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SALT LAKE CITY -- People who serve in the armed forces are often honored with special medals and citations during their careers. Wednesday, Nov. 2, a group of 11 World War II veterans from Utah will join several hundred others in Washington D.C. to receive one of the nation's highest honors.
They will be presented the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian award. They were members of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a huge U.S. Army unit that served all over the world.
The 1940's were a very interesting time in U.S. history for the Japanese-Americans. Following the Pearl Harbor attack, the Japanese were considered the enemy and Japanese-Americans were part of the U.S. Military.
"As we were graduating I received a note from selective service saying, don't leave camp, because I'm going to be drafted," said Taira Fukushima of Salt Lake.
When he speaks of "camp" he means the Manzanar Japanese internment in camp in California, where he spent two years with his family. They were released just as he graduated from high school, and from there, he would soon find himself in in Europe as a member of the U.S. Army.
Nelson Akagi was just 19 when he volunteered for the Army, after President Roosevelt allowed Japanese-Americans to do so in 1943. Akagi's first stop was Italy.
It's not for myself, it's for the future generation. They've got to know what we did. This helps to preserve what the Japanese- Americans did during World War II.
–- Nelson Akagi
"I can still remember the day that I set up my machine gun and that was June 26th 1944, the day before my 21st birthday," he said.
Akagi and Fukushima were part of the 442nd Cegimental Combat Team, the nation's all Japanese-American combat unit. During the war years, the group became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service.
Late last year, on October 5, 2010, President Obama signed legislation to grant the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition to those in the unit. It's an honor that dates back to 1776.
Akagi spent time in Italy, France and Germany. He helped to liberate many areas, including the Dachau concentration camp.
"We had a chance to rescue the Jewish prisoners that were still alive. But they were all skin and bones. I'm not sure many survived," Akagi said.
As a battlefield medic in Europe, Fukushima saw his share of action as well. Both men are honored to be receiving the award next week, but both say it's not really about them.
"As I think it over," Akagi said, "It's not for myself, it's for the future generation. They've got to know what we did. This helps to preserve what the Japanese-Americans did during World War II." Fukushima said he was just doing what he was taught.
"My father always said, you obey the law. So if the law says, I'm going into the army, OK."
Email:kmccord@ksl.com.
