The Army wasn’t sure they could be trusted. A year later, they were calling them their best soldiers.
June 6, 1942: The Hawaii Provisional Infantry Battalion, composed of 1,432 Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans), was quietly sent to the mainland for combat training.
Everybody remembers Pearl Harbor. These men were there.
Many of the 1,432 Japanese American soldiers had been serving in the 298th and 299th Infantry Regiments of the Hawaii National Guard when Japan attacked on December 7, 1941. Some witnessed the devastation firsthand. Others helped clear debris, guard military installations, and assist the wounded in the days that followed.
They were already serving their country. And their home was attacked. Many were desperate to fight back. Instead, they found themselves under suspicion, and their future became uncertain. In May 1942, American intelligence learned that a powerful Japanese naval force was moving toward Midway. Military leaders feared that Hawaii itself could become the next battlefield.
General George C. Marshall faced a difficult question: What should be done with more than a thousand soldiers of Japanese ancestry stationed in Hawaii? The answer was to remove them.
Courtesy of U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
Many of the future soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor firsthand. This was an attack on their home, not just America.
Company G, 298th Infantry Regiment, Schofield Barracks, Hawai‘i, 1941. Many of these soldiers would be serving when Pearl Harbor was attacked later that year.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
General George C. Marshall authorized the transfer of 1,432 Nisei soldiers from Hawaii to the mainland in June 1942. The unit would become known as the 100th Infantry Battalion.
Courtesy of the 100th Clubhouse
June 1942. Designated as the Hawaii Provisional Infantry Battalion, 1,432 Nisei soldiers departed Hawai‘i for an uncertain future. That designation lasted only one week.
Not everyone doubted them. In 1940, Lt. Gen. Charles D. Herron publicly argued that Nisei soldiers would prove themselves loyal Americans.
When the Army decided to remove 1,432 Nisei soldiers from Hawai‘i, Colonel Wilhelm A. Anderson was asked to help organize the new unit that would carry them to the mainland.
Provisional
On the night of June 5, 1942, 1,432 Nisei soldiers quietly boarded the SS Maui under the designation “Hawaiian Provisional Infantry Battalion.” Many were unable to say goodbye to family members or loved ones. Few knew their destination. Fewer still knew what their future would be. The battalion’s very name reflected the uncertainty surrounding them.
Even its leadership reflected the Army’s doubts.
When Colonel Wilhelm A. Anderson was asked to recommend a commander, the final decision came with one specific condition: no Japanese American officer would be permitted to command any rifle company within the battalion.
The Army was willing to trust Nisei soldiers with rifles. It was not yet willing to trust them with authority.
One Week Later
The voyage to the mainland took a week. The ship followed a zigzag course across the Pacific to reduce the risk of submarine attack before arriving in Oakland, California.
On June 12, 1942, the men received a new designation: 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate). The word “Separate” wasn’t a mistake. Unlike most battalions, the 100th had no parent regiment. It would operate independently.
After a four-day train journey, the men arrived at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. Later they would continue training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, and in Louisiana. There, they developed a reputation for exceptional discipline, marksmanship, and professionalism.
They adopted the motto: “Remember Pearl Harbor.”
Slowly, perceptions began to change.
Bayonet training at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. For the Nisei soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion, this wasn’t just about combat — it was about proving they belonged.
Courtesy of U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
“Remember Pearl Harbor.” The men of the 100th Infantry Battalion adopted the phrase as their motto. Many had witnessed the attack firsthand. It was personal.
Signal Corps Photo
German storm troopers surrender to 100th Infantry Battalion, Italy, 1944
President Truman walks past members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team as they stand at attention on the Ellipse, Washington DC, July 14, 1946
Before they became the 100th Infantry Battalion, many were already soldiers. Before they became heroes, they were already serving.
First Nisei to Fight in Europe
The soldiers who had once been viewed with suspicion were now impressing commanders throughout the Army. Eventually, military leaders could no longer ignore their performance.
On August 21, 1943, after more than a year of training, the 100th Infantry Battalion departed for the European Theater. Within weeks, they would enter combat in Italy. They became the first Nisei unit to see combat in Europe during World War II.
The Army wasn’t sure they could be trusted. The 100th Infantry Battalion spent the rest of the war proving them wrong. The success of the 100th helped convince military leaders to create additional Japanese American combat units, including the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
The 1,432 men who left Hawaii in June 1942 did more than prove themselves. They opened the door for thousands of other Japanese Americans to follow.