor , eight presidential unit

01:19.554 --> 01:21.779
citations and more than 500 silver

01:21.790 --> 01:24.980
stars . However , this valor came at a

01:24.989 --> 01:28.519
cost 4 42nd soldiers earned more than

01:28.529 --> 01:30.696
9000 purple hearts among the less than

01:30.696 --> 01:33.589
4000 men that composed the unit . Today .

01:33.730 --> 01:35.839
The 442 survives through the 100 th

01:35.849 --> 01:38.209
battalion , 442 infantry . The only

01:38.220 --> 01:40.109
remaining combat unit of the Army

01:40.109 --> 01:42.669
Reserve . The 447 legacy of greatness

01:42.680 --> 01:44.624
stands is not only a proud part of

01:44.624 --> 01:46.736
Asian Pacific American heritage , but

01:46.736 --> 01:48.779
also for the entire United States Army .