(1) On January 19, 1942, 6 weeks after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Navy, the United States Army discharged all Japanese-Americans in the Reserve Officers Training Corps and changed their draft status to ‘4C’--the status of ‘enemy alien’ which is ineligible for the draft.
(2) On January 23, 1942, Japanese-Americans in the military on the mainland were segregated out of their units.
(3) Further, on May 3, 1942, General John L. DeWitt issued Civilian Exclusion Order No. 346, ordering all people of Japanese ancestry, whether citizens or noncitizens, to report to assembly centers, where they would live until being moved to permanent relocation centers.
(4) On June 5, 1942, 1,432 predominantly Nisei (second generation Americans of Japanese ancestry) members of the Hawaii Provisional Infantry Battalion were shipped from the Hawaiian Islands to Oakland, CA, where the 100th Infantry Battalion was activated on June 12, 1942, and then shipped to train at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin.
(5) The excellent training record of the 100th Infantry Battalion and petitions from prominent civilian and military personnel helped convince President Roosevelt and the War Department to reopen military service to Nisei volunteers who were incorporated into the 442nd Regimental Combat Team after it was activated in February of 1943.
(6) In that same month, the 100th Infantry Battalion was transferred to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, where it continued to train, and even though the battalion was ready to deploy shortly thereafter, the battalion was refused by General Eisenhower, due to concerns over the loyalty and patriotism of the Nisei.
(7) The 442nd Regimental Combat Team later trained with the 100th Infantry Battalion at Camp Shelby in May of 1943.
(8) Eventually, the 100th Infantry Battalion was deployed to the Mediterranean and entered combat in Italy on September 26, 1943.
(9) Due to their bravery and valor, members of the Battalion were honored with 6 awards of the Distinguished Service Cross in the first 8 weeks of combat.
(10) The 100th Battalion fought at Cassino, Italy in January 1944, and later accompanied the 34th Infantry Division to Anzio, Italy.
(11) The 442nd Regimental Combat Team arrived in Civitavecchia, Italy on June 7, 1944, and on June 15 of the following week, the 100th Infantry Battalion was formally made an integral part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and fought for the last 11 months of the war with distinction in Italy, southern France, and Germany.
(12) The battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions in battle on June 26-27, 1944.
(13) The 442nd Regimental became the most decorated unit in United States military history for its size and length of service.
(14) The 100th Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, received 7 Presidential Unit Citations, 21 Medals of Honor, 29 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 4,000 Bronze Stars, 22 Legion of Merit Medals, 15 Soldier’s Medals, and over 4,000 Purple Hearts, among numerous additional distinctions.
(15) The United States remains forever indebted to the bravery, valor, and dedication to country these men faced while fighting a 2-fronted battle of discrimination at home and fascism abroad.
(16) Their commitment and sacrifice demonstrates a highly uncommon and commendable sense of patriotism and honor.