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Combat Infantryman Badge Jack Wakamatsu was one of the few Japanese Americans to be drafted before the war. On June 10, 1941 he was promoted to First Sergeant assigned to Company F, 53rd Infantry Regiment at Fort Ord, California. Jack joined Company F, of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team which was activated on February 1, 1943 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. With the 442nd, Jack fought in Italy and France, including the mission to rescue the "Lost Texas Battalion." These medals honor First Sergeant Wakamatsu for his bravery and dedication. " The Combat Infantryman Badge was created in World War II to recognize the unparalleled mission of units and soldiers actively engaged in ground combat. Members of the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team fighting in Europe and Japanese Americans in the Military Intelligence Service in the Pacific were awarded this badge. Metal. L 8, W 3 cm Manzanar National Historic Site, MANZ 5181 |