Today represents the 75th anniversary of a dark chapter in American history; on this day in 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which lead to the internment of over one hundred thousand Japanese-Americans and their families. These internments were supposed to protect the public from what was later proven to be the non-existent threat of Japanese spies on the West Coast. Instead of protecting Americans, it stripped civil liberties and due process away from American citizens who had only wanted the best for themselves and their families. In addition to this treatment, Japanese-American men were barred from the draft because they were seen as disloyal, where German- and Italian-Americans, who were also affected by EO 9066, were allowed to be drafted and enlisted.
As if in response to this, members of the Hawaiian National Guard and mainland volunteers excelled enough in training to be designated the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Over the course of World War Two, the 442nd became the most decorated unit for its size in the history of American warfare; with 14,000 members serving in the war, the 442nd earned 9,486 Purple Hearts, eight Presidential Unit Citations, and 21 Medals of Honor to name some decorations. In defiance to their perceived disloyalty, the 442nd embodied the spirit of America through selfless service, effective action, and dedication.
One member of the 44nd during World War Two, and one of their Medal of Honor recipients, was Senator Daniel Inouye. Sen. Inouye was born in Honolulu in 1924 to Japanese immigrants, making him a Nisei, or second generation immigrant. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, he served as a medical volunteer, and in 1943 left the University of Hawaii to join the 442nd RCT. A year later, he had been promoted to Sergeant and was serving as a platoon sergeant in the Rome-Arno Campaign; a year and more promotions after this, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during an assault on German positions in San Terenzo near Tuscany.
His Medal of Honor Citation reads as follows:
“Second Lieutenant Daniel K. Inouye distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 21 April 1945, in the vicinity of San Terenzo, Italy. While attacking a defended ridge guarding an important road junction, Second Lieutenant Inouye skillfully directed his platoon through a hail of automatic weapon and small arms fire, in a swift enveloping movement that resulted in the capture of an artillery and mortar post and brought his men to within 40 yards of the hostile force. Emplaced in bunkers and rock formations, the enemy halted the advance with crossfire from three machine guns. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. Although wounded by a sniper’s bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite the intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions. In the attack, 25 enemy soldiers were killed and eight others captured. By his gallant, aggressive tactics and by his indomitable leadership, Second Lieutenant Inouye enabled his platoon to advance through formidable resistance, and was instrumental in the capture of the ridge. Second Lieutenant Inouye’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.”
Notice, the pre-med college student who had left school to fight for a country that thought he was “a disloyal Jap bastard”, literally had his arm blown apart by Nazis to defend said country. Missing one arm, he had to abandon his dreams of being a surgeon and instead going into politics. He served as a member of Hawaii’s Territorial House of Representatives and the Territorial Senate before Hawaii achieved statehood. From there, he served in the US House of Representatives until being elected to the Senate in 1962 and served until his death in 2012, while he was serving as President Pro Tempore.
The next person in this article is Hiroshi Miyamura from Gallup, New Mexico. Born in 1925 as a Nisei, he joined the 100th Infantry Battalion, administered under the 442nd RCT, in January of 1945. He was discharged shortly after Japan’s surrender, and enlisted in the National Guard, where he stayed until his unit was called to action during the Korean War. In 1953, Corporal Miyamura added his name to the list of Medal of Honor recipients when he single-handedly defended his retreating platoon with machine gun fire until being forced from his position and later captured by North Korean soldiers.
His Medal of Honor Citation read as follows:
“Cpl. Miyamura, a member of Company H, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. On the night of 24 April, Company H was occupying a defensive position when the enemy fanatically attacked threatening to overrun the position. Cpl. Miyamura, a machinegun squad leader, aware of the imminent danger to his men unhesitatingly jumped from his shelter wielding his bayonet in close hand-to-hand combat killing approximately 10 of the enemy. Returning to his position, he administered first aid to the wounded and directed their evacuation. As another savage assault hit the line, he manned his machinegun and delivered withering fire until his ammunition was expended. He ordered the squad to withdraw while he stayed behind to render the gun inoperative. He then bayoneted his way through infiltrated enemy soldiers to a second gun emplacement and assisted in its operation. When the intensity of the attack necessitated the withdrawal of the company Cpl. Miyamura ordered his men to fall back while he remained to cover their movement. He killed more than 50 of the enemy before his ammunition was depleted and he was severely wounded. He maintained his magnificent stand despite his painful wounds, continuing to repel the attack until his position was overrun. When last seen he was fighting ferociously against an overwhelming number of enemy soldiers. Cpl. Miyamura's indomitable heroism and consummate devotion to duty reflect the utmost glory on himself and uphold the illustrious traditions on the military service.”
Cpl. Miyamura was held as a prisoner-of-war for more than two years while his medal was classified as Top Secret to prevent any harm from being done to him in captivity. After being released, his Medal of Honor was presented to him by President Eisenhower in October 1953, and he was honorably discharged shortly thereafter. Currently, Mr. Miyamura lives still lives in Gallup with his wife Terry, whose family had been in the internment camps created under EO 9066. He remains an active member of the Wounded Warrior Project and is a Lifetime Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1.
Today, these men would be facing tough circumstances if they had to go through their situations again. These were sons of immigrants who had family members interred by the government over suspicions of disloyalty, facing racist comments about their appearance even after their service to this country. The story of America is not completely white, it’s black, Hispanic, Asian, Latin, Arab, African, European, and it’s made of men and women who want to create the best lives for themselves and their families. For my next few articles, American Heroes, I will try to chronicle parts of this history, focusing on the men and women who don’t typically get mentioned in a history book, but have fought and worked to make this country what it is, and what it should become.
