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George Akiyama of
Hood
River
will be honored on Veterans Day for his service in the “Purple
Heart Battalion” of World War II. (See above story for details.)
Akiyama, who will turn 90 on Thursday, was a
staff sergeant in the 100th Infantry Battalion, which was formed
entirely of Nisei, or second-generation Americans of Japanese
ancestry.
The Nisei soldiers eventually became part of
the 442nd Regimental Combat Team that suffered the highest
number of casualties of any
U.S.
fighting unit in the war.
The 442nd was the most decorated unit for its
size and length of service in the history of the Army, receiving
9,000 Purple Hearts for injuries sustained in battle. The motto
of the 110th/442nd RCT was “Go For Broke”; a gambling term that
means to risk everything in one last effort to win big.
The 110th/442nd was credited by military
leaders with turning the tide of battle on the European front.
Akiyama, who was born and raised in the
Hood
River
Valley,
earned Silver and Bronze Star medals for his service, as well as
a sharpshooter commendation.
He joined the Army in 1941 at age 21 and
completed his basic training at
Camp
Roberts
in
California.
In 1942, Akiyama was transferred to
Arkansas
with other Japanese soldiers.
His family was interned in two separate camps
and Akiyama was only allowed to visit his father with guards
present. He later reported that his father received especially
harsh treatment because of his ties with the Japanese-American
social organization in
Hood
River.
Akiyama’s unit landed in
Naples,
Italy,
in 1943 and was on the front lines of combat against heavily
fortified German forces.
After leaving the military in 1945 and
returning home to the family orchard, Akiyama was faced with
acts of prejudice from some of his prior business contacts. For
example, he was threatened with a straight razor and refused
service by his longtime barber.
In 2001, he was selected as the grand marshal
of
Hood
River’s
annual Fourth of July parade. At that time, he stated the belief
that the 110th/442nd fought longer and harder than other
battalions because it was determined to prove its loyalty and
willingness to make sacrifices for the well-being and security
of the nation.
“Most of us had the same feeling — that we’d
prove that we were good citizens,” Akiyama said.
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