1, grade 4C.
19411On February 7th, the Japanese army attacked the American naval base in the Pacific Ocean, and the United States immediately declared war on Japan. Before that, the Japanese in the US military were just like ordinary ethnic minorities, and there was nothing special about them. However, after the Pearl Harbor incident broke out, the US military immediately expelled the Japanese from the army, and at the same time divided them into 4C groups.
What is 4C crowd? It roughly means "enemy nationals". 4C People were not allowed to join the army, and some of their property was confiscated. Therefore, it can be said that there were almost no Japanese in the US military during this period. In addition, after the Pearl Harbor incident, the Japanese were also bullied in the United States, and the slogan "Japanese devils" can be seen everywhere. This kind of insulting vocabulary is roughly the same as Chink and Negro.
2. concentration camps
At that time, Japanese-Americans were mostly concentrated on the west coast of the United States, such as California, Washington, Arizona and other places, and of course, Hawaii with the largest Japanese population. Because of the outbreak of the Pacific War, these places in the United States immediately became potential war zones. In order to prevent these Japanese from defecting after the Japanese invaded the United States, the United States established more than a dozen resettlement centers in Nevada and Arizona.
It is said to be a resettlement center, but it is actually a concentration camp. You're right, there were concentration camps in America during World War II. But compared with the concentration camps in Germany at that time, and later in the Soviet Union and North Korea, the conditions in the concentration camps in the United States were much better. There were Japanese-run shops and hospitals, and even schools and galleries appeared later.
But after all, it is a concentration camp, which is definitely much worse than the free life before. And nearly 70% of the Japanese in the concentration camp have American citizenship. The first generation of Japanese is ok. After all, they admit from the bottom of their hearts that Japan is their motherland, and it is understandable that their motherland should bear the consequences if it makes mistakes. The second generation of Japanese, influenced by the environment since childhood, mostly think of themselves as Americans from the bottom of their hearts (this is also very obvious in China and Koreans). Why do you treat them like this? Therefore, there have been various voices in Japanese concentration camps to join the US military.
By the way, the United States was still a country with serious racial discrimination. It should be said that racial discrimination was serious all over the world at that time. In fact, the full name of the Japanese concentration camp is "the overseas Chinese living in enemy countries". The knowledge of high school history tells us that there were three axis countries in World War II. How many Italians and Germans have been locked up? Answer: The Germans closed more than 10,000, the Italians closed more than 3,000, and the Japanese closed nearly 1.2 million. Germans and Americans are the two largest ethnic groups in the United States. If all Germans are arrested like the Japanese, I'm afraid there will be millions more. There are 3,000 Italians. I'm afraid there are more Italians in Brooklyn. Therefore, it is obvious that Americans deeply distrust and discriminate against the Japanese.
3. University Victory Volunteer Group &; 100 infantry battalion
The voice of the second generation of Japanese people demanding to join the army is getting louder and louder. Finally, America made a small hole in Hawaii. 1942, a group of Japanese youths from the University of Hawaii submitted a petition for joining the army to emmons, then the general of the US military stationed in Hawaii. Emmons agreed to their demands, but he still didn't trust the Japanese. He just put them into the corps of engineers-the University Victory Volunteer Group.
Why did this special case first appear in Hawaii? I believe that friends who know a little about human geography can definitely guess. Because Hawaii has a large Japanese population, accounting for nearly 30% of Hawaii's population. Hawaii is on the front line of Japan-US Pacific battlefield.
However, the United States has not opened its mind to the Japanese people in this regard. Not long after, US Pacific Army General emmons said that 1300 members of the Hawaiian National Guard were sent to Wisconsin for training. It is said that it is training, but it is actually afraid that when the Japanese attack Hawaii, they will turn back. This 1300 people were sent to the Italian battlefield after the training, and the number was-100 infantry regiment.
This is the first legion composed entirely of Japanese, and it is extremely brave in the Italian battlefield, of course, with heavy casualties. After reorganizing 1300 people, there were only less than 500 people left when Rome was captured.
4442nd Infantry Regiment
The outstanding performance of 100 infantry battalion and the constant call for Japanese to join the army in concentration camps, the United States began to distribute questionnaires in concentration camps in 1943. One of them roughly means: are you willing to give up your loyalty to the emperor, swear unconditional loyalty to the United States, and defend American territory and freedom to the death? Finally, the results of the questionnaire were similar to those expected in advance, and about 70% of Japanese chose to be willing. At this point, the United States began to lift the restrictions on Japanese participation in the US military. It can be said that since this time, a large number of Japanese-Americans have appeared in the US military.
Conscription is carried out simultaneously in the United States and Hawaii. Nearly 4,800 Japanese youths were drafted into the army, most of whom were incorporated into a new regiment, the 442nd Infantry Regiment, which is also one of the most famous American legions in China. 1944, the 100 infantry battalion with outstanding military achievements was merged into the 442nd infantry regiment, and the 442nd infantry regiment was reorganized with 3,800 men and sent to the European battlefield.
Although the fighting was tenacious, this detachment was nicknamed the groundhog camp because of racial discrimination and other reasons, and was discriminated against by other troops. When the Allied forces captured Rome, the first troops that arrived at the gates of Rome-100 Infantry Battalion-were ordered not to enter the city, and the American white troops took the lead.
5. Long live the charge
1944 10, an American army of nearly 300 people was surrounded by the Germans, and several rescues by the American army failed. At this time, the 442nd Corps received an order to rescue the trapped troops.
After marching day and night for three days in a row, the 442nd Legion finally arrived at the German front and started an epic rescue operation-Long live the charge. Thousands of Japanese soldiers shouted long live under the strong artillery fire of the German army and accused themselves of suicide in batches. Finally, more than 200 white soldiers were snatched back from the Germans. To this end, the 442 Corps paid a painful price of more than 800 people.
This war greatly promoted the position of the Japanese in the United States and won the trust of the United States in the Japanese. The 442nd Corps won more than 8000 awards in the war, and the number of awards per capita exceeded the 10 1 airborne division familiar to China people.
Gao said that the death rate of the 442nd Infantry Regiment was as high as 370%, which was questioned by many people. Let's do a simple calculation. The establishment of the 442 Infantry Regiment is 3,800, and the number of soldiers serving back and forth exceeds14,000, which is roughly 270%. The information found is 3 17%. Whether it is 3 17% or 370%, the mortality rate of 442 infantry regiment can rarely be compared with other troops. This is a respectable army.
Wikipedia introduced the battle of the 442nd Legion. 442nd Infantry Regiment (USA)
Finally, talk about a place that is easily misunderstood by everyone. Many people think that Japanese-American troops were in the European battlefield during World War II and did not participate in the Pacific War with their home country Japan. Actually, it is not.
Most Japanese-American troops were sent to the European battlefield, but some were also sent to the Pacific battlefield and the China-Burma-India battlefield to fight against their home country Japan. These Japanese soldiers belong to MIS Military Intelligence Bureau, and are responsible for deciphering and translating Japanese documents, interrogating and persuading Japanese soldiers in wartime. It is really these Japanese-American troops who have saved the lives of many Japanese soldiers.