Materials in public domain. No restrictions on use.
Description
Reprint of an editorial article published by the Heart Mountain Sentinel in response to Lt. Col. Harrison A. Gerhardt's explanation as to why Japanese American soldiers would not be allowed to serve in the South Pacific Army units. Gerhardt claimed that there is too great of a risk of infiltration of Japanese soldiers into American units and that if captured by the Japanese Empire, Japanese American soldiers would be subjected to cruel punishment. Editorial states this is "polite discrimination" and the Japanese American soldiers in the 100th battalion have made many sacrifices to serve in the army. Also condemns Commander Melvin H. McCoy's racial slur when stated, "They are killing white men. They would just as soon be killing Germans as other white men," and condemns Nisei soldiers from serving in segregated army units, hoping for integration with all soldiers. The War Relocation Authority (WRA), together with the Wartime Civil Control Administration (WCCA), the Civil Affairs Division (CAD) and the Office of the Commanding General (OFG) of the Western Defense Command (WDC) operated together to segregate and house some 110,000 men women and children from 1942 to 1945. The collection contains documents and photographs relating to the establishment and administrative workings of the (WDC), the (WRA) and the (WCCA) for the year 1942.
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