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In January 1943, the government announced that Japanese Americans, even the ones imprisoned, were allowed to volunteer for a racially separated U.S. Army unit. In the internment camps, Japanese over the age of 17 were given a loyalty test. Those who refused to take the loyalty test were sent to Tule Lake located in the North California Cascade Mountains. The Japanese were asked two questions:
Question #27: Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty, wherever ordered? (Women were asked if they were willing to volunteer for the Army Nurse Corps or the Women's Army Corps) Question #28: Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States of America and faithfully defend the United States from any and all attacks by foreign or domestic forces, and forswear any form of allegiance to the Japanese Emperor or any other foreign government, power, or organization? Some camps threatened the Japanese that if they did not answer the questions, they would be fined 10,000 dollars and 20 years of prison. There were 2,800 Nisei that were drafted from the relocation camps. The 100th Infantry, consisting of volunteers, was created because Japanese American citizens that lived in Hawaii wanted an opportunity to defend the United Sates during war. Members of the 100th called themselves the "one puka puka" which is Hawaiian for 100. The 100th Infantry fought in Italy, southern France, Belgium, and Germany. Once the 100th had fought their way to the Italian Peninsula, they were soon joined by the 442nd Regimental Combat Team that was a racially separated Nisei unit. |
The average Japanese American soldier was 5'4" and 125 pounds. Due to a petite figure, the smallest uniforms had to be ordered and even then they still had to be tailored to fit. In an effort to rescue 211 men from the Last Battalion, the 100th/442nd once suffered 800 casualties. By the end of the war, 67 of the 100th/442nd were missing and 680 were killed in war. Along with the Japanese who served on combat duty, there were 5,000 who became Military Intelligence Service language specialists. These Japanese Americans served as translators to other intelligence headquarters in Hawaii, Australia, India, and combat units. The language specialists often translated code names for the enemy naval, bases, and air units and captured communications call signs. Over all there were 25,000 Japanese Americans that served the U.S. Army during WWII.