In May 1943, the 100th participated in training maneuvers in Louisiana.
The 442nd Infantry Regiment would go on to fight in Europe earning themselves the titles of the most decorated American units of World War II. The unit was known to its members as “One Puka Puka.” The word “puka” is Hawaiian for the term “hole,” referring to the zeros in the number.
Initially, the 100th was an “orphaned battalion,” meaning it was not assigned to any larger unit. It would eventually gain the unofficial nickname of the “Purple Heart Battalion” and - along with another Japanese-American combat unit, the 442nd Infantry Regiment - would go on to fight in Europe earning themselves the titles of the most decorated American units of World War II. Under the title “Hawaiian Provisional Infantry Battalion,” the week-long journey took them to a port in Oakland, Calif., where they were designated the 100th Infantry Battalion. Army transport USAT Maui under the cover of night without saying goodbye to their family or loved ones. Three days after the attack, members of the 298th and 299th Hawaii National Guard had their rifles stripped from them because of their ethnicity.Īnd yet, just a few months later, as the critical Battle of Midway was underway, 1,432 Nisei members of the Hawaii National Guard boarded the U.S. Three days after the attack, members of the 298th and 299th Hawaii National Guard had their rifles stripped from them because of their ethnicity.
While it was a “day that will live in infamy” for all Americans, Japanese-Americans and those of Japanese descent (known as “Nisei”) in particular faced prejudice at home. 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked the United States’ military base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, marking the beginning of World War II for the U.S. The following story kicks off our month-long focus on Asian American and Pacific Islander veterans. May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
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