From DiscoverNikkei.org
World War II
Facing the bullets of the enemy on the battlefield and the sting of racism at home, Nisei soldiers contributed bravely to the Allied cause in World War II, most notably with the highly-decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team/100th Infantry Battalion. In the Pacific theater, Nisei played a vital role as translators and interpreters in the Military Intelligence Service, but received little recognition because of the classified nature of their work. The Nikkei contribution to the war effort, including women in uniform, proved beyond question their loyalty and patriotism as Americans.
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General Resources
U.S. Armed Forces - Specific Units
Varsity Victory Volunteers
100th Infantry Battalion / 442nd Regimental Combat Team
The 100th Infantry Battalion was the first all-Nisei combat unit in World War II. A larger fighting unit was formed called the 442nd Regimental Combat Team that would consist of three infantry battalions. The 100th became one of the three, but had earned the honor of keeping its designation for their performance in battle. The 442nd RCT included the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, and the 232nd Combat Engineer Company. The "Go For Broke" regiment is recognized as being the most decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service.
Military Intelligence Service (MIS)
About 6,000 Nisei served as linguists in the Pacific Theater of World War II. They translated documents and intercepted radio communications, interrogated prisoners of war, and in some cases acted as spies for the U.S. military. Some men were placed on the front lines to get battlefield information from captured Japanese soldiers, a dangerous place to be for Nisei because they looked like the enemy. After the war, many MIS soldiers served in the Occupation of Japan as translators and interpreters.