The famous battle of the Lost Battalion was in France in October 1944. The 100th/442nd RCT sacrificed lives to rescue Texas soldiers surrounded by the enemy. This incredible feat led to a grateful bond between the Texans and Nisei.
(442nd, 2008)
“The only World War II unit to be able to claim zero battlefield desertions during the war… Hitler had personally issued orders to stop any rescue effort… The banzai charge on “suicide hill” … the Nissei suffered many casualties… The enemy soldiers...never had they seen such courage, such fierce determination and such sheer force of will power in the face of unbelievable odds… Despite their fatigue, the Nisei moved on...these men finally broke through to the Lost Battalion. PFC Matt Sakumoto was the point man, the first friendly face the 211 survivors of the surrounded battalion had seen in a week… In all the Nisei had lost 800 men in five days of battle to rescue 211 T-patchers of the 36th Infantry Battalion… The Presidential Unit Citation was awarded, individually, to each Battalion of the Go For Broke Regiment.” -Douglas Sterner, author of Go For Broke, 2008
“Later, every survivor of that bloody battle was made an honorary Texan-- which may have had something to do with my future closeness to Sam Rayburn and Lyndon B. Johnson.” -Daniel Inouye in his autobiography Journey to Washington, 1967