FREE ESSAY ON ANGELO REBELO

ANGELO REBELO

James Dulong
AP History Per 6
On December 7, 1941 the Japanese launched a sneak attack on Pearl Habor. This attack on
the United States Pacific Fleet was a total tactical success. The Japanese, using 360
planes and midgit submarines, were able to sink the USS Arizona, USS California, USS
Maryland, USS Oklahoma, USS Pesilvania, USS Tennessee, and the USS Utha. They also
destroyed Hickman Feild, the US air base on Hawaii.
The result of this attack was a declaration of war on Germany, Italy, and Japan by the
United States. It also had an effect on the Japanese-Americans living on the West Coast.
American citizens had property taken away and were encarrsirated by their fellow citizens
with executive order 9066. Even through this racist act many
Japanese-Americans.volenteered for service in the United States Army. It was the 442nd
combat regiment, Go for Broke. This unit was given the derogatory name of Nisei. Yet,
Thos Japanese-Americans who... fought in the United States Army compiled a superb record
for courage and endurance (Sulzberger, 149).
Just because Japanese-Americans were allowed to enter the armed services they did not
escape racism. During the campiagn in France, the 442nd could have been the first combat
regiment to enter Paris. They were ordered to to wait at the side of the rode to allow
white combat units to pass them. They became the last unit to enter Pairis. This racist
ideaof them was even present in the enemy. One of the puzzeled and astonished Germans
asked an American Lieutenant, 'But aren't those Japanese?' 'Yes,' said the Lieutenant,
'Didin't you know they were on our side? or do you believe all that stuff Goebbels tells
you?' (Sulzberger, 149)
Racism was also shown in other ways during combat action. In Italy the 442nd was used as
cannon foder. They were to make a third assult on Monte Cassino. This would be
accompanied by a beach head landingin Anzio. In an attempt to break the rapidly
solidifying Italian stalemate, the allies organized a third attack on Cassino... Massed
air power and artilery battered Cassino for hours before the infantry and armor went in-
to find that this prepatory bombing had been to heavy. Cassino had been converted into an
almost impenetrable maze of capsized masonary, in which the fanatical Nazis of the 1st
Parachute Division had fought the allies to a stand still on 23 March (Esposito, Map
103). These bombings had the effect of removing the woods leading to the top of Monte
Cassino. The effect was that the Nisei had to assult Monte Cassino with no cover from
German machinegun fire and no real tank support to follow up. Though Allied troops had
crossed the lower reaches of Garigliano in February, German positions in the high ground
evectivaly barred expainsion of the bridgehead. The Gustave line remained intact. (Hart,
304). This fight cost the lives of many of the men but they did not retreat untill they
were ordered to do so by a white commanding officer.
The Nisei was one of the most highly decorated fighting units in World War II.
Unfortunatlly, they did not recieve these decorations until well after the end of the
war. These Japanese-Americans took the derogatory term Nisei, washed it in a river of
blood, and made it a name that Japanese-Americans can use with pride.