'Go For Broke' Reservists mobilize with Hawaii National Guard

ARNEWS ^ | 08/03/04 | Joe Burlas and John Runyan

[SandRat]

'Go For Broke' Reservists mobilize with Hawaii National Guard

By Joe Burlas and John Runyan
August 3, 2004

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Aug. 3, 2004) -- One of the Army's most decorated units and the Army Reserve's only ground combat unit is prepping for mobilization and eventual deployment to Iraq.

The 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment, Army Reserve, will round out the Hawaii National Guard's 29th Infantry Brigade as it mobilizes Aug. 16 and moves to Fort Bliss, Texas, by the end of the month for deployment training, per Department of Defense mobilization orders signed July 16.

The Army Reserve primarily consists of combat service and combat service support units. Other than the 100th Inf. Bn., the only other combat unit in the Army Reserve is an attack aviation unit based in the New England area.

The 100th Inf. Bn. has units in Guam, American Samoa and Saipan.

The 29th Infantry Brigade, the largest unit in the Hawaii National Guard, is headquartered on Oahu.

The timing of the 100th Inf. Bn. mobilization order was fortunate as it was already scheduled for its annual training in Hawaii -- allowing "Go For Broke" Soldiers to undergo a Soldier Readiness check, said Howard Sugai, spokesman for the 9th Regional Readiness Command. Those checks include personnel, training and medical administrative reviews of individual records, to ensure each Soldier is prepared for deployment.

The 100th Inf. Bn. of the 442nd draws its lineage from World War II's 442nd Regimental Combat Team. It conducted combat operations in the European theater during the war.

The 100th was the first all-Japanese-American combat unit and was made up of mostly National Guardsmen from Hawaii. They were already fighting in Italy when the also mostly Japanese-American 442nd was formed. The 442nd joined the 100th in Italy in June of 1944 and by August, the 100th had become the first battalion of the 442nd.

Since their first action in World War II, Soldiers of the 442nd not only acquired the motto "Go for Broke," but also more than 18,000 individual decorations. Among the 18,000 are 33 Distinguished Service Crosses, 559 Silver Stars, 28 Oak Leaf Clusters to the Silver Star, 4,000 Bronze Stars and 1,200 Oak Leaf Clusters to the Bronze Star and nearly 9,500 Purple Hearts. The 442nd was also recognized with a Presidential Unit Citation eight times.

Until 2000, the achievements of 100th and 442nd only included one Medal of Honor. Former President Bill Clinton changed that in 2000 when he awarded 22 Medals of Honor to Asian-Pacific Army World War II veterans. The belated medals were given after the Army reviewed war records and found 22 Soldiers were awarded with the Distinguished Service Cross when they were actually deserving of a Medal of Honor. Nineteen of the 22 were Soldiers in the 100th and 442nd, giving the 442nd a total of 20 Medals of Honor.

"To fill the shoes of those veterans, takes some good Soldiers," said Tolani Teleso, civilian aide to the secretary of the Army for American Somoa, and a Korean War veteran. He said the current Soldiers of the 100th are also "gung ho" and ready to go.

The Army Reserve Soldiers of the 100th and National Guard Soldiers of the 29th Infantry Brigade have been training together for some time and look forward to deploying together "as a team," Teleso said.

"I believe our whole island community is supporting this," he added.

[SandRat]

"GO FOR BROKE"

[DUMBGRUNT]

The Purple Heart Battalion - The 100th Infantry Battalion

http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/nisei/index2_100th.html

All about the 100th.
You can now download and print all the pages from this series of stories in .pdf or WORD2000 format to obtain a FREE, beautiful, 84-page full color book by visiting our bookshelf.

[joesnuffy]

I had once had the honor of slogging the rice paddies and running ops off the boats...
with members of the Hawaiian Nat Guard troops attached to my unit...

They were natural born jungle fighters...and brave troopers....

They also didnt have the same tour we did...we were signed up for 12 months...they were in until their units got deactivated....

Very calm under fire

imo

[Tailback]

I've trained with some Hawaiian National Guard guys and they are top notch.

[TADSLOS]

Other than the 100th Inf. Bn., the only other combat unit in the Army Reserve is an attack aviation unit based in the New England area.

Incorrect. The Army Reserve has two AH-64 battalions, the 8-229th at Fort Knox, KY and 7-6 Cav in Conroe, TX.

I was an trainer-advisor to the 100th when I was with the 25th ID. Great soldiers.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Good news, bump, for the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment!

Thanks for the post and the ping, SandRat. (^:

[wizr]

I went through basic, at Fort Ord, with a Hawiian N.G. group. I had no idea of their past exploits.

May God bring them all back home safely.

Head 4/1 RAH!!!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[TruthNtegrity]

BTTT for my former home, Hawaii!

[blackie]

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[bruin66]

The timing of the 100th Inf. Bn. mobilization order was fortunate ,yet, suspicious...

[windchime]

Bump!