What were the 100th and 442nd battalions, and how did they contribute to the American fighting effort in the European theater?
The 100th and 442nd were the all-Nisei battalions of World War II. Hawaiian Nisei comprised the 100th, and mainland Nisei volunteered or were drafted for the 442nd directly out of the concentration camps. Both battalions were sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, for basic training. The 100th received orders to sail for Europe a few months before the 442nd, and, having proved its mettle in heavy action on Italian battlefields, later joined the 442nd as its first battalion. The Nisei fighters were key players in the Allied forces’ victories in Rome, the advance through Italy, and the liberation of large portions of French territory. In its most celebrated action, the 442nd suffered 800 casualties in the rescue of the 211-man “Lost Battalion,” which was trapped behind enemy lines. Members of the 442nd were also present at and assisted in the liberation of the Dachau death camp. The 442nd sustained more casualties and was awarded more decorations than any unit of its size in American military
