The 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a regiment of almost entirely Japanese-Americans, in France, 1944. I read that this regiment was the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of American warfare. [1400 x 786]
I believe that unit executed a "Banzai!" bayonet charge against the Germans, and the Germans thought they were being attacked by their ally, Imperial Japan.
housebird350
> I read that this regiment was the most decorated unit for its size…
How small were they??
harmonica-blues
Worst part is many of their families were imprisoned back in the US
Potter3769
On today’s episode of TIL….
Thanks for sharing this one. Incredible story
Rapture_ZA
There is a docu series call The War by Ken Burns, one of the chapters is all about these guys and their amazing feats. One of the most amazing stories of strength and determination just to be able to fight for their country. Our generation does not know what sacrifice is, when you learn about the deeds our grandparents had to make to save the world.
jivdawg
Japs with an M1 Garand is a sight to behold
RXIXX777
My God, look into the completely unnecessary horrors they had to endure in the Hurtgen Forest. They’re beyond heroes just for that action :'(
MadRonnie97
Not to take anything away from them but they were so decorated because command was constantly sending them where the fighting was thickest.
Armand74
They most certainly were! Although none of them forgot who they were and that is american!
pxsoul
Yes, these men were badasses and superheroes IRL if there were really any to be called, but they wouldn’t expect you to call them that, again…furthering their hero status not in their own eyes, but from others.
The 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team is the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of American warfare.
Members of the 442nd received 18,143 awards in less than two years, including:
21 Medals of Honor (the first awarded posthumously to Private First Class Sadao Munemori, Company A, 100th Battalion, for action near Seravezza, Italy, on 5 April 1945; 19 upgraded from other awards in June 2000). Recipients include:
4,000 Bronze Stars (plus 1,200 Oak Leaf Clusters for a second award; one Bronze Star was upgraded to a Medal of Honor in June 2000. One Bronze Star was upgraded to a Silver Star in September 2009.)
Highly reccomend reading Go Fo Broke or watching a documentary based on it.
> Then we were ordered out by General Dahlquist
to pass in review so he could ‘thank’ us. I could hardly walk, my feet hurt so bad. But they made us show up. The general reprimanded the colonel: ‘I said I wanted everyone to pass in review! Where are all your men?’ There were only 17 of us from K Company out of the 186 guys we’d had at the beginning of the battle
and eight from I Company. And the colonel says, ‘Sir, these are
all the men I have left!’ That’s all we had. Barely a battalion left
out of the whole 442nd. We looked like we’d gone through a sieve.” The chaplain said it was the first time he’d seen the colonel cry.
leaman99
There is a whole section dedicated to them at the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg where they trained.
[deleted]
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petrov76
One thing that frequently gets overlooked is that nobody wants to be the most decorated. Soldiers want safe assignments, where they sit around and nobody gets hurt.
They were the most decorated because they got the shitty assignments: they were ordered to lead the attack, or to charge up the hill, and do all sorts of risky, dangerous things. It’s amazing that they managed to pull them off, and kept going, but the truth is that they got treated like crap by the racists in the rest of the Army.
FrequentRefrigerator
Wait, so these people who were being put into "internement" camps at home by the government because of their ethnicity, and yet many of them still joined the war against Nazi Germany in Europe. But today people are upset because local governments are asking them to wear masks in public just so they don’t unwittingly spread a dangerous disease? Interesting.
Outkastate
Why the hell isnt their a movie about THIS?! Amazing…
bigbjarne
Why do some of them have white armbands?
Taylor-B-
For any Karate Kid fans, this is the unit Mr. Miyagi is meant to have belonged to.
bkreddit856
Something should also be mentioned. They had no desertion the entire time….. Let that sink in.
machinerer
I believe that unit executed a "Banzai!" bayonet charge against the Germans, and the Germans thought they were being attacked by their ally, Imperial Japan.
housebird350
> I read that this regiment was the most decorated unit for its size…
How small were they??
harmonica-blues
Worst part is many of their families were imprisoned back in the US
Potter3769
On today’s episode of TIL….
Thanks for sharing this one. Incredible story
Rapture_ZA
There is a docu series call The War by Ken Burns, one of the chapters is all about these guys and their amazing feats. One of the most amazing stories of strength and determination just to be able to fight for their country. Our generation does not know what sacrifice is, when you learn about the deeds our grandparents had to make to save the world.
jivdawg
Japs with an M1 Garand is a sight to behold
RXIXX777
My God, look into the completely unnecessary horrors they had to endure in the Hurtgen Forest. They’re beyond heroes just for that action :'(
MadRonnie97
Not to take anything away from them but they were so decorated because command was constantly sending them where the fighting was thickest.
Armand74
They most certainly were! Although none of them forgot who they were and that is american!
pxsoul
Yes, these men were badasses and superheroes IRL if there were really any to be called, but they wouldn’t expect you to call them that, again…furthering their hero status not in their own eyes, but from others.
"Go for Broke!" (unit’s motto) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/442nd_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)
The 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team is the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of American warfare.
Members of the 442nd received 18,143 awards in less than two years, including:
Also, all surviving members were made chevaliers of the French Légion d’Honneur for their actions contributing to the liberation of France and their heroic rescue of the Lost Battalion.
RapidFire4Life
Highly reccomend reading Go Fo Broke or watching a documentary based on it.
> Then we were ordered out by General Dahlquist
to pass in review so he could ‘thank’ us. I could hardly walk, my feet hurt so bad. But they made us show up. The general reprimanded the colonel: ‘I said I wanted everyone to pass in review! Where are all your men?’ There were only 17 of us from K Company out of the 186 guys we’d had at the beginning of the battle
and eight from I Company. And the colonel says, ‘Sir, these are
all the men I have left!’ That’s all we had. Barely a battalion left
out of the whole 442nd. We looked like we’d gone through a sieve.” The chaplain said it was the first time he’d seen the colonel cry.
leaman99
There is a whole section dedicated to them at the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg where they trained.
[deleted]
[deleted]
petrov76
One thing that frequently gets overlooked is that nobody wants to be the most decorated. Soldiers want safe assignments, where they sit around and nobody gets hurt.
They were the most decorated because they got the shitty assignments: they were ordered to lead the attack, or to charge up the hill, and do all sorts of risky, dangerous things. It’s amazing that they managed to pull them off, and kept going, but the truth is that they got treated like crap by the racists in the rest of the Army.
FrequentRefrigerator
Wait, so these people who were being put into "internement" camps at home by the government because of their ethnicity, and yet many of them still joined the war against Nazi Germany in Europe. But today people are upset because local governments are asking them to wear masks in public just so they don’t unwittingly spread a dangerous disease? Interesting.
Outkastate
Why the hell isnt their a movie about THIS?! Amazing…
bigbjarne
Why do some of them have white armbands?
Taylor-B-
For any Karate Kid fans, this is the unit Mr. Miyagi is meant to have belonged to.
bkreddit856
Something should also be mentioned. They had no desertion the entire time….. Let that sink in.