The #442nd Regiment Combat Team
Written by Angela E. Chamblee
When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor at the start of America’s introduction to World War II, young Japanese-Americans went to draft boards to volunteer to fight to protect the U.S. Many other people from all over the United States did the same. However, Japanese-Americans were said to be unfit to serve. People looked at Japanese - Americans with fear and suspicion,and they were rejected. Then about six months later Japanese-Americans were herded up and moved to internment camps. Their money,businesses, and properties were taken by the government and sold for little to no money and never returned. Somebody cashed in big time.
The government realized about a year later that there was a man shortage, so they opened the doors and decided to let youngJapanese- Americans join the army and fight for the U.S., only not on Japan soil but in Europe,and in segregated combat units. The Japanese-Americans had two units. One was called the #442nd Regiment Combat Team Unit. It was comprised of Japanese Americans, who had mostly come from Hawaii. The 100th unit came mostly from the mainland of the U.S.
The 442nd Regiment Combat Team unit was the most decorated unit of World War II, and in the entire military history of the U.S. for its size, approximately 18,000 soldiers, and length of service, two years. It’s most famous battle was the battle of the Gothic Line, near the northern border of Italy. German soldiers controlled the Gothic Line.
The Germans had dug and hidden land mines all over the place. They had dug deep skinny long holes that captured tanks and got them stuck so they could not move. Allied forces had bombed the Gothic Line for six months non stop, but to no avail. There was a stalemate. The Gothic line could not be broken.
Then the 442nd Regiment Combat Team unit was called in, and the men came up with a brilliant, but very dangerous plan. All sides of the mountain at the gothic line were massively protected, except for the backside which was a steep Cliff, more than 1,000 feet high. The Germans never dreamed anyone would try to climb it. On a moonless night the men began to climb, but could not see well, where to catch a handhold. Some lost their footing, but they had been told that if they lost their footing and fell, not to make a sound, so as to alert the Germans. None of the men who fell made a sound as they fell to their death. One would have thought that someone would have screamed, but no one made a sound.
About 3,200 men started climbing the cliff. About 20 men died. 103 were wounded during the battle of the Gothic Line. However, enough men made it to the top of the mountain. The men waited silently until dawn, when they attacked. It took them 8 hours to climb the cliff, and just 32 minutes to capture control of the mountain the soldiers were supposed to capture at the Gothic line,Mount Folgarita.
