The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The 100th Battalion/442nd RCT - Feb. 9th, 2003

http://www.ohanamagazine.com/marapr2001/feature.html ^ | Ted T. Tsukiyama

[SAMWolf]

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

Where Duty, Honor and Country
are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

Our Mission:

The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.

We hope to provide an ongoing source of information about issues and problems that are specific to Veterans and resources that are available to Veterans and their families.

In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support.

To list previous Foxhole Threads
or
to add The Foxhole to your sidebar
Click on the Logo

Resource Links For Veterans

Click on the pix

A Salute to "The One Puka Puka"

Their Japanese ancestry caused them to be unwanted, feared, distrusted and even despised. An expected Japanese invasion of Hawai'i induced their hasty removal from their beloved island home. The Army didn't know what to do with them after 14 months of training, even after their dispatch to North Africa. They were the Army's "orphan outfit," playing "guinea pig" for Japanese Americans in military service. Finally, after assignment to the 34th Division they gained the opportunity to engage in combat as the first and only segregated, all-Japanese infantry unit - the men of the 100th known as "The One Puka Puka."

Soon they earned the reputation as the "Purple Heart Battalion" because it was the most decorated unit of its size and fighting time in battle in World War II. They not only proved that "Americanism is not a matter of race or ancestry" but also won for other Niseis (second generation Japanese) the right to fight for their country.

The true origins of the 100th must trace back to 1909 and 1920 when immigrant Japanese field workers staged a general strike for fair wages and decent working" conditions, which erupted into bitter racial hostility and, denigrated the entire Japanese population to be treated for the next 20 years as an economic, political, and national security threat to Hawaii. Statehood was denied because of its large Japanese population and the questionable loyalty of even the America-born Japanese youth.

On May 29,1942, as the Japanese Navy approached Midway, Chief of Staff Gen. George Marshall ordered that a provisional infantry battalion, consisting of all officers and soldiers of Japanese ancestry in the 298th and 299th Infantry. Both units were sent by water to central U.S. to train as an infantry combat unit.

Within five days, 1,432 Nisei soldiers transferred from the 298th and 299th into the "Hawaiian Provisional Infantry Battalion" and sailed from Honolulu on the SS Maui on June 5, 1942. The War Department activated them into the "100th Infantry Battalion (Separate)"; "separate" meaning not attached to a regiment or any other military unit, literally a military orphan outfit. In spite of such an inauspicious origin, 15 months later it was destined to become the famed and legendary 100th Battalion.

The 100th was sent to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, to train as an infantry unit. For the next six months they trained rigorously and so well that most men were crosstrained into use of other weapons and equipment. As reports of their superiors training record reached the War Department, the 100th became the subject of rigid and frequent inspections by army brass, "the most inspected unit in the Army". Men of the 100th endured all this with equanimity and intense unit pride, striving to become the finest in the U. S. Army, ever realizing that they "must do better than the average soldier because the eyes of America were on them".


Regimental Color Guard, 442nd RCT Bruyeres, France, 11/12/44

Seven more months of maneuvers at Camp Shelby, Louisiana followed. On August 21, 1943, the 100th sailed from Staten Island on the SS James Parker for North Africa.

On September 2, the 100th received notification it would be assigned to the 133rd Regiment, 34th Division, for a combat role! Morale uplifted, the men of the 100th received the news with cheers. On September 22, 1943, the 100th stormed ashore in an amphibious landing at the Salerno beachhead as part of the 34th "Red Bull" Division. Tough battles, especially at Cassino, marked the harsh and bitter route of the 100th from Salerno to Rome.

For the Cassino battles alone, the 100th suffered 48 killed, 144 wounded and 75 hospitalized for trench foot. The 100th landed at Salerno with over 1,300 personnel, but after Cassino only 521 remained. The "Guinea Pig Battalion" became the "Purple Heart Battalion."


100th Inf. Bn. moving up to the front on a dusty road in Velletria, Italy on May 26, 1944.

Generals who previously shunned this unit of Japanese Americans vied with each other for assignment of the 100th to their commands. Bill Mauldin, famous war correspondent, wrote, "no combat unit in the army could exceed them in loyalty, hard work, courage, and sacrifice." But beyond the widely acclaimed military prowess by numerous generals that fought to get the 100th assigned to them, men of the "One Puka Puka" convincingly proved their point. The July 31, 1944 issue of TIME magazine said:

"From a cautious experiment the Army had received an unexpectedly rich reward. A group of sinewy Oriental soldiers, only one generation removed from a nation that was fighting fanatically against the U.S., was fighting just as fanatically for it. Last week, the War Department wrote "proved" on the experiment. It added a unit citation (for "outstanding performance of duty in action") to the already remarkable collection of medals held by the Japanese-American 100th Battalion."

By war's end the 100th had compiled and contributed an incomparable record of 338 killed in action, 3 Presidential Unit Citation, 1 Congressional Medal of Honor, 24 Distinguished Service Cross, 147 Silver Star (for valor) and 2,173 Bronze Star (for meritorious service), 30 Division Commendation and 1,703 Purple Heart awards and citations.


PFC William Wada of Blanea, Colorado, being congratulated for the Bronze Star Medal by Brig. Gen. Innel. Wada was cited for outstanding and heroic achievement in action.

But the true significance, contribution and legacy left by the "One Puka Puka" is best summarized in this warm tribute and accolade of the 100th by Lyn Crost, wartime correspondent for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and staunch friend of the 100/442.

"The original 100th Infantry Battalion was the first Japanese American combat unit in the history of the United States. In fulfilling the trust given it, this unique battalion helped erase much of the nation's suspicion of Japanese Americans and cleared the way for thousands of them to join the 100/442 Regimental Combat Team."

But the record of that original 100th Infantry Battalion and what it means in the acceptance of Japanese Americans as loyal citizens of the United States must be remembered. The 100th proved that loyalty to the United States is not a matter of race or ancestry. That "guinea pig battalion" never failed. That is why, with deep indebtedness and undying gratitude, we salute the original "One Puka Puka!"

[SAMWolf]

Doing fine. It's 55 and clear blue skies. Almost like a summer day. I love Oregon.

[Pippin]

Hi gang!

I miss talking to y'all too!

May God Bless You all! :^)

[Pippin]

Hi, Spooky!

I'm doing okay!

Just have a little problem with my back.

How are things going with you?

Have you been over to the Canteen?

Something weird is going on there!

TomKow6 is getting sweet all of a sudden! LOL!

[SpookBrat]

I'm having problems with my back too. I'm getting tired of it. I hope you get to feeling better soon and it isn't anything serious. You need to be taking care of yourself. Is it cold up there? I am craving some She Crab Soup. Maybe I'll come up that way some time soon. I'm scrapbooking some pictures right now of Washington DC I took in 1995. I found a precious, precious picture of Ronald Reagan's oval office my dad took in 1984. My dad wrote on the back of the picture and it was neat to see his hand writing again. It's one of my favorite possessions.

[SassyMom]

Hey Spooky! It's great to see you. I'm sorry about your back, I hope you get to feeling better soon! I'm so glad that you found that special picture.

[SassyMom]

Hi Pippin! I hope your back gets better REAL soon!

[Pippin]

Hi, Sassy!

Thanks!

Haven't talked to you in a while, what've you been up to? How's kneezles?

[Victoria Delsoul]

Hi Pippin! Good to see you.

Hope you're having a great day.

[SassyMom]

kneezles is fine. We've been really busy, so we don't get to FR as much as we used to. Things are really good here. How are things with you?

I love the info that Sam comes up with for this thread. It makes me soooooo proud of all of our veterans.

[Pippin]

Funny you should mention crab soup! :^)

On ATRW the last two days Guennevere and I were discussing a restaurant near BWI that serves the bset crabcakes!

All meat and little bread filling!

If you come up this way we'll have to go and investigate this. The restuarant is called G&M restaurant and I think it is in Glen Burnie, Maryland. just west of BWI.

[Pippin]

I agree, Sam's really done a great job in putting up this thread with all the info and the history.

[Pippin]

I've been really busy too, I moved to a new apartment last December, then in January I had a training class to go to for my work. I'm still trying to get my apartment set up.

[Pippin]

Hi, Victoria!

I'm having a great day so far! :^)

I might be going to NYC on the 15th of February to freep with the DC Chapter.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Sounds exciting; don't forget to take pictures.

Gotta run. See you later, Pippin.

[fatima]

Here's a bump AntiJen.

[Pippin]

SEEYA!

[SAMWolf]

Liberation of Dachau by Japanese Americans
552nd Field Artillery Battalion 442nd RCT April 29th 1945


The war in Europe was coming to a close as the Allies raced across Germany to Berlin. Elements of the US 7th Army chased the remnants of the German army retreating into Germany. Among the fastest moving units was the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion a Nisei (Second generation Japanese American) unit that was originally attached to the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The 442nd won the most decorations for any American unit for its size during WW2. The unit would win 7 Presidential Citations (5 while rescuing the Lost Texas Battalion in France 1944), 20 Medals of Honor (America’s highest decoration for valor) and over 9000 Purple Hearts (decorations for wounds suffered in combat). The 522 had a reputation for having the fastest and most accurate fire in the US Army. They were hand picked by Gen. Eisenhower (Commander of Allied Forces in Europe) to help lead the attack into Germany.

The 522nd liberated several of the sub camps near Dachau and actually opened the main gate at the Dachau concentration camp. Some 5000 survivors of the Dachau concentration camp were liberated by elements of the 522 on April 29th 1945.

Dachau was established in 1933 as the Nazi regime rose to power. The infamous camp was in 12 years of existence with some 206,000 prisoners .Dachau had some 30 sub camps (smaller forced labor and/or POW camps) located near adjacent towns. It was the site of mass exterminations, executions, and death marches. Some 5000 inmates were liberated mostly Jewish, Russian, French, Polish civilians and Allied POW’s.



On April 29th 1945, Staff Sgt. George Oiye was member of a forward observer team (patrols to search for targets for artillery to shoot ) for artillery battery C leading the 7th Army racing into Germany. Elements of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion were spread out over a 30 mile radius. They had orders to destroy military targets in Munich and to demolish the headquarters of the dreaded SS. They also had warnings to be on the look out for top Nazis such as Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun (Hitler’s mistress). They chased the retreating German units,captured and disarmed them. According to 522 records they were the first Allied unit to reach Dachau.

Unintentional Liberators

"We weren't supposed to be there" said Oiye. Since they were spread out over such a wide area (30 KM) and Dachau was so big they simply ran into it. Japanese American soldiers shot the lock of the main gate of the outer perimeter fences. Then opened the barbed wire gates of the infamous crematorium the site were thousands of Jewish prisoners bodies were burned into ashes. The building had tall smoke stacks and large ovens with bodies smoldering still inside. Prisoners were often gassed or died of the harsh slave labor conditions at Dachau.

"A Hard Thing"

Oiye explained his reaction to visiting the infamous camp: He was mainly on the muddy roads out side the camp when it started to snow. "It was very cold and he saw the prisoners shivering. Some were in very bad shape,"emaciated, sick, diseased, bugs crawling on them and dying" He recalled the stripped suits they wore and some had no shoes. Oiye and his fellow soldiers gave the prisoners their extra gloves, bed rolls, and food. His reaction to the prisoners: "we were not prepared to deal with coming across a concentration camp." "We came across by accident and were not prepared. It was a hard thing" He remembered that he " felt bewildered, then angry and fearful. " Oiye explained the sense of guilt "that mankind had transgressed so far.... the worst case of sin I know of."

"War was one thing but that kind of treatment of mankind; thats is not normal" Oiye stated. Some of the 522nd soldiers found ladies handbags made of human skin. He could remember seeing "intricate" tattoos on these handbags. Gloves and lampshades were also found to made of human skin. Other soldiers reported that dozens of prisoners that were horribly tortured and murdered.



Ernie Hollenbeck was in his teens when he, his brothers, and father worked at Erlenbush a work camp in Nazi occupied Poland. His father was executed by Nazi guards when he cut his hand in a saw mill while cutting rail road ties. Nazi guards shot all laborers who could no longer work. Hollenbeck’s mother and sister were gassed at Auschwitz.

April 1945, a train carried Hollenbeck toward Dachau. They were forced to march 4 days on the road 70 miles to Dachau and anyone who dropped out of line was shot immediately by Nazi guards. "There were shootings left and right" Hollenbeck recalled. Many prisoners died along the way, " the Nazis often forced the wounded and sick to be buried alive". If prisoners did not assist in the burials they were shot. "The last couple of days were awful" said Hollenbeck.

Seeing Asian Soldiers

Some 6-7 miles from Dachau, Hollenbeck recalled seeing Asian looking soldiers in American uniforms racing along the roads toward Dachau. They did not stop along the roads but he meet them when he arrived at Dachau. There he was offered medicine, food and clothes.

Hollenbeck remembered that adults in the camp said not to take food from the Asian soldiers "it might be poisoned". He was scared at first and thought they might have been soldiers from Japan.

He remembered that the survivors were like zombies and when he was told that they were free he just could not comprehend it. Hollenbeck recalled that he did not know what the word "freedom" meant since he spend a large part of his life as a slave laborer. Later "we had to pinch ourselves to believe that we were free". said Hollenbeck. Hollenbeck stated that thousands of prisoners were killed each day at Dachau



Outside Dachau, Staff Sgt. Mamoru Araki of Battery C was busy manning his gun position when he first saw a number of prisoners coming toward them. He described them as being "run down, really in bad condition, haggard and dirty." They wore stripped clothing and were starving. He and some of his men passed over their extra C rations and cookies to the starving prisoners. Some of the prisoners were barely walking.
Araki noticed cattle that were "butchered up and nothing but bones"

He noted the puzzled looks the prisoners gave the Japanese American soldiers...

Right after the war had ended in Europe, Araki and other 522 soldiers were policing the area. He was given a tour of Dachau by one of the camps survivors. Araki was horrified when he found a "30 by 30 building that looked like a shower" "There was a peeping window where the Nazi’s could look inside" He was told that people were corralled into this gas chamber and then their bodies placed into large ovens to be cremated. There was also a "freezer chamber used to test on Jews"
Araki then "realized what a shame it was". He was horrified and remembers the foul odor the ovens gave. Some with bodies still inside. "How can anybody do that to a human being" said Araki

"How can the younger generations believe this happened? It must be so "hard to comprehend it"



The liberation of Dachau is fairly well known in the Japanese American community but largely unknown to outsiders. It is one of the biggest ironies of the Second World War. World War Two was idealized as a war of democracy over fascism yet it is so ironic that some of the liberators of these horrible death camps were people of color in American uniform...... Buchenwald was liberated by African American soldiers a few weeks before the liberation of Dachau.. April 11th, 1945 by the 761st Tank Battalion.

Japanese American soldiers serving in US Army liberated holocaust survivors from Nazi death camps at Dachau in 1945. They were the first soldiers to arrive at the main gates and helped chase the Nazis away thus saving thousands of lives. The holocaust survivors at Dachau were liberated by soldiers who were a not free people in their own country. Many of the Japanese American soldiers families and relatives were behind barbed wire in US style concentration camps.

Both Holocaust survivors I spoke to have concerns about the recent wave of hate crimes in the United States. Yanina Cywinska warned "do not allow this (Holocaust) to happen again" She encouraged people to speak out and "be very sensitive to cruelty." "Silence is worse than a bullet....silence is approving what is happening" around us.

Burt Takeuchi
Nihonmachi Outreach Committee

[PhilDragoo]

What a stirring story of the rise of the 100/442 and their gallant fight to save the Texans who never forgot.

I went steady in the seventh grade with Lily the daughter of a G.I. and his Japanese bride--only had to fight one guy over a remark, matters having progressed that much.

Motivated by fierce pride, the 100/442 taught the nation another lesson, a nation the better for all its lessons learned.

Those who forget the lesson of Munich are doomed to repeat it--but we'll let them do that on their own.

The Franco-German recipe for appeasement, that Chamberlain souffle of denial and wishful thinking, may get the da from a Pooty Poot flammable from vodka and Stalin, but is panned by Powell.

Time to destroy the VX in Iraq before al Qaeda brings it to CONUS.

Godspeed swift victory and safe return to the finest fighting force on earth,

And to its predecessors in the 100th Infantry Battalion, God Bless, and an honor guard of archangels.

SADDAM-FREE in '03

[sneakypete]

I can understand interning and deporting Foriegn Nationals but most were American Citizens and didn't deserve the treatment they received.

Like you,I understand and agree with keeping the Japanese Americans in Hawaii under close watch during WW-2,and I can even agree with rounding up Japanese immigrants and moving them into remote areas like they did. What I will NEVER approve of is using this as a excuse for people to steal their homes and their businesses.

BTW,there were also Germans and Italians who were American citizens interned during WW-2 also. This had NOTHING to do with racism. It was about nationality and loyalty,period. My example WAS racism,since strangers on the street attacked this man purely because he was Asian.

[SAMWolf]

Evening PhilDragoo. Love your commentary.