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Go For Broke: The Nisei Warriors of World War II Who Conquered Germany, Japan, and American Bigotry

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In 1941 more than 5,000 Japanese-Americans were serving in the United States military. Pearl Harbor changed all that. In the hysteria and paranoia that followed the attack, young Nisei (second generation Japanese Americans) were summarily discharged from the service. Even as young men of other races swamped military recruiting offices to volunteer their services in defense of their beloved country, young Japanese were quickly classified as 4-F (unfit for military service) or 4-C (enemy aliens). Despite the fact that these young Nisei were born in America, held U.S. Citizenship, and pledged their allegiance to the Stars and Stripes, their desire to serve was quickly ignored. The first battle the "Purple Heart Battalion" faced was not on foreign shores against an armed enemy. It was a battle at home against fear, prejudice and often outright hatred--a battle to gain the RIGHT to fight.

Fight they did. They fought with a tenacity and ferocity that became legendary to the German Vermacht. They helped conquer Monte Cassino, and were pivotal in the liberation of Rome. But just when they were about to enter Rome as victors, an all-white unit took their place, and basked in the glory. Dejected and beaten, they continued to fight on.

When General John Dahlquist took command in France, his callous disregard for the Japanese-Americans almost pushed them to their limits. Still, after rescuing the "Lost Battalion," they fought with little or no rest, and were expected to continue fighting, well beyond what any other unit was asked to do.

In all, they earned an unprecedented 21 Medals of Honor (20 awarded on June 1, 2000), 52 Distinguished Service Crosses (including 19 Distinguished Service Crosses which were upgraded to Medals of Honor in June 2000), 559 Silver Stars with 28 Oak Leaf Clusters (in lieu of second Silver Star, One Silver Star was upgraded to a Medal of Honor in June 2000), 8 Presidential Unit Citations. 1 Distinguished Service Medal
22 Legion of Merit Medals, 15 Soldier's Medals, 4,000 Bronze Stars with 1,200 Oak Leaf Clusters (in lieu of second Bronze Star), 9,486 Purple Hearts, 12 French Croix de Guerre with 2 Palms (in lieu of a second award), 2 Italian Crosses for Military Valor, 2 Italian Medals for Military Valor.

This book describes the heroism and sacrifice of the Nisei. This is the first book to no only describe the individual heroism, but it also includes the official citations of all those who were decorated with the Medal of Honor, AND Distinguished Service Cross.

It's a great read, highly entertaining and I learned a great deal that I had never known. It's an unvarnished look at how a bigoted America changed into one that was more tolerant and accepting. It will also leave you with a tremendous sense of pride in how America can change, grow, and learn from its mistakes.

This is a gripping narrative of the patriotism and valor of Japanese Americans who served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Even though they faced discrimination at home, they strived to demonstrate to America and the world that they were just as loyal as any other Americans. In fact, many soldiers in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team actually volunteered for the Army from behind the barbed wire fences of the "relocation" centers in which they and their families were imprisoned. The 442nd became what Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall called "the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in history." This book is particularly poignant because rather than just being a statistical documentary, it is built around the stories of individual heroics. Also valuable and moving is the fact that it includes the award citations for all of the soldiers who were awarded the Medal of Honor and the Army's second highest award for combat heroism, the Distinguished Service Cross. I am proud to let everyone know that my uncle, Ted Ikari, served as a member of the 442nd.

This is a well written book giving details about this decorated battalion. Knowing what they did was incredible but how they did it goes beyond words. They left ridiculed and returned as HEROES. I have a deeper appreciation for their dedication and all those who serve now.

There are not a lot of sources on the Nisei that are easily available and for that reason alone i say buy this book. It focuses on the combat deeds of the unit which...when you read it is staggering , the courage of these men cannot be denied, but it doesn't really delve into the prejudice they suffered extensively, what it does cover is rather shocking however if not extensive. The book is thin but too me it was worth the price.

I bought this book as a gift, so did not get to read it. I did thumb through the pages, and noticed a considerable amount of the book was the award citations for individuals that served in the units covered. Unless you are really looking for that information, it seems to be more padding than real content to me.