442nd Regimental Combat Team

442nd Regimental Combat Team in France in late 1944

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was a World War II U.S. Army regiment composed almost entirely of second-generation Japanese Americans, known as Nisei. It was the most decorated unit relative to size and service length in U.S. military history.

Formation

The predecessor of the 442nd was the 100th Infantry Battalion, formed in June 1942 predominantly of Japanese Americans serving in the Hawaii National Guard. Its stellar record paved the way for the formation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in early 1943. The 442nd was predominantly composed of additional Nisei from Hawaii as well as from internment camps on the mainland. After training, the 100th arrived in Italy in September 1943, and the 442nd arrived in May 1944.

Composition

In the summer of 1944, the 100th Infantry Battalion was added to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The 442nd then included three infantry battalions (the 100th, 2nd, and 3rd) and the 552nd Field Artillery Battalion. It also included the 232nd Engineer Company, an anti-tank company, cannon company, medical detachment, communications platoon, and intelligence and reconnaissance platoon.

Campaigns

With a motto of “Go for Broke” (meaning to risk it all), the men of the 442nd and 100th were known for their bravery and skill. They fought in many European campaigns–particularly in Italy and France–including the Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, North Apennines, Rhineland, and Po Valley campaigns.

 Awards & Medals

The group was highly decorated, and members received more than 18,000 awards, including numerous Distinguished Service Crosses, Silver Stars, Bronze Stars, and Purple Hearts, as well as several Presidential Unit Citations. Twenty-one of the men eventually received the Medal of Honor.

Learn more about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team through historical newspapers from our archives. Explore newspaper articles, headlines, images, and other primary sources below.

Articles and Clippings about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team

100th Infantry Battalion is sent to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, for training 28 Jun 1942, Sun The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.comNewspaper page with articles about the 100th Infantry Battalion during their training at Camp McCoy 08 Nov 1942, Sun The La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, Wisconsin) Newspapers.com1st installment in a series of articles about 442nd Regimental Combat Team's time at Camp Shelby 23 Aug 1943, Mon Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.comPhoto of members of the 100th Infantry Battalion prior to their departure to fight in Italy 13 Nov 1943, Sat Muncie Evening Press (Muncie, Indiana) Newspapers.comU.S. government changes draft status of Americans of Japanese descent 21 Jan 1944, Fri The Des Moines Register (Des Moines, Iowa) Newspapers.comSoldier of 100th gives firsthand account of "daring mission [...] behind the German lines at Anzio" 17 Jul 1944, Mon Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.comSon of family at Tule Lake internment camp is killed in action while serving with the 442nd 28 Jul 1944, Fri The Dunsmuir News (Dunsmuir, California) Newspapers.comExcerpt from article with overview of battle record of 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd RCT 28 Jul 1944, Fri The Burlington Free Press (Burlington, Vermont) Newspapers.comPhoto of soldiers drafted from internment camps in Western U.S. en route to an Army training camp 06 Aug 1944, Sun Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas) Newspapers.comReprinted interview with a soldier in the 100th Infantry Battalion about his time fighting in Italy 06 Aug 1944, Sun The La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, Wisconsin) Newspapers.comOverview of service and medals of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Combat Team 12 Aug 1944, Sat The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.comPhoto of General Mark Clark pinning citation streamers on soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion 15 Aug 1944, Tue The Daily Tribune (Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin) Newspapers.comNewspaper photos of soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion home in Hawaii on furlough 01 Sep 1944, Fri The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.comSoldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team "on Italian front make records of personal heroism" 25 Oct 1944, Wed The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.comDescription of 442nd Regimental Combat Team's "Go For Broke" motto and fighting in France 05 Jan 1945, Fri The Times (Munster, Indiana) Newspapers.com522nd Field Artillery "commended for 'superior performance' during the crossing of the Rhine" 21 Apr 1945, Sat Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.comSoldier of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team discusses the rescue of the "Lost Battalion" in France 20 May 1945, Sun The Des Moines Register (Des Moines, Iowa) Newspapers.comEuropean theater casualty numbers for 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team 20 Jun 1945, Wed Hanford Morning Journal (Hanford, California) Newspapers.comLetter to the editor condemns violence in U.S. toward civilians and servicemen of Japanese descent 31 Jul 1945, Tue The Courier-News (Bridgewater, New Jersey) Newspapers.comMitsuyoshi Fukuda becomes "first American of Japanese ancestry to command an infantry battalion" 22 Aug 1945, Wed Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.com1,500 Hawaii residents attend memorial service for fallen soldiers of the 100th and 442nd 10 Dec 1945, Mon The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.comPosthumous Medal of Honor presented to mother of Sadao Munemori (of the 100th) in 1946 14 Mar 1946, Thu The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.comFirst installment in a series highlighting the wartime service of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team 02 Jul 1946, Tue The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.comMedals of Honor are awarded to 19 Japanese American veterans in June 2000 18 Jun 2000, Sun Hartford Courant (Hartford, Connecticut) Newspapers.com