The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1955-02-09
Exceptional Personal Appeal
Political Triumph Credited To AID

Editors note: Following is ar
editorial which appeared recent,
In The Sun. Baltimore, Md Au-
thor is Price Day, news editor OF
The Sum-
One reason for the recent De-
mocratic victory in Hawaii accord
ing to a dispatch from Honolulu
was that the Democrats put up O
number of exceptional personal
appeal. The example cited was the
Fourth district of Honolulu, where
four of the five Democratic win
nerS of seats in the Hawaiian
House were young lawyers who
had fought in Europe with the 442
Regimental Combat Team.
To anyone who knew the 442 in
World War II, in combat and out
OF combat. exceptional personal
appeal" seems a mild term to ap-
ply to almost any of its members
picked at random. Not to boggle
at adjectives, those boys were
wonderful.
A few facts: All were volunteers.
In 225 days of combat a total of
approximately 10000 men dnclud-
ing 500 brother combinations and
300 men with brothers fighting
for the United States in the Paci-
fic) passed through the regiments
ranks. Many ended their lives
there. Among them, they received
$500 Purple Hearts. Other recog-
nitions Of merit included five Pre-
sidential Unit Citations IS Distin-
guished Service Crosses, 2sO Silver
Stars and 10 Croix de Guerre.
HIGHEST 10
The outfits 10 was the highest
in the Army: higher, on the aver
age, than required for officers
candidate school. The regimental
records show no case of desertion
Seven men. in the course of the
war, went a.w.o.l All seven broke
the rules by drcking out of hospi-
tails to return to their outfit.
The point. Of course, Is that the
442 was composed of Nisei second
generation Japanese Americans
They had something to prove
This writer saw them prove il
twice, in the taking of Livorno in
tie italian campaign and-mucn
more strikingly. because the jot
was much harder-in the relief OF
a lost battalion" of the 36th In
fantry Division in the lower Vos-
geS ten years ago this fall. Gle al
so saw, many times. the Tooth In
fantry Battalion of Japanese Am
orleans: all said here in praise OF
the 442 applies to the Tooth Batta-
lion as well)
LOST BATTALION SAVED
The lost battalion" in the Vos-
ges was the LIST Battalion of the
l41st Infantry. 1t got cut off in
the course of divisional attack,
and for 148 hours a group of 27O
men Of Companies A, B C and of
D heavy weapons company we're
isolated on a 300 by $50 yard hill
top, under extreme conditions of
weather and enemy attack.
For five days they went without
food. They got water from what
they called the mud puddle" and
quickly ran out of Halazone tablets
with which to purify it. Unable to
use axes lest the sound spot them
for the enemy, they rooted their
foxholes with sapplings felled with
knives. When they came out they
reported hoarsely, through mouths
whose opening was like the crack
ing of masks, that they had slept
little, now and then, but went to
sleep fighting and woke up fight
ing.
Early attempts to supply them
by air, through rain and fog re-
suited in the loss OF one plane and
the Gripping of two others, one Of
which nicked a tree as its pilot
came in courageously low In his
search. Three of nine rounds Of
medical supplies. fired into them
by our artillery. fell within the de-
tense perimeter, and later some
chocolate, shot to them In smoke
shells while they crouched in their
holes. Still later air-drops help
ed with rations, more medical sup
plies and batteries for the single
radio. 1t was very rough.
DID THE JOB
Meanwhile the divisional attack
was thoroughly stalled The divi-
sion tried to relieve the battalion.