442nd Regimental Combat Team

The 100th Infantry Battalion began as part of the Hawaii National Guard. On June 5, 1942, 1,432 men left Hawaii for training at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, and later at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The 100th shipped out to North Africa on August 23, 1943, and saw heavy action in Italy. Because of its heavy casualties and many honors, the 100th became known as the "Purple Heart Battalion." The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was initially formed in 1943 from Japanese American volunteers from Hawaii and the mainland. Perhaps not surprisingly, only about 1,250 Japanese Americans volunteered from the concentration camps. In Hawaii, where there was no mass removal, almost 10,000 volunteered. The 442nd arrived in Italy in June 1944 where the battle-tested 100th Infantry Battalion became its 1st Battalion. In seven major campaigns, the 442nd became the most decorated unit for its size and length of service; the unit suffered 9,476 casualties, more than 300 percent of its original strength.

World War II (231)
Military service (2806)
442nd Regimental Combat Team (2911)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
442nd Regimental Combat Team, Mark W. Clark, Sadamitsu Neil Fujita, Go for Broke! (film), Stanley Hayami, Daniel Inouye, Mike Masaoka, Kazuo Masuda, Rescue of the Lost Battalion

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2911 items
img "Tak Nishimoto" (ddr-densho-201-288)
Man on the beach. Caption on front: "Tak Nishimoto."
Soldiers on a train (ddr-densho-201-49)
img Soldiers on a train (ddr-densho-201-49)
Japanese American and white soldiers looking out the windows of a train car.
Three soldiers standing outside tent (ddr-densho-201-370)
img Three soldiers standing outside tent (ddr-densho-201-370)
Caption on front: "Harry Sakamoto, George Miyahara, CALF[?]."
Soldier overlooking Florence cityscape (ddr-densho-201-218)
img Soldier overlooking Florence cityscape (ddr-densho-201-218)
Japanese American soldier looking out a window over a cityscape in Florence, Italy. Printed on reverse: "ferrania" (a maker of Italian photographic film).
Soldiers going home (ddr-densho-201-653)
img Soldiers going home (ddr-densho-201-653)
Caption in album: "442nd going home on Wilson Victory Ship June, 1946 / 442nd Regt. boys leaving Italy."
Soldier (ddr-densho-201-490)
img Soldier (ddr-densho-201-490)
Caption in album: "Laverne Kurahara / California."
Japanese American soldiers doing headstands on a beach (ddr-densho-201-399)
img Japanese American soldiers doing headstands on a beach (ddr-densho-201-399)
Japanese American soldiers doing headstands on a beach. Caption on front: "Pen Beach Italy."
img "Bows Out in Blaze of Glory" (ddr-densho-201-225)
Caption on front: "Bows Out In Blaze of Glory." Caption on side: "C. Company, Cpt. Walter Johnson, 1st Lt. Anthony Deluca, 1st Lt. Samuel Leibitz, 1st Lt. Bert Tanaka. Kenge Sakagami, Imoto, Omoto, Urada, Shikuma, Takahashi, Bob Sato, C. Co 442nd?"
Soldier in front of building in rubble (ddr-densho-201-115)
img Soldier in front of building in rubble (ddr-densho-201-115)
Soldier standing in front of the rubble of a building. Caption on reverse: "Cassa-ca-put."
Japanese American soldier at Pisa Tower (ddr-densho-201-94)
img Japanese American soldier at Pisa Tower (ddr-densho-201-94)
Japanese American soldier standing in front of a bell at the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy. Caption on reverse: "Jim Tateoka, Pisa Tower."
USO show (ddr-densho-201-556)
img USO show (ddr-densho-201-556)
Caption in album: "USO Show / Went to see U.S.O. show in Milan Italy / Hello 'Duffy.'"
Military parade (ddr-densho-201-540)
img Military parade (ddr-densho-201-540)
Caption in album: "Gedi Italy, May & June 1945 / Hut, Two / 'C' Company 1ooth Bn."
Soldiers gathered around a ring (ddr-densho-201-119)
img Soldiers gathered around a ring (ddr-densho-201-119)
Soldiers gathered around what appears to be a boxing ring.
Man at train station (ddr-densho-201-433)
img Man at train station (ddr-densho-201-433)
Man wearing a suit at a train station in Landquart, Switzerland.
img "100th Bn. Used this garden to head out to manuver in the hill - [illegible] ground March, 1945" (ddr-densho-201-301)
Caption on front: "La Cote d'Azur -- 19. MENTON -- Le jardin public." Caption in album: "100th Bn. Used this garden to head out to manuver in the hill - [illegible] ground March, 1945."
img "Riot car" (ddr-densho-201-376)
Soldiers riding in a military vehicle. Caption on front: "Riot car."
Soldiers marching in formation (ddr-densho-201-51)
img Soldiers marching in formation (ddr-densho-201-51)
Caption on reverse: "Gedi, Hut 2 3 4, Hut 2 3 4, June - 1945."
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