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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. Army Good Conduct, American Defense, Europiean/African/Middle Eastern Campaign Attached Ribbon The Go For Broke National Education Center (http://www.goforbroke.org), commemorates and educates people about the experiences of the Japanese American soldiers of World War II. It credits members of the 100th/442nd and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) with being awarded 18,143 individual citations. In campaign after campaign, from North Africa through Italy, France, and Germany, and across the Islands of the Pacific, Japanese American soldiers' earned the respect of their fellow soldiers and their superiors. Metal, fabric. L 10.5, W 1 cm Manzanar National Historic Site, MANZ 5186 |