“We rescued the lost battalion of 280 men. But 800 of us were shot or wounded or killed.” (Video interview, 41:12)

George Taro Sakato

George Sakato [detail from video interview] War: World War, 1939-1945 Branch: Army Unit: 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT), 36th Infantry Division Service Location: Camp Blanding, Florida; Camp Shelby, Mississippi; Oran, Algeria; Naples, Italy; Biffontaine, France; Germany; European Theater Rank: Private

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.