The Tragic True Story Behind The Purple Heart Battalion
Chandler Stark - Yesterday 4:22 PM
World War II was one of the most traumatic events in modern world history. While statistics can never tell the whole story, according to the National WWII Museum, there were approximately 40 million battle casualties, and between 45-100 million civilians died worldwide. Sixteen million Americans served in the armed forces at some point in the war, and just shy of half a million made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives defending freedom and human rights (per the National Parks Service).
Japanese-Americans made up roughly 33,000 of the American servicemen in WWII, and many of them served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team or 100th Infantry Battalion (via the Arlington National Cemetery). Both units were made up exclusively of Japanese Americans, primarily Nisei (second generation), many of whom had family members who were interned while they were serving in the army overseas. Though they were originally separate units — with the 100th Battalion forming in June 1942 and the 442nd Regiment forming the following February — they integrated together in August 1944 and fought alongside each other for the remainder of the war (per the National WWII Museum). They are now known collectively as the Purple Heart Battalion because of the incredible amount of casualties sustained by each unit's soldiers. They leave a legacy of true patriotism and heroism, serving a country in which they were not even considered equals. This is the tragic true story behind the Purple Heart Battalion.
Many Japanese Americans Were Kicked Out Of The Army In 1942
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, there were many Nisei (second generation) Japanese Americans on the island serving in the University of Hawaii's Reserve Officer Training Corps — the Hawaii Territorial Guard. They helped in the aftermath of the bombing by rendering aid to wounded sailors and clearing away debris (via the Go For Broke National Education Center). However, just a month later, on January 19, the army disbanded the guard with no explanation. Then, the following day, the army reformed the guard — however, none of the Nisei were allowed to join.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-tragic-true-story-behind-the-purple-heart-battalion/ar-AAZvmoC?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=7ffa0c733fe44872afc7e959d0d397a5
