“Go For Broke” was the motto of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, an Army unit comprised of Japanese Americans from Hawaii and the mainland United States. The motto was derived from a gambler’s slang used in Hawaii to “go for broke,” which meant that the player was risking it all in one effort to win big.
What was special about the 442nd?
Today, the 442nd is remembered as the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of the US military. The unit, totaling about 18,000 men, over 4,000 Purple Hearts, 4,000 Bronze Stars, 560 Silver Star Medals, 21 Medals of Honor, and seven Presidential Unit Citations.
Who did the 442nd fight?
The 442nd and the 141st Infantry Regiment were both part of the 36th (Texas) Division under the command of Major General John Dahlquist. They were fighting in eastern France, near the German border. The 442nd had just finished ten brutal days of fighting to liberate the French towns of Bruyères and Biffontaine.
Was the 442nd all Japanese?
The 442nd Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army. The regiment is best known as the most decorated in U. S. military history and as a fighting unit composed almost entirely of second-generation American soldiers of Japanese ancestry (Nisei) who fought in World War II.
How did the 442nd break through and win the Gothic Line?
In April 1945, in what was intended by the high command as a “diversionary attack,” the 442nd broke through the Gothic line in northern Italy. They pressed the attack aggressively, chasing the German forces out of the mountains and into the Po Valley in a total rout.
Was the 442nd successful?
For their valor the 442nd Regiment has been recognized as the most decorated unit in American history. They earned more than 18,000 awards, including 9,500 Purple Hearts, 5,200 Bronze Star Medals, 588 Silver Stars, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, 7 Distinguished Unit Citations, and one Congressional Medal of Honor.
Why was this battalion called the Purple Heart Battalion?
The unit was officially the 100th Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. It earned its nickname because of the many casualties (people killed and wounded) it suffered in combat. American soldiers wounded or killed in combat are recognized with a medal called the Purple Heart.
Where is Cher Ami today?
the Smithsonian Museum of American History
Today, Cher Ami is on display at the Smithsonian Museum of American History to preserve his memory. Since then, his story has lived on in the hearts and minds of Americans across the decades, and his bravery will never be forgotten.
