George Taro Sakato |

George Sakato [detail from video interview] | World War, 1939-1945
Army
3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT), 36th Infantry Division
Camp Blanding, Florida; Camp Shelby, Mississippi; Oran, Algeria; Naples, Italy; Biffontaine, France; Germany; European Theater
Private
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Like many young men of Japanese American descent who came of age during World War II, California native George Taro Sakato enlisted in the Army as soon as he was able, in order to prove his loyalty to and love for his country. Despite his passion for aviation, he was assigned to an infantry regiment, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Sent to the European Theater, Sakato saw intense fighting in the Vosges Mountains region in France, where he battled the enemy in dense forest conditions and helped to rescue the “Lost Battalion,” more than 200 soldiers trapped by the Germans. His valor in combat was not recognized until 2000, when he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Clinton.
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