NEW DIRECTIONS TO HONOR 442ND REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM Los Angeles, CA — One of the most decorated combat units in American military history will be honored during New Directions’ 11th Annual Veterans Day Golf Classic on November 6, 2006. The 100th Battalion / 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a volunteer force of Japanese Americans, participated in some of the most intense fighting of World War II. The soldiers of the 442nd liberated the town of Bruyeres, France and rescued members of the “Lost Battalion” (141st Infantry Regiment) which had been surrounded by Germans in the Vosges mountains of northern France. The rescue mission was one of the bloodiest battles in U.S. Army history. Although the U.S. military categorized Japanese Americans as “4C, non-draftable” after the attack on Pearl Harbor, many young men of Japanese ancestry wanted to join the armed forces and prove their loyalty to the United States. In fact, so many Nisei (second generation) Japanese Americans volunteered for service that a special unit was created for them -- the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. On the battlefield, the soldiers of the 100th/442nd showed tremendous bravery and heroism, while back home in the U.S. their families were placed in internment camps. Known as the “Go for Broke” regiment because of their willingness to take risks, the 442nd faced heavy combat and numerous casualties with great stoicism and resiliency. By the end of World War II, the soldiers of the 442nd would receive 21 Medals of Honor, eight Presidential Unit Citations and 9,486 Purple Hearts. According to Bob Longo, Chairman of New Directions’ Veterans Day Golf Classic, the men of the 442nd were not just brave and loyal soldiers, but model Americans. “These men possess the very essence of honor, duty and the ability to triumph over adversity,” says Longo. The Veterans Day Golf Classic will be held at MountainGate Country Club in West Los Angeles. A ceremony honoring the 442nd Regiment will take place during an awards dinner following the tournament. New Directions provides drug and alcohol detoxification, intensive substance abuse treatment, and job training for homeless veterans in the Los Angeles area. The non-profit agency is located on the grounds of the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. An estimated 27,000 homeless veterans reside in Los Angeles, comprising 33 percent of the area's homeless population.
|
| ‹ Press Archives |
