Posted on: Tuesday, March 22, 2005
EDITORIAL
'Go For Broke' boys must not be forgotten
With each year that passes, their numbers dwindle.
Comprised of Japanese-Americans, the 442nd fought proudly on the front lines and were often given the most dangerous assignments. Many served while their families were interned behind barbed wire fences, their loyalty shamefully questioned by the United States government simply based on their ethnicity.
In a two-year period, the 442nd fought eight campaigns and earned 9,486 Purple Hearts along with hundreds of other medals and awards for their distinguished services.
As Peter Boylan reported in Monday's Advertiser, the surviving members of the 442nd gathered in Waikiki last weekend for a reunion, exchanging memories and encouraging a new generation of military men and women.
Among them was 81-year-old Ed Ichiyama of Diamond Head, who offered a sobering view. "Each year, when we meet, we realize we better enjoy because next year some of us may not be around," Ichiyama said.
Sadly, he's right.
These men are indeed special. And we, and this nation, owe them our gratitude. Keeping their memories alive and retelling their stories for future generations is just one way to begin to repay that debt.
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team of World War II — Hawai'i's "Go For Broke" boys — defined for us all what it means to have patriotism, bravery and strength of spirit.
