After the Japanese attack, AJA's (Americans with Japanese Ancestry) were summarily sent to detention camps on the mainland. There was a big problem though in Hawai'i, almost one third of the entire population was AJA, not to mention the 1,300, that were in the military itself. The solution was to form an AJA army unit and send them somewhere else. The original plan called for 1,500, eventually 9,000 volunteered, and finally 2,645 were sent to Europe's toughest battlefields. After a number of changes they got the name 442nd Infantry Regiment. Their combat record is unparalleled, their casualty rate was three times higher than average. So was their combat decoration rate. After their return, many decided, they wanted to be first rate citizens. They entered politics and made Hawai'i a more democratic, more equitable place.
CAT# 105/HS