U.S. 100th Infantry Battalion
Encyclopedia
The 100th Infantry Battalion was a unit within the US Army's 34th Infantry Division during World War II. The primarily Nisei
battalion was composed largely of former members of the Hawaii Army National Guard
. Upon its activation the 100th saw heavy combat during World War II
before and after combining with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team
, another mostly Nisei military unit, into a single fighting combat team. The 100th exists today as the only remaining combat arms unit in the United States Army Reserve
, the other units all being combat support
or combat service support
. Based at Fort Shafter
, Honolulu, Hawaii, the 100th Battalion has reservists from Hawaii, American Samoa
, Guam
and Saipan
, and has been activated and deployed to Iraq
and Kuwait
. Historically, the unit is referred to as the "Purple Heart
Battalion", with the motto "Remember Pearl Harbor".
for the United States. After the attack, Japanese-Americans and those of Japanese ancestry would not only be fighting the enemy across the Pacific but also fighting prejudice as well. Chaos ensued in the hours that followed the attack on that dreadful day but those who were a part of the 298th and 299th Hawaii National Guard knew clearly what they had to do, prepare for an invasion guard the shores, clear the rubble, donate their blood, and aid the wounded. Although their patriotism to the United States was clearly defined as they prepared the beaches against a Japanese invasion, the color of their skin could not prevent the coming storm. Three days after the attack their rifles were stripped away from them because of the way they looked and thought to be spies or soldiers for Japan but the rifles were eventually returned them. Nearly the same situation can be seen with those that were a part of the ROTC program at the University of Hawaii were discharged from the Hawaii Territorial Guard because of the way they looked. Those former members would eventually make their own stand as they formed the Varsity Victory Volunteers
.
The reason for such prejudice to even happen was because at 11:30 a.m. Martial Law was declared and the governor at the time, Joseph Poindexter
, told President Franklin D. Roosevelt
that his greatest fear was sabotage by the large Japanese community in Hawaii thus provoking: the FBI to round up Japanese sympathizers, Buddhist priests, language school principals and teachers, civic and business leaders, fisherman, instructors of judo and martial arts, the War Department to discharge all soldiers of Japanese ancestry, the rounding up of Japanese-Americans on the west coast and placed in internment camps, the deactivation of the Hawaii Territorial Guard, and the classification of Japanese-Americans as being 4-C enemy aliens.
Although it can be seen as General Delos Emmons, appointed military governor on 17 December, was all for placing Japanese-Americans in internment camps and having them be enemy aliens but in actuality he wanted to give them a chance to prove everyone wrong. After General Emmons granted the Varsity Victory Volunteers to form, a confidential memo was sent to the War Department in early April stating that there were 2,000 Japanese-American soldiers now serving and many more who wished to serve in order to demonstrate their loyalty to the United States and requests to organize them into a fighting force to be sent to Europe or Africa. The request was denied by the War Department.
was well underway by 4 June 1942 but as this decisive battle was happening, 1,432 Nisei of the Hawaii National Guard had their weapons taken away and boarded onto the Matson liner SS Maui under the cover of night and shipped to the mainland without saying goodbye to their family or loved ones. Under the title "Hawaiian Provisional Infantry Battalion" the week long zig-zag journey finally took them to a port in Oakland where the 1,432 Nisei would finally be known as the 100th Infantry Battalion on 12 June 1942. The unit number was an indication of the Army's recently formulated plan for a modern organization for the Combat Arms. Under normal pre-war Army procedures, all Infantry battalions were organic to the Regiment they were a part of, and were known as, for instance, "1st Battalion, 5th Regiment." With the new system of organization, the Infantry Regiment was reorganized as a Headquarters with no Organic battalions, but with three Separate Battalions attached. The Headquarters was organized into three Combat Commands that could be dispatched on separate combat actions with units that were attached. One Infantry Battalion would be assigned to a Combat Command, with attachments from the higher headquarters reserve. The 100th was not attached to any other military organization but its own fighting unit and would come to be known as known as the "One-Puka-Puka" (Puka means "hole" in Hawaiian).
Following their arrival at Oakland, the 100th boarded a train that would take them to their final destination, Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. Immediately following their arrival to Camp McCoy many of the Nisei could feel the animosity in the air; they faced prejudice, suspicion, and distrust from fellow soldiers and highly placed military and political leaders. Upon arrival, men of the 100th were immediately marched off the train and into tents, four soldiers per tent, which contained a bunk bed, blanket, towels, and backpack. It would be several months until the Nisei would be properly placed into military barracks. As time progressed soldiers were permanently placed into military units, such as Companies A through E, and pushed through intense and rigorous training: building physical stamina, improving marksmanship, and learning military tactics.
While in training at Camp McCoy, the Nisei soldiers knew there was prejudice in the air but were unaware of how deep it was in higher command. Some of the white officers and NCO's appointed to the 100th were schooled in psychology and were ordered to test their physical and military capabilities but most of all their loyalty. The military's attempt to snuff out loyalists to the Japanese Empire was a complete failure. The 100th dominated their training and took to heart everything they did. Competition was desired by every Nisei as they competed with other companies in marksmanship, baseball, softball, physical combat such as scuffles, boxing, and wrestling.
On one such occasion that happened to prove the loyalty and bravery of the new recruits, five Nisei soldiers received the Soldier's Medal for their heroism in rescuing several local civilians who almost drowned on a frozen Wisconsin lake.
Even though the Nisei were able to prove that they were just as an American as any other soldier, they were still scrutinized as being different, something less than human. One disturbing occasion proved that. About 25 of the Japanese American soldiers were sent to a secret training mission on a small island, Cat Island, near the mouth of the Mississippi River . Some top military officers thought that the “Jap” soldiers smelled differently, and that the Nisei soldiers would give off a similar scent. So for three months these 25 Nisei were ordered to train attack dogs to “smell Japs.” Of course the training didn’t work.
Training at Camp McCoy would last for six months until on 6 January 1943 the 100th Battalion was transferred to Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The 100th was attached to the 85th Division under Major General Wade Haislip and would receive even tougher training than they did at Camp McCoy. Upon arrival at Camp Shelby the 100th received the same amount of skepticism as they did at McCoy and were thought to not be able to pass the tasks at hand but 100th were able to prove them wrong as they passed the training exercises with flying colors gaining the respect of their superiors; even when fighting the weather, chiggers, ticks, dry land snakes, reptiles, and cotton-mouth water moccasins. It would be at Camp Shelby where 100th would receive its most intense and advanced training and then eventually sent to Camp Clairborne, Louisiana for field exercises and war games that would ready them for combat.
On return from Camp Clairborne, the 100th had finally met up with the newly formed 442nd Regimental Combat Team on 16 July and advised them of Army life and ways and on 20 July 1943 the 100th received its battalion colors and motto, "Remember Pearl Harbor," as requested by the unit.
, Mississippi, the battalion was ready to deploy, but was refused by General Dwight D. Eisenhower
. General Mark Clark
, commanding the Fifth Army, accepted the offer, and the 100th deployed from Shelby on 11 August by train to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and then to the Mediterranean on 20 August 1943.
The 100th arrived in Oran, North Africa on 2 September 1943 and became a part of the 133rd Regiment under the 34th Division and took part in training with Caucasian soldiers. Things began to look up for the 100th as they were finally getting the chance to prove themselves that they were just as American as any other white civilian or soldier. On 19 September the 34th Division sailed from Africa to southeast of Naples, with the 100th with them.
The unit entered combat on 29 September 1943, near Salerno in Southern Italy. The unit fought well as they advanced 15 miles in 24 hours for a week against strong enemy resistance and taking on casualties allowing them to gain their first major victory by taking Benevento, an important rail center and road intersection. The 100th even had to cross the twisting, wet, and muddy Volturno River three times taking on heavy German machine gun fire and rocket launchers before driving the German force even further north. But this would end up being a walk in the park compared to their next objective. The Nisei soldiers had gained respect from their fellow soldiers but also the enemy as well and in turn gained respect for the German fighting force. However, the deciding factor of who was the more superior fighting force and demanded the most respect would take place at the Gustav Line at Monte Cassino.
This was the situation at the Gustav Line as the 100th received its most intense fight yet as they fought from mountain to mountain. At the top of Monte Cassino stood a grand but old monastery, this was the grand prize for the 5th Army. It would be the key taking in order to finally snag Rome from the grips of the Nazis. To take the Gustav Line, the Allies would have to descend into the Rapido River valley, traverse two miles of open fields filled with landmines, mud, and knee-deep cold water, cross a swift-moving river, then climb past more mines and barbed wire and up the steep, rocky slopes, to the 1500-foot peak of Monte Cassino. From there they would have to ascend still higher to a four-story fortress, with 10-foot-thick stone walls. This was the St. Benedictine monastery. The battle had commenced in January and long struggle for the 100th would begin. It would be here where they would earn their nickname the "Purple Heart Battalion." Under the cover of night A and C companies passed their way through the river reaching the wall where the enemy was located and held their ground under intense fire into the next day. B company was not so lucky as A and C were for they were met with heavy machine gun fire as their cover by the smoke screen was blown away leaving only 14 of the original 187 men in B company to reach the wall.
"During the first daylight hours our battalion observation post started with 26 individuals including the artillery liaison team communication people and the intelligence section. By nightfall only four of us were left. Major Clough, our Battalion Commander, and myself (Captain Kim) in one location and Pfc Ginger Minami and Private Irving Akahoshi in another location, 20 yards away. Everyone else was either dead or wounded. Major Clough was ordered by Colonel Marshall, 133rd Regiment Commander, to commit "B" Company across the open flats at daybreak. Jim protested that this was a suicide mission. Lieutenant Colonel Moses, the 1st Battalion Commander, to our right, had orders to also commit his reserve company. He protested and said he would personally lead his company because he could not issue such an order without sharing their danger. However, if he survived, he would prefer court martial charges against Colonel Marshall.". Captain Young-Oak Kim
was a Korean American from Los Angeles who served in 100/442nd Regimental Combat Team from 1943 to 1944.
The three companies were immediately pulled back to San Micheli the next night. Following their pull from the front lines the 100th was ordered to take Castle Hill in which they did on 8 February. The hill was held for four days dealing with not only machine gun fire but tanks as well. The hill was a key location for it was close to the monastery but the 34th division's right and left flanks were unable to hold their positions because of heavy German resistance. The 100th was again ordered back.
The order came from high command to bomb the abbey in order to lighten the resistance. The bombing continued for three days and when it finally finished the second assault commenced. The bombing didn't lighten up a single bit as one platoon of the 100th was decimated as only five of forty soldiers survived. Badly beaten the 100th again was pulled back into reserve and replaced by British and Indian soldiers after nearly taking Cassino. It would be these replacements who would witness first hand of what the Nisei had been through and praised them for their efforts. War correspondents would end up calling these men "little men of iron" and the "purple heart battalion." This would be the last time Nisei of the 100th would see combat at Monte Cassino as they were taken back to San Michele to rest and reorganize. It would be here where replacements from the 442nd would come in to replenish the 100th's ranks.
The battle would eventually take the lives of over 50,000 allied soldiers and nearly 800 wounded and KIA of the 100th taking their numbers from 1300 strong 5 months prior to nearly 500. It wouldn't be until 17 May when Cassino would fall to the allies taking five divisions to bring it down. This would be the final campaign in which the 100th would fight with only its original soldiers because following the battle of Cassino the 100th began to receive replacements from the 442nd. It is argued that the reason there were such heavy losses was because of members of the U.S. War Department neglecting the Italian campaign by taking men and supplies away and putting it towards the coming invasion of Normandy. The battle was so horrific that it is compared to the Battle of Verdun
in World War I
and the Battle of Stalingrad
of World War II
. The battalion would eventually be awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) [later redesignated the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC)] for its actions on 26–27 June.
" and both sides didn't go on a large scale offensive. It was an interesting stalemate between the two as both sides only did battle at night. During the day soldiers would sleep. It would take the fall of Monte Cassino to finally end the stalemate that lasted until 17 May 1944. It was decided that on 23 May would be the "breakout day" for the allies as they would take to the offensive and drive the Germans north but there was a problem; there was no idea of kind of opposition they would face. During the stalemate at Anzio not a single prisoner was taken, that is until the 100th was ordered to do so. Lieutenant Young-Oak Kim
, a Korean American born in Los Angeles, California, and Nisei PFC Irving Akahoshi from the 100th volunteered to get the job done. After a two hour and quarter of a mile crawl, two Nazi soldiers would awake to the taste of metal in their mouth from the barrel of a gun and would eventually make the crawl back to the Allied lines. After gaining the information they needed, it was time to push forward to Rome. Stronghold after stronghold fell to the Allies and it would be the fall of Lanuvio, the final German stronghold, that would fall to the 100th Infantry Battalion.
"We had been sitting and living in foxholes at Anzio some 63 days. Then the big push out and the capture of Rome. They (100th Battalion) wiped out the last heavy German resistance we met some 12 miles south of Rome and then it was practically a walk into the city."
Rome was in the grasp of the 100th but instead of walking into Rome as heroes, they were ordered to stay at the roadside on 4, 10 June kilometers from Rome and would watch other troops march on by. They would never see Rome. Instead the 100th was taken 40 miles northwest of Rome to Civitavecchia and meet up with the battle-eager 442nd Regimental Combat Team
. On 11 June 1944 the 100th was attached to the newly arrived 442nd but because of their exemplary efforts during the war and the long and hard fought battles they were a part of were allowed to keep its original designation giving the newly formed all Nisei fighting unit the name 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team under the 34th Division. The 100th's story as a single unit may have ended but the 100th's story would still continue through the journey of the 442nd and the battles they would end up fighting.
, was conferred upon twenty-one members of the 100th Infantry battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of World War II. On 5 October 2010, the Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion, as well as the 6,000 Japanese Americans who served in the Military Intelligence Service
during the war.
Nisei
During the early years of World War II, Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated from their homes in the Pacific coast states because military leaders and public opinion combined to fan unproven fears of sabotage...
battalion was composed largely of former members of the Hawaii Army National Guard
Hawaii Army National Guard
The Hawaii Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
. Upon its activation the 100th saw heavy combat during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
before and after combining with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team
442nd Regimental Combat Team
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army, was composed of Japanese-American enlisted men and mostly Caucasian officers. They fought primarily in Europe during World War II, beginning in 1944. The families of many of its soldiers were subject to internment...
, another mostly Nisei military unit, into a single fighting combat team. The 100th exists today as the only remaining combat arms unit in the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
, the other units all being combat support
Combat support
In the United States Army, the term combat support refers to units that provide fire support and operational assistance to combat elements. Combat support units provide specialized support functions to combat units in the areas of chemical warfare, combat engineering, intelligence, security, and...
or combat service support
Combat service support
Combat service support is a subset of military logistics. Combat service support is more limited in depth than logistics, as it primarily addresses those factors directly influencing combat operations.-United States Army:...
. Based at Fort Shafter
Fort Shafter
Fort Shafter is in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, extending up the interfluve between Kalihi and Moanalua valleys, as well as onto the coastal plain at Māpunapuna. Fort Shafter is the headquarters of the United States Army Pacific Command, the MACOM of U.S. Army forces in...
, Honolulu, Hawaii, the 100th Battalion has reservists from Hawaii, American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, and has been activated and deployed to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. Historically, the unit is referred to as the "Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
Battalion", with the motto "Remember Pearl Harbor".
Prior to the 100th Battalion
On the morning 7 December 1941, the United States was attacked by the Empire of Japan starting off World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for the United States. After the attack, Japanese-Americans and those of Japanese ancestry would not only be fighting the enemy across the Pacific but also fighting prejudice as well. Chaos ensued in the hours that followed the attack on that dreadful day but those who were a part of the 298th and 299th Hawaii National Guard knew clearly what they had to do, prepare for an invasion guard the shores, clear the rubble, donate their blood, and aid the wounded. Although their patriotism to the United States was clearly defined as they prepared the beaches against a Japanese invasion, the color of their skin could not prevent the coming storm. Three days after the attack their rifles were stripped away from them because of the way they looked and thought to be spies or soldiers for Japan but the rifles were eventually returned them. Nearly the same situation can be seen with those that were a part of the ROTC program at the University of Hawaii were discharged from the Hawaii Territorial Guard because of the way they looked. Those former members would eventually make their own stand as they formed the Varsity Victory Volunteers
Varsity Victory Volunteers
The Varsity Victory Volunteers was a civilian sapper unit composed of Japanese-Americans from Hawaii. The VVV was a major stepping stone in the creation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which would end up becoming the most decorated regiment in United States armed forces history.-History:On...
.
The reason for such prejudice to even happen was because at 11:30 a.m. Martial Law was declared and the governor at the time, Joseph Poindexter
Joseph Poindexter
Joseph Boyd Poindexter was the eighth Territorial Governor of Hawai'i and served from 1934 to 1942.-Early life:...
, told President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
that his greatest fear was sabotage by the large Japanese community in Hawaii thus provoking: the FBI to round up Japanese sympathizers, Buddhist priests, language school principals and teachers, civic and business leaders, fisherman, instructors of judo and martial arts, the War Department to discharge all soldiers of Japanese ancestry, the rounding up of Japanese-Americans on the west coast and placed in internment camps, the deactivation of the Hawaii Territorial Guard, and the classification of Japanese-Americans as being 4-C enemy aliens.
Although it can be seen as General Delos Emmons, appointed military governor on 17 December, was all for placing Japanese-Americans in internment camps and having them be enemy aliens but in actuality he wanted to give them a chance to prove everyone wrong. After General Emmons granted the Varsity Victory Volunteers to form, a confidential memo was sent to the War Department in early April stating that there were 2,000 Japanese-American soldiers now serving and many more who wished to serve in order to demonstrate their loyalty to the United States and requests to organize them into a fighting force to be sent to Europe or Africa. The request was denied by the War Department.
Formation of the 100th Battalion
Nisei that were in the Hawaii National Guard continued their duties as normal but by June things had begun take turn that would give those of Japanese ancestry the chance to prove everyone wrong and to show their true loyalty to the United States. The Battle of MidwayBattle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
was well underway by 4 June 1942 but as this decisive battle was happening, 1,432 Nisei of the Hawaii National Guard had their weapons taken away and boarded onto the Matson liner SS Maui under the cover of night and shipped to the mainland without saying goodbye to their family or loved ones. Under the title "Hawaiian Provisional Infantry Battalion" the week long zig-zag journey finally took them to a port in Oakland where the 1,432 Nisei would finally be known as the 100th Infantry Battalion on 12 June 1942. The unit number was an indication of the Army's recently formulated plan for a modern organization for the Combat Arms. Under normal pre-war Army procedures, all Infantry battalions were organic to the Regiment they were a part of, and were known as, for instance, "1st Battalion, 5th Regiment." With the new system of organization, the Infantry Regiment was reorganized as a Headquarters with no Organic battalions, but with three Separate Battalions attached. The Headquarters was organized into three Combat Commands that could be dispatched on separate combat actions with units that were attached. One Infantry Battalion would be assigned to a Combat Command, with attachments from the higher headquarters reserve. The 100th was not attached to any other military organization but its own fighting unit and would come to be known as known as the "One-Puka-Puka" (Puka means "hole" in Hawaiian).
Camp McCoy and Camp Shelby
While in training at Camp McCoy, the Nisei soldiers knew there was prejudice in the air but were unaware of how deep it was in higher command. Some of the white officers and NCO's appointed to the 100th were schooled in psychology and were ordered to test their physical and military capabilities but most of all their loyalty. The military's attempt to snuff out loyalists to the Japanese Empire was a complete failure. The 100th dominated their training and took to heart everything they did. Competition was desired by every Nisei as they competed with other companies in marksmanship, baseball, softball, physical combat such as scuffles, boxing, and wrestling.
On one such occasion that happened to prove the loyalty and bravery of the new recruits, five Nisei soldiers received the Soldier's Medal for their heroism in rescuing several local civilians who almost drowned on a frozen Wisconsin lake.
Even though the Nisei were able to prove that they were just as an American as any other soldier, they were still scrutinized as being different, something less than human. One disturbing occasion proved that. About 25 of the Japanese American soldiers were sent to a secret training mission on a small island, Cat Island, near the mouth of the Mississippi River . Some top military officers thought that the “Jap” soldiers smelled differently, and that the Nisei soldiers would give off a similar scent. So for three months these 25 Nisei were ordered to train attack dogs to “smell Japs.” Of course the training didn’t work.
Training at Camp McCoy would last for six months until on 6 January 1943 the 100th Battalion was transferred to Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The 100th was attached to the 85th Division under Major General Wade Haislip and would receive even tougher training than they did at Camp McCoy. Upon arrival at Camp Shelby the 100th received the same amount of skepticism as they did at McCoy and were thought to not be able to pass the tasks at hand but 100th were able to prove them wrong as they passed the training exercises with flying colors gaining the respect of their superiors; even when fighting the weather, chiggers, ticks, dry land snakes, reptiles, and cotton-mouth water moccasins. It would be at Camp Shelby where 100th would receive its most intense and advanced training and then eventually sent to Camp Clairborne, Louisiana for field exercises and war games that would ready them for combat.
On return from Camp Clairborne, the 100th had finally met up with the newly formed 442nd Regimental Combat Team on 16 July and advised them of Army life and ways and on 20 July 1943 the 100th received its battalion colors and motto, "Remember Pearl Harbor," as requested by the unit.
Africa and Italy
After training at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, and Camp ShelbyCamp Shelby
Camp Shelby is a military post whose North Gate begins at the southern boundary of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on United States Highway 49. It is the largest state owned training site in the nation. During wartime, the camp's mission is to serve as a major, independent mobilization station of the...
, Mississippi, the battalion was ready to deploy, but was refused by General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
. General Mark Clark
Mark Wayne Clark
Mark Wayne Clark was an American general during World War II and the Korean War and was the youngest lieutenant general in the U.S. Army...
, commanding the Fifth Army, accepted the offer, and the 100th deployed from Shelby on 11 August by train to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and then to the Mediterranean on 20 August 1943.
The 100th arrived in Oran, North Africa on 2 September 1943 and became a part of the 133rd Regiment under the 34th Division and took part in training with Caucasian soldiers. Things began to look up for the 100th as they were finally getting the chance to prove themselves that they were just as American as any other white civilian or soldier. On 19 September the 34th Division sailed from Africa to southeast of Naples, with the 100th with them.
The unit entered combat on 29 September 1943, near Salerno in Southern Italy. The unit fought well as they advanced 15 miles in 24 hours for a week against strong enemy resistance and taking on casualties allowing them to gain their first major victory by taking Benevento, an important rail center and road intersection. The 100th even had to cross the twisting, wet, and muddy Volturno River three times taking on heavy German machine gun fire and rocket launchers before driving the German force even further north. But this would end up being a walk in the park compared to their next objective. The Nisei soldiers had gained respect from their fellow soldiers but also the enemy as well and in turn gained respect for the German fighting force. However, the deciding factor of who was the more superior fighting force and demanded the most respect would take place at the Gustav Line at Monte Cassino.
Monte Cassino
"When you read that a town was taken, or a certain hill was taken, remember that in the process of that accomplishment lives of fine fellows were lost, and also, that during this accomplishment for the participants, life was a horrifying massacre. You lose your buddies-fellows with whom you laughed, ate, slept, sweated. They grow to be more than mere buddies. They become blood relations to you and they die before your eyes-not a pleasant, natural death, but an unimaginable kind of mutilation mixed with groans and prayers ending with a gurgling last breath. Only five minutes ago you might have been laughing with that buddy of yours."This was the situation at the Gustav Line as the 100th received its most intense fight yet as they fought from mountain to mountain. At the top of Monte Cassino stood a grand but old monastery, this was the grand prize for the 5th Army. It would be the key taking in order to finally snag Rome from the grips of the Nazis. To take the Gustav Line, the Allies would have to descend into the Rapido River valley, traverse two miles of open fields filled with landmines, mud, and knee-deep cold water, cross a swift-moving river, then climb past more mines and barbed wire and up the steep, rocky slopes, to the 1500-foot peak of Monte Cassino. From there they would have to ascend still higher to a four-story fortress, with 10-foot-thick stone walls. This was the St. Benedictine monastery. The battle had commenced in January and long struggle for the 100th would begin. It would be here where they would earn their nickname the "Purple Heart Battalion." Under the cover of night A and C companies passed their way through the river reaching the wall where the enemy was located and held their ground under intense fire into the next day. B company was not so lucky as A and C were for they were met with heavy machine gun fire as their cover by the smoke screen was blown away leaving only 14 of the original 187 men in B company to reach the wall.
"During the first daylight hours our battalion observation post started with 26 individuals including the artillery liaison team communication people and the intelligence section. By nightfall only four of us were left. Major Clough, our Battalion Commander, and myself (Captain Kim) in one location and Pfc Ginger Minami and Private Irving Akahoshi in another location, 20 yards away. Everyone else was either dead or wounded. Major Clough was ordered by Colonel Marshall, 133rd Regiment Commander, to commit "B" Company across the open flats at daybreak. Jim protested that this was a suicide mission. Lieutenant Colonel Moses, the 1st Battalion Commander, to our right, had orders to also commit his reserve company. He protested and said he would personally lead his company because he could not issue such an order without sharing their danger. However, if he survived, he would prefer court martial charges against Colonel Marshall.". Captain Young-Oak Kim
Young-Oak Kim
Colonel Young-Oak Kim , a highly-decorated U.S. Army combat veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He was a member of the U.S. 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and a combat leader in Italy and France during World War II...
was a Korean American from Los Angeles who served in 100/442nd Regimental Combat Team from 1943 to 1944.
The three companies were immediately pulled back to San Micheli the next night. Following their pull from the front lines the 100th was ordered to take Castle Hill in which they did on 8 February. The hill was held for four days dealing with not only machine gun fire but tanks as well. The hill was a key location for it was close to the monastery but the 34th division's right and left flanks were unable to hold their positions because of heavy German resistance. The 100th was again ordered back.
The order came from high command to bomb the abbey in order to lighten the resistance. The bombing continued for three days and when it finally finished the second assault commenced. The bombing didn't lighten up a single bit as one platoon of the 100th was decimated as only five of forty soldiers survived. Badly beaten the 100th again was pulled back into reserve and replaced by British and Indian soldiers after nearly taking Cassino. It would be these replacements who would witness first hand of what the Nisei had been through and praised them for their efforts. War correspondents would end up calling these men "little men of iron" and the "purple heart battalion." This would be the last time Nisei of the 100th would see combat at Monte Cassino as they were taken back to San Michele to rest and reorganize. It would be here where replacements from the 442nd would come in to replenish the 100th's ranks.
The battle would eventually take the lives of over 50,000 allied soldiers and nearly 800 wounded and KIA of the 100th taking their numbers from 1300 strong 5 months prior to nearly 500. It wouldn't be until 17 May when Cassino would fall to the allies taking five divisions to bring it down. This would be the final campaign in which the 100th would fight with only its original soldiers because following the battle of Cassino the 100th began to receive replacements from the 442nd. It is argued that the reason there were such heavy losses was because of members of the U.S. War Department neglecting the Italian campaign by taking men and supplies away and putting it towards the coming invasion of Normandy. The battle was so horrific that it is compared to the Battle of Verdun
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The battalion would eventually be awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) [later redesignated the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC)] for its actions on 26–27 June.
Anzio, Rome, and the 442
Following Monte Cassino the 100th would indeed receive rest from its efforts in battle in would receive two waves of reinforcements from the 442nd but the rest would soon end as they would end up being deployed at the Anzio beachhead on 26 March 1944. The allies held a beachhead that spanned 15 miles inland going a few miles inland and was held strong for it was a stalemate between the Germans and the Allies. The battlefield at Anzio was very similar to battlefields in World War I as there was a large stretch of land between both opposing forces declared as "No Man's LandNo Man's Land
No man's land is an unoccupied area between two opposing positions.No Man's Land may also refer to:-Places:In the United Kingdom* No Man's Land, Cornwall, England* No Man's Land Fort, off the coast of England* Nomansland, Devon, England...
" and both sides didn't go on a large scale offensive. It was an interesting stalemate between the two as both sides only did battle at night. During the day soldiers would sleep. It would take the fall of Monte Cassino to finally end the stalemate that lasted until 17 May 1944. It was decided that on 23 May would be the "breakout day" for the allies as they would take to the offensive and drive the Germans north but there was a problem; there was no idea of kind of opposition they would face. During the stalemate at Anzio not a single prisoner was taken, that is until the 100th was ordered to do so. Lieutenant Young-Oak Kim
Young-Oak Kim
Colonel Young-Oak Kim , a highly-decorated U.S. Army combat veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He was a member of the U.S. 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and a combat leader in Italy and France during World War II...
, a Korean American born in Los Angeles, California, and Nisei PFC Irving Akahoshi from the 100th volunteered to get the job done. After a two hour and quarter of a mile crawl, two Nazi soldiers would awake to the taste of metal in their mouth from the barrel of a gun and would eventually make the crawl back to the Allied lines. After gaining the information they needed, it was time to push forward to Rome. Stronghold after stronghold fell to the Allies and it would be the fall of Lanuvio, the final German stronghold, that would fall to the 100th Infantry Battalion.
"We had been sitting and living in foxholes at Anzio some 63 days. Then the big push out and the capture of Rome. They (100th Battalion) wiped out the last heavy German resistance we met some 12 miles south of Rome and then it was practically a walk into the city."
Rome was in the grasp of the 100th but instead of walking into Rome as heroes, they were ordered to stay at the roadside on 4, 10 June kilometers from Rome and would watch other troops march on by. They would never see Rome. Instead the 100th was taken 40 miles northwest of Rome to Civitavecchia and meet up with the battle-eager 442nd Regimental Combat Team
442nd Regimental Combat Team
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army, was composed of Japanese-American enlisted men and mostly Caucasian officers. They fought primarily in Europe during World War II, beginning in 1944. The families of many of its soldiers were subject to internment...
. On 11 June 1944 the 100th was attached to the newly arrived 442nd but because of their exemplary efforts during the war and the long and hard fought battles they were a part of were allowed to keep its original designation giving the newly formed all Nisei fighting unit the name 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team under the 34th Division. The 100th's story as a single unit may have ended but the 100th's story would still continue through the journey of the 442nd and the battles they would end up fighting.
Recognition
The nation's highest award for combat valor, the Medal of HonorMedal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, was conferred upon twenty-one members of the 100th Infantry battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of World War II. On 5 October 2010, the Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion, as well as the 6,000 Japanese Americans who served in the Military Intelligence Service
Military Intelligence Service (United States)
The Military Intelligence Service was a World War II U.S. military unit consisting of two branches, the Japanese American Unit described here and the German-Austrian Unit based at Camp Ritchie, described partly in Ritchie Boys. The unit described here was primarily composed of Japanese-American...
during the war.
Lineage following World War II
- Inactivated 15 August 1946 at Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu, HawaiiHonolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
- Allotted 27 March 1947 to the Organized Reserves
- Activated 31 July 1947 with Headquarters at Fort DeRussyFort DeRussy (Hawaii)Fort DeRussy is a United States military reservation in the Waikiki area of Honolulu, Hawaii, under the jurisdiction of the United States Army. Unfenced and largely open to public traffic, the installation consists mainly of landscaped greenspace. The former Battery Randolph now houses the U.S...
, Hawaii - Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps;
- Organized Reserve Corps redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve
- Reorganized and redesignated 29 May 1959 as the 100th Battle Group, 442d Infantry
- Reorganized and redesignated 1 May 1964 as the 100th Battalion, 442d Infantry
- Ordered into active military service 13 May 1968 at Fort DeRussy, Hawaii;
- Released from active military service 12 December 1969 and reverted to reserve status
- Location of Headquarters changed 1 September 1994 to Fort Shafter, Hawaii
- Ordered into active military service 16 August 2004 at Fort ShafterFort ShafterFort Shafter is in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, extending up the interfluve between Kalihi and Moanalua valleys, as well as onto the coastal plain at Māpunapuna. Fort Shafter is the headquarters of the United States Army Pacific Command, the MACOM of U.S. Army forces in...
, Hawaii - Redesignated 1 October 2005 as the 100th Battalion, 442d Infantry Regiment
- Released from active military service 13 March 2006 and reverted to reserve status
Campaign participation credit
- World War II:
- NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
-FoggiaFoggiaFoggia is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known as the "granary of Italy".-History:...
; - AnzioAnzioAnzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
; - Rome-ArnoArnoThe Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber.- Source and route :The river originates on Mount Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a southward curve...
; - North Apennines;
- RhinelandRhinelandHistorically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
; - Po ValleyPo ValleyThe Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain is a major geographical feature of Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of 46,000 km² including its Venetic extension not actually related to the Po River basin; it runs from the Western Alps to the...
- Naples
- War on Terrorism:
- IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
- Iraq
Decorations
- Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for BELVEDERE
- Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for BIFFONTAINE
- Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for FRANCE AND ITALY
- Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for GOTHIC LINE
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for IRAQ 2005–2006
See also
- 442nd Regimental Combat Team442nd Regimental Combat TeamThe 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army, was composed of Japanese-American enlisted men and mostly Caucasian officers. They fought primarily in Europe during World War II, beginning in 1944. The families of many of its soldiers were subject to internment...
- Varsity Victory VolunteersVarsity Victory VolunteersThe Varsity Victory Volunteers was a civilian sapper unit composed of Japanese-Americans from Hawaii. The VVV was a major stepping stone in the creation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which would end up becoming the most decorated regiment in United States armed forces history.-History:On...
- Go For Broke!Go for Broke! (1951 film)Go for Broke! is a 1951 war film directed by Robert Pirosh, produced by Dore Schary and starred Van Johnson, several veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Henry Nakamura....
This film dramatizes the lives and wartime heroics of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team442nd Regimental Combat TeamThe 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army, was composed of Japanese-American enlisted men and mostly Caucasian officers. They fought primarily in Europe during World War II, beginning in 1944. The families of many of its soldiers were subject to internment...
and the 100th Infantry Battalion's Hawaiian troops. The film stars Van Johnson as a young officer, reluctant about his assignment to the 442nd. He comes to respect the Nisei troops, eventually contesting a transfer back to his original Texas unit. - Go For Broke MonumentGo For Broke MonumentThe Go For Broke Monument in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California commemorates Japanese Americans who served in the United States Army during World War II....
- Japanese American internmentJapanese American internmentJapanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
- ManzanarManzanarManzanar is most widely known as the site of one of ten camps where over 110,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II. Located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada in California's Owens Valley between the towns of Lone Pine to the south and Independence to the north, it is...
- Young-Oak KimYoung-Oak KimColonel Young-Oak Kim , a highly-decorated U.S. Army combat veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He was a member of the U.S. 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and a combat leader in Italy and France during World War II...
- Only the BraveOnly the BraveOnly the Brave is a 2006 independent film about the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated World War II fighting unit completely made up of Japanese Americans, which for its size and length service became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history...
(2006), an independent film directed by Lane NishikawaLane NishikawaLane Nishikawa is an American actor, filmmaker, playwright and performance artist. He is Sansei ; and his work often deals with Asian American history and identity issues. He is widely known for a series of one-man shows, including Life in the Fast Lane, I'm on a Mission From Buddha, Mifune and...
, which is a fictional account of the rescue of the Lost BattalionLost Battalion (World War II)"The Lost Battalion" refers to the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry , which was surrounded by German forces in the Vosges Mountains on 24 October 1944....
.
External links
- Official website of the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans organization
- World War II photographs of the 100th Infantry Battalion
- U.S. Army page on the activation the 100th Infantry Battalion
- The Go For Broke Educational Foundation's historical page on the 100th Infantry Battalion
- The "Home of Heroes" website about the 100th Infantry Battalion
- Brothers in Valor Monument at Fort DeRussy, Oahu, Hawaii