Famed Nisei Unit Honored By Truman

WASHINGTON, July 15. -- (AP) -- President Truman stood in the rain today to pin the Presidential Distinguished Unit citation banner to the colors of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of Japanese-Americans.

Standing on the Elipse, a park just south of the White House, the President congratulated about 500 Nisei soldiers -- Japanese of American extraction -- for victory both over the enemy and "prejudice."

Mr. Truman urged them to continue the fight after their return home to prove that the Constitution is designed for the "welfare of all the people."

Thousands lined the streets earlier to see the combat team -- one of the most decorated outfits of the American army -- parade up Constitution Avenue.

Rain began to fall a half hour before the parade.

No other unit has been singled out for such honors as today's upon its return home from overseas battlegrounds.

Flaunting the reckless slogan "go for broke," dice-rolling equivalent of "shoot the works," the group acquired more than 3,600 Purple Heart decorations for wounds and some 1,000 other individual and organizational decorations. The combat team fought at Cassino; on the beach at Anzio; rescued a lost battalion of the 36th Division in France, and drove to the Rhine.