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"The Lost Battalion" refers to the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry ( 36th Infantry Division, originally
Texas National Guard The Texas Military Forces (TXMF) are the principal instrument through which the Texas Military Department (TMD) executes security policy for Texas, which has the second-largest population and border in the United States, and the 9th-largest eco ...
), which was surrounded by German forces in the
Vosges Mountains The Vosges ( , ; german: Vogesen ; Franconian and gsw, Vogese) are a range of low mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a singl ...
on 24 October 1944.


Battle

Against the advice of his senior officers, Maj. General John E. Dahlquist committed the "Texas Battalion" to an engagement. The battalion was cut off by the Germans, and attempts by the 141st Infantry's other two battalions to extricate it failed.Williams, Rudi.
The 'Go For Broke' Regiment Lives Duty, Honor, Country
" (25 May 2000), American Forces Press Service. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
The 405th Fighter Squadron of the
371st Fighter Group 371st may refer to: * 371st Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit * 371st Engineer Construction Battalion or 371st Engineer Battalion, activated as a Special Service Regiment in the United States Army in 1944 * 371st Fighter G ...
airdropped supplies to the 275 trapped soldiers, but conditions on the ground quickly deteriorated as the Germans continued to repel American attempts to reach the trapped unit. The final rescue attempt was made by the
442nd Regimental Combat Team The 442nd Infantry Regiment ( ja, 第442歩兵連隊) was an infantry regiment of the United States Army. The regiment is best known as the most decorated in U.S. military history and as a fighting unit composed almost entirely of second-gene ...
, a segregated unit composed of ''
Nisei is a Japanese-language term used in countries in North America and South America to specify the ethnically Japanese children born in the new country to Japanese-born immigrants (who are called ). The are considered the second generation, ...
'' (second-generation
Japanese American are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...
s). The 442nd had been given a period of rest after heavy fighting to liberate
Bruyères Bruyères () is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France. The town built up around a castle built on a hill in the locality in the 6th century. It was the birthplace of Jean Lurçat, in 1892. History In World Wa ...
and
Biffontaine Biffontaine () is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France. History In the World War II, it was liberated from German occupation by soldiers of the Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team in late October 194 ...
, but General Dahlquist called them back early to relieve the beleaguered 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 36th. In five days of battle, from 26 to 30 October 1944, the 442nd broke through German defenses and rescued 211 men. The 442nd suffered over 800 casualties. I Company went in with 185 men; 8 came out unhurt. K Company engaged the enemy with 186 men; 169 were wounded or killed. Additionally, the commander sent a patrol of 50–55 men to find a way to attack a German road block by the rear and try to liberate the remainder of the trapped men. Only five returned to the "Lost Battalion" perimeter; 42 were taken prisoner and were sent to Stalag VII-A in Moosburg, Bavaria, where they remained until the POW camp was liberated on 29 April 1945. The 442nd is the most decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service, with its component 100th Infantry Battalion earning the nickname "The
Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...
Battalion" due to the number injured in combat.


Legacy

In 1962, Texas Governor John Connally made the veterans of the 442nd "honorary Texans" for their role in the rescue of the Lost Battalion. Due to the discrimination of that era, three members of the 442nd,
Barney Hajiro Barney Fushimi Hajiro (September 16, 1916 – January 21, 2011) was an American combat veteran of World War II who received the Medal of Honor, the highest United States military award for valor.Martin, Douglas"Barney Hajiro, Medal of Honor Recipi ...
,
James Okubo James K. Okubo (May 30, 1920 – January 29, 1967) was a United States Army soldier.Kakesako, Gregg K"AJA medic’s medal may be upgraded,"''Honolulu Star-Bulletin,'' September 15, 2009; 2012-12-29. He was a posthumous recipient of the Medal of Ho ...
, and George Sakato, were originally awarded lesser military medals for their participation in the rescue, later upgraded to the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
in 2000, Okubo posthumously.Kakesako, Greg K.
Today, an old wrong is righted as 22 Asian-American heroes are awarded the nation's highest honor for bravery in battle
(21 June 2000), ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin''. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
A special law was passed in 2010 awarding members of the unit, and those of the
Military Intelligence Service The Military Intelligence Service ( ja, アメリカ陸軍情報部, ''America Rikugun Jōhōbu'') was a World War II U.S. military unit consisting of two branches, the Japanese American unit (described here) and the German-Austrian unit based ...
, the
Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...
, for which a ceremony was held at the Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol in October 2011, followed by local ceremonies in California, Hawaii, and other states from which unit members had been unable to travel to Washington, D.C.


See also

*
442nd Infantry Regiment (United States) The 442nd Infantry Regiment ( ja, 第442歩兵連隊) was an infantry regiment of the United States Army. The regiment is best known as the most decorated in U.S. military history and as a fighting unit composed almost entirely of second-gene ...
*
Daniel Inouye Daniel Ken Inouye ( ; September 7, 1924 – December 17, 2012) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012. Beginning in 1959, he was the first U.S. representative ...


References


Further reading

* Newman, Tamera. ''Loyal, No Matter What'', edited by Jim Tazoi and Kimiko Yagi Tazoi, Logan, UT: Watkins Printing, 2006 * U.S. Samurais in Bruyeres by Pierre Moulin – {{ISBN, 2-9599984-0-5}

Pierre Moulin


External links

* http://www.moosburg.org/info/stalag/indeng.html Infantry battalions of the United States Army Military units and formations of the United States Army in World War II Battalions of the United States Army in World War II