This much-decorated Korean officer served in the 100th Battalion and 442nd RCT during WW2 but began his army service as an Engineer. Can anyone shed some light on this period c1942? I believe he enlisted in January 1942 although some accounts give the enlistment date as 1941.
I'd never heard of him. Sounds like an interesting chap: Interview: http://www.goforbroke.org/oral_histories/oral_histories_hanashi_podcast.asp
Assuming the Wiki is accurate, he has an impressive record: DSC, Silver Star w/OLC, Legion of Merit w/OLC, Bronze Star w/OLC, PH w/two OLC, Bronze Medal of Military Valor (Italy), Croix de Guerre (France), and Légion d'honneur (France). Here's an interesting write up on him at www.100thbattalion.org. To answer your question, you may want to try this reasonably priced biography: Unsung Hero: The Story of...
Thanks chaps. I have seen a lot of the write-ups on him, and it's been an eye-opener for me as a Brit to expand my knowledge of the Japanese-Americans in WW2. Prior to this I had a sketchy idea of the subject at best. Oddly enough what sparked it off was watching "Bad Day in Black Rock" on afternoon TV! I have seen the "Unsung Hero" adverts but was put off by the comments made simply because I thought they were a bit "gushy" (overly hero-worshipping). I would have to see more quotes from the book before I decide if it's worth reading. To call him "unsung" seems rather unusual given the number of his decorations. The 100th and the 442nd are regularly reported in any of the Italy campaign memoirs. I realise that as a Korean he might not have been given the star status of Audie Murphy but there's very few people over this side of the pond that could name three other well-known American Army soldiers of WW2. You could argue the same thing has happened with Indian soldiers in the British Army, but to call them "unsung" would be a harsh view. Reading of his exploits has opened up a totally new area of interest, both in the USA in WW2, and in the Asian Immigrant community in that country. His career has also given me a point of interest in the Korean War which is another area I know little about. I have read that his regiment had a poor reputation at the beginning of that conflict but that it recovered and fought well in the latter part of the war.
Couldn't find any excerpts, but I did find a 3 of 5 stars review which certainly isn't gushy. Maybe it will help. Perhaps the indirect route may be more satisfying. Research the 442nd & 100th Inf and see what you find. There's plenty of resources on the Nisei units out there.
