Synopses & Reviews
When Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Americans reacted with revulsion and horror. In the patriotic war fever that followed, thousands of volunteersandmdash;including Japanese Americansandmdash;rushed to military recruitment centers. Except for those in the Hawaii National Guard, who made up the 100th Infantry Battalion, the U.S. Army initially turned Japanese American prospects away. Then, as a result of anti-Japanese fearmongering on the West Coast, more than 100,000 Americans of Japanese descent were sent to confinement in inland andldquo;relocation centers.andrdquo; Most were natural-born citizens, their only andldquo;crimeandrdquo; their ethnicity.
After the army eventually decided it would admit the second-generation Japanese American (Nisei) volunteers, it complemented the 100th Infantry Battalion by creating the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This mostly Japanese American unit consisted of soldiers drafted before Pearl Harbor, volunteers from Hawaii, and even recruits from the relocation centers. In Going for Broke, historian James M. McCaffrey traces these menandrsquo;s experiences in World War II, from training to some of the deadliest combat in Europe.
Weaving together the voices of numerous soldiers, McCaffrey tells of the menandrsquo;s frustrations and achievements on the U.S. mainland and abroad. Training in Mississippi, the recruits from Hawaii and the mainland have their first encounter with southern-style black-white segregation. Once in action, they helped push the Germans out of Italy and France. The 442nd would go on to become one of the most highly decorated units in the U.S. Army.
McCaffreyandrsquo;s account makes clear that like other American soldiers in World War II, the Nisei relied on their personal determination, social values, and training to andldquo;go for brokeandrdquo;andmdash;to bet everything, even their lives. Ultimately, their bravery and patriotism in the face of prejudice advanced racial harmony and opportunities for Japanese Americans after the war.
Review
and#8220;In this compelling, easy-to-read account, James M. McCaffrey offers a comprehensive history of the 100th/442nd Infantry Regiment, one of the armyand#8217;s most renowned combat units in World War II. In telling the story of the entire regiment, Going for Broke represents an important first in the historiography of World War II.and#8221;and#8212;Michael D. Doubler, author of Closing with the Enemy: How GIs Fought the War in Europe, 1944and#8211;1945
Review
and#8220;Through skilled narration and combat analysis, McCaffrey integrates the 100th/442nd into the total war effort. His subjects emerge as and#8216;soldiers like the restand#8217;and#8212;challenged and harassed by racism, but not victims.and#8221;and#8212;Dennis Showalter, author of Hitlerand#8217;s Panzers: The Lightning Attacks That Revolutionized Warfare
Synopsis
McCaffreyandrsquo;s account makes clear that like other American soldiers in World War II, the Nisei relied on their personal determination, social values, and training to andldquo;go for brokeandrdquo;andmdash;to bet everything, even their lives. Ultimately, their bravery and patriotism in the face of prejudice advanced racial harmony and opportunities for Japanese Americans after the war.
About the Author
James M. McCaffrey is Professor of History at the University of Houstonandndash;Downtown and author of several books, including Inside the Spanish-American War: A History Based on First-Person Accounts.