For Texans in 'Lost Battalion,' real heroes were Japanese-American
For Texans in 'Lost Battalion,' real heroes were Japanese-American After more than 60 years, they remember the cold rain and the ferocity of combat in a fog-shrouded forest straight out of a fairy tale. Most of all, they remember the shared joy of survival. In October 1944, 270 soldiers of a battalion of the 36th Division of the Texas National Guard were trapped by a much larger German force in the Vosges Mountains of France. Desperately low on food, water and ammunition, the Texans resisted for six days. On the seventh day, help came from an unexpected source. Members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, composed of Japanese-Americans, many whose families remained locked up in relocation camps in California, fought a grinding battle inch by inch up the mountains to reach the "Lost Battalion." They did so at a terrible price, suffering as many casualties in the relief effort as they saved. Today and Saturday, the Texas Military Forces Museum at Camp Mabry in Austin will exhibit newly found artifacts and hear talks by veterans of the battle. It is a reminder, said museum director Jeff Hunt, of how bravery and dedication to duty triumphed over intolerance on a cold, miserable battlefield 64 years ago. This article is a report from the "Lost Battalion" Symposium at the Texas Military Forces Museum in Austin, TX. Clique Iniciar Sessão ou Registar-se para colocar comentários
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