New Documentary Pays Tribute to "The Fighting 442" (KTLA.com) |
They hold the distinction of being "the most decorated unit of its size & time-of-battle in U.S. military history."
And now a new documentary about 'The Fighting 442' traces a history of unparalleled courage.
"I turned him over, and the blood just pulsed out in a stream," recalls American veteran George Sakato.
He and other brave American veterans are reliving moments in time seared into their memories, from the battlefield more than 65 years ago.
"I lost him," Sakato remembers, choking back tears at the recollection of watching a buddy die on the battlefield. "I went mad, I cried. 'You son of a bitch!' "
When the Japanese bombed Hawaii's Pearl Harbor in 1941, drawing America into World War II, countless Japanese Americans were viewed as 'the enemy' and forced into internment camps.
But one courageous group of Japanese Americans chose to fight for their country, as the '442nd Regimental Combat Team.'
They were on the front lines for the U.S. against Germany, in Italy and France.
"All of a sudden a German popped up, and shot at me," 442 veteran Lawson Sakai recalls.
"Somehow, he was close, 6-7 feet, from me to you. And he missed. I shot him, then I grabbed him by the neck. He was just a kid."
Now the new documentary titled "442: Live with Honor, Die with Dignity" tells the remarkable story of the men of the 442. Many of these veterans -- now in their 80's and 90's -- had never told their stories before.
"I got hit in the foxhole," 442 vet George Kanatani recalls. "I was covering myself, and I was hit in the back. The shrapnel was too close to the spine, so they didn't take it out. It's still there I think."
The brave history of the Japanese American soldiers is well-documented at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown L.A. And many visitors who come to the museum ask the question: given the way they were treated, why did they serve?
"I believe it was to show they were truly American," explains Ann Haneda, producer of the new documentary. "To show their loyalty to America."
That demonstration of loyalty took a heavy toll. In intense fighting in Europe over ten months, more than 700 of the 442's soldiers were killed in action. Those in the 442 who survived were honored by President Truman in 1946. And last year the surviving vets were honored in France, for having helped liberate the country from the Germans, 65 years earlier.
For their valor, members of the 442 were among the most heavily decorated in U.S. military history. But the unit's survivors say the real honor goes to those who paid the ultimate price.
"I wear my medal," George Sakato explains, with a tear in his eye, "for those who didn't come home."
"442: live with honor, die with dignity" begins its southern California screenings this Sunday, July 25th, at the Aratani Japan America theatre in downtown L.A.
And now a new documentary about 'The Fighting 442' traces a history of unparalleled courage.
"I turned him over, and the blood just pulsed out in a stream," recalls American veteran George Sakato.
He and other brave American veterans are reliving moments in time seared into their memories, from the battlefield more than 65 years ago.
"I lost him," Sakato remembers, choking back tears at the recollection of watching a buddy die on the battlefield. "I went mad, I cried. 'You son of a bitch!' "
When the Japanese bombed Hawaii's Pearl Harbor in 1941, drawing America into World War II, countless Japanese Americans were viewed as 'the enemy' and forced into internment camps.
But one courageous group of Japanese Americans chose to fight for their country, as the '442nd Regimental Combat Team.'
They were on the front lines for the U.S. against Germany, in Italy and France.
"All of a sudden a German popped up, and shot at me," 442 veteran Lawson Sakai recalls.
"Somehow, he was close, 6-7 feet, from me to you. And he missed. I shot him, then I grabbed him by the neck. He was just a kid."
Now the new documentary titled "442: Live with Honor, Die with Dignity" tells the remarkable story of the men of the 442. Many of these veterans -- now in their 80's and 90's -- had never told their stories before.
"I got hit in the foxhole," 442 vet George Kanatani recalls. "I was covering myself, and I was hit in the back. The shrapnel was too close to the spine, so they didn't take it out. It's still there I think."
The brave history of the Japanese American soldiers is well-documented at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown L.A. And many visitors who come to the museum ask the question: given the way they were treated, why did they serve?
"I believe it was to show they were truly American," explains Ann Haneda, producer of the new documentary. "To show their loyalty to America."
That demonstration of loyalty took a heavy toll. In intense fighting in Europe over ten months, more than 700 of the 442's soldiers were killed in action. Those in the 442 who survived were honored by President Truman in 1946. And last year the surviving vets were honored in France, for having helped liberate the country from the Germans, 65 years earlier.
For their valor, members of the 442 were among the most heavily decorated in U.S. military history. But the unit's survivors say the real honor goes to those who paid the ultimate price.
"I wear my medal," George Sakato explains, with a tear in his eye, "for those who didn't come home."
"442: live with honor, die with dignity" begins its southern California screenings this Sunday, July 25th, at the Aratani Japan America theatre in downtown L.A.
