What event happened when George was 4 years old that plunged America into WW II?
Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan, which plunged America into WW II when George was 4 years old.
Why were George, his family, and other Japanese Americans looked upon with fear, suspicion and hatred?
George, his family, and other Japanese Americans were looked upon with fear, suspicion, and hatred because they resembled the people who bombed Pearl Harbor.
What happened on February 19th, 1942?
On February 19th, 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ordered all Japanese-Americans on the West Coast of America to be summarily rounded up with no charges, no trial, and no due process.
What are some details George remembers about his experience in the internment camp?
George remembers the barbed wire fence that confined him, the tall sentry tower with the machine guns pointed at them, and the searchlight that followed him when he made the night runs from his barrack to the latrine.
What problems did his family face when they returned to California after they were released?
When his family returned to California after they were released, they faced poverty, hostility, and discrimination. They were penniless and had lost everything, and their first home was on Skid Row in the lowest part of the city.
What happened when young Japanese Americans originally volunteered to fight for their country after the bombing of Pearl Harbor?
When young Japanese Americans originally volunteered to fight for their country after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, they were denied service and categorized as enemy non-alien, which means "citizen" in the negative.
What is significant about the term Non-Alien?
The term Non-Alien was significant because it took the word "citizen" away from Japanese Americans.
Why did the government finally decide to open up military service for Japanese Americans?
The government finally decided to open up military service for Japanese Americans because there was a wartime manpower shortage.
Why did thousands of young Japanese Americans still volunteer to serve in the military after they had been denied service and imprisoned?
Thousands of young Japanese Americans still volunteered to serve in the military after they had been denied service and imprisoned because they wanted to fight for their country and cherished the ideal of what the government stands for, which was being abrogated by what was being done.
What specific accomplishment does George mention about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team?
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team broke the Gothic Line in 32 minutes, which was a battle for the Germans embedded in a mountain hillside. The six-month stalemate was broken by the 442nd, and when the war ended, they returned to the United States as the most decorated unit of the entire Second World War.