The 442nd infantry regiment of the U.S. Army was made up almost entirely of Japanese Americans, even though many of their families were being held in detention centers stateside. By the end of the war, 14,000 men had served as part of the unit, which fought primarily in France, Italy, and Germany and was highly decorated. Though the regiment saw fierce combat and undertook risky missions, such as rescuing the “lost battalion” in the Vosges mountains, which cost them a third of their men. President Clinton awarded 20 belated medals of honor to members of the 442nd in 2000.
