The greatest example of the dysfunctionality of
discrimination was seen in how Japanese-Americans were treated during the
Second World War. Earl Warren, Governor of California, sent the Japanese in California
to prison camps in deserted pockets of the Western US. At first the Hawaiians (Hawaii
was not yet a state) talked about putting Hawaiians of Japanese ancestry into
such camps.
Instead they allowed men of Japanese ancestry to form the
442nd regimental combat team (also called the 442 infantry Regiment).. These
men went to Europe with a force close to 4000 men. In battle after battle they
showed themselves to be the bravest group of American soldiers in history.
Because of the horrific battle conditions in which they
fought, the original 4000 had to be
replaced 2.5 times. The members of that unit eventually involved 14,000 men, who earned a total of
9486 purple hearts.
The unit had eight presidential citations (with five of them
earned in one month). This group, which was known as the Nisei Regiment, had
among them 21 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, our nation's highest
decoration.
Their bravery is hard to believe. I remember seeing Sen.
Daniel Inouye from Hawaii who only had
half an arm because of his service in this Regiment. As I watched the Watergate
hearings, I listened to how Nixon's men
tried to get support for their embattled chief. One of the conspirators said of
the pronunciation of Sen. Inouye name, "ain't no way" he would ever
be compromised.
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