This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

On Dec. 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, American-born Nelson Akagi was a 19-year-old freshman attending California Polytechnic College. In April 1942, he was "a pretty scared kid," he wrote in unpublished papers archived at the University of Utah Marriott Library.

Told to return home to Utah, Akagi worried about unintentionally breaking curfew and travel restrictions imposed on Japanese-Americans. By May, his rights were taken away. He was classified as an alien enemy and unable to register for the draft. Within weeks, the Akagi clan lost their homes, orange groves, olive business and farm acreage. Paid for in full, everything was sold for 10 cents on the dollar.

Avoiding relocation into one of the 10 remote camps that interned 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry, the Akagis agreed to farm sugar beets for Utah and Idaho Sugar Co. They were given 18 hours to evacuate. Leaving behind tomatoes ready to harvest, they were herded onto a guard-posted, shade-drawn, run-down passenger train and taken to Parker, Idaho.

"The evacuation was done without due process of law," Akagi said. "But there was never a shadow of doubt about our loyalty."

On Feb. 1, 1943, the U.S. government reversed its position on recruitment. Akagi swore allegiance in response to the War Department's loyalty questionnaire and joined the volunteer Japanese-American 522nd Field Artillery Battalion of the 442nd ("Go for Broke") regimental combat unit.

Training as a machine gunner, Akagi numbered among 14,000 Nisei (second generation Americans of Japanese ancestry) serving honorably in the U.S. military.

Also in service were 1,500 members of the original 298th and 299th infantry regiment of the Hawaii National Guard. Reclassified as the 100th Infantry Battalion (One-Puka-Puka) they were segregated, and "unassigned to any other military organization."

On Sept. 26, 1943, the 100th landed in a trouble zone in southern Italy. Steadily advancing 15 miles a day, they captured a railroad station, took on "German machine gun fire and rocket launchers" and succeeded in pushing German troops north.

In January 1944, during the battle of Monte Cassino, British and Allied forces launched an offensive to overtake the Gustav Line — the German army's 1,700 foot-high northernmost mountainous defense position — key to reaching Rome.

The 100th regiment fought over rugged mountains and across ravines sown with land mines, barbed wire and booby traps. After four battles and five months of fighting, Cassino was finally taken at great cost. The Allies suffered more than 50,000 casualties. Losing two-thirds of its soldiers, the sorely reduced 100th was designated the "Purple Heart Battalion."

In May 1944, Akagi crossed the Atlantic Ocean and headed toward combat.

"Somewhere north of Rome, the 442nd caught up with the 100th Battalion and went into battle together," he said. By mid-October, they fought in the Vosges Mountains of eastern France.

"We fought in thick forests that were wet, cold and dense with fog," Akagi said.

Maintaining silence and pushed beyond endurance, "We were committed to rescuing the trapped Battalion of the 141st Regiment, 36th Texas Division," Akagi said. "The Germans fought hard."

Hidden mines and trees rigged to explode beleaguered the men as they edged toward the front line and the "Lost Battalion." Within five days, the 100th/442nd saved the 211 soldiers, incurring 800 casualties of their own.

Akagi, relieved of machine gun duty, was made into a scout and sent to the front line. The 100th/442nd continued fighting with valor, earning more honors than any other regiment of its size and term in service.

A lesser-known Nisei role involves 5,000 Japanese interpreters of the U.S. Military Intelligence Service (MIS). Assigned to combat divisions throughout the Pacific, Burma, China, India and Europe, their contributions and sacrifices — including "cave flushers" meeting with enemy soldiers — helped lead the Allied forces to victory.

On Nov. 2, 2011, Utah veterans Akagi, Nob Iwamoto, Masami Hayashi, Dr. Taira Fukushima and Casey Kunimura will receive Congressional Gold Medals in Washington, D.C. We are indebted.

Eileen Hallet Stone is an oral historian. She can be reached at ehswriter@aol.com. Special thank yous to Judge Raymond Uno and Marriott Library's Lorraine Crouse.