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Congressional Gold Medal goes on national tour

Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) – Herbert Yanamura is an American, born and raised among the coffee farms of Hawaii’s Kona district. Yet the U.S. government branded him an “enemy alien” after the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor because he looked like the invaders.

So Yanamura volunteered to join the Army to prove his loyalty.



Irene Hirano Inouye said her late husband _ U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, who lost his right arm fighting with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Italy _ saw the tour as an important way to tell others what happened.

“For a lot of younger people, World War II is like ancient times,” Inouye said in a telephone interview. “We have to remember that there are a lot of younger people who just have not been exposed to the story.”

Congress last year awarded the medal collectively to men who served in three segregated units of mostly Japanese-Americans: the 100th Infantry Battalion _ nicknamed the Purple Heart Battalion because of the casualties it endured_ the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service. Besides these units, it was rare for Japanese-Americans to serve in other parts of the U.S. military.

The 442nd _ which absorbed the 100th Infantry during the war _ is the most highly decorated military unit in U.S. history for its size and length of service. Soldiers of the 442nd and 100th both fought in Europe.


Japanese-Americans were at first not allowed to serve, rendered ineligible for the draft because of their “enemy” status.




“I went home from school and talked to my father. He said, without any hesitation, `You must volunteer. You got to show your loyalty,'” Yanamura said.



He never spoke much of his actions until recently, modestly saying “we really didn’t do much.” And he at first doubted whether he should be honored by the same award given to George Washington and other American heroes.


“Despite all that, we still went ahead and performed outstandingly,” he said. “From that standpoint, I guess, we should be thankful that the recognition has been made, though a long time later.”


“A lot of those lessons are what the real meaning of an exhibition like this is,” she said.




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