H.C.R. 5

This document includes House Committee Amendments incorporated into the bill on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 1:57 PM by lerror. --> 1

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION DESIGNATING FEBRUARY
2 18, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL DAY FOR
3 CERTAIN VETERANS
4 2012 GENERAL SESSION
5 STATE OF UTAH
6 Chief Sponsor: Curtis Oda
7 Senate Sponsor: Ross I. Romero
8
9 LONG TITLE
10 General Description:
11 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor designates February 18,
12 2012, as Utah's Congressional Gold Medal Day.
13 Highlighted Provisions:
14 This resolution:
15 . designates February 18, 2012, as Utah's Congressional Gold Medal Day for the
16 Veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and
17 the Nisei Military Intelligence Service, including those from Utah.
18 Special Clauses:
19 None
20
21 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
22 WHEREAS, at the inception of World War II, pursuant to Executive Order 9066,
23 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, including American citizens, were forcibly removed from
24 the West Coast of the United States and incarcerated in one of the United States of America's
25 infamous concentration camps;
26 WHEREAS, the Nisei, second generation American-born citizens, were classified 4C,
27 meaning enemy alien, unfit for military service because of nationality or ancestry;

28 WHEREAS, these individuals were discriminated against and prevented from actively
29 serving in the United States military;
30 WHEREAS, in 1944, the legendary Mike M. H. [ Masaouka ] Masaoka .H , a Utah Nisei
30a and Executive
31 Director of the National Japanese American Citizen League, and others, petitioned to have the
32 442nd Regimental Combat Team activated;
33 WHEREAS, during World War II, the 100th Infantry Battalion (100th) and the 442nd
34 Regimental Combat Team (442nd), Nisei soldiers from Hawaii and mainland United States,
35 including Utah, entered combat in the European Theater of War;
36 WHEREAS, many of these soldiers, eventually totaling 13,000, entered military service
37 after being released from concentration camps where they and their families were incarcerated;
38 WHEREAS, after 10 days of bitter combat to liberate the towns of Bruyeres, Belmont,
39 and Biffontaine, the 442nd was ordered to effect the rescue of the Texas First Battalion, the
40 141st Regiment, 36th Division -- known as the Lost Battalion -- who were trapped in the
41 French Vosges Forest occupied by elite German SS soldiers;
42 WHEREAS, after five days of one of the toughest battles of the war, the 100th and the
43 442nd, suffering a combined 814 casualties, including 140 dead, rescued 211 Texans in
44 October 1944;
45 WHEREAS, about 3,000 riflemen of the 100th and the 442nd accomplished what two
46 divisions, consisting of 40,000 men, could not do in six months, by climbing unrelentingly for
47 12 hours up a 3,000 foot vertical cliff at night on a side the Germans would not expect, and in
48 32 minutes breached the impregnable fortress, the Gothic Line, in Italy;
49 WHEREAS, the men of the 100th and 442nd fought in seven major campaigns in Italy
50 and France;
51 WHEREAS, often referred to as the "Go For Broke Regiment", the soldiers of the
52 100th and the 442nd suffered extremely heavy casualties, including over 600 killed in action,
53 an extraordinarily high rate of its original infantry strength;
54 WHEREAS, on October 21, 1963, Texas Governor John Connolly issued a
55 proclamation which conferred on the members of the 442nd the state's honorary citizenship;
56 WHEREAS, the 100th and 442nd became one of the most decorated units in United
57 States military history in slightly less than two years, with over 18,000 individual and unit
58 decorations including the Good Conduct Medal;

59 WHEREAS, among the awards were eight Presidential Unit Citations, 43 Division
60 Commendations, 13 Army Commendations, two Meritorious Service Unit Plaques, 21
61 Congressional Medals of Honor, 29 Distinguished Service Crosses, one Distinguished Service
62 Medal, 560 Silver Stars with 28 Oak Leaf Clusters in lieu of second medals, 22 Legion of
63 Merits, 15 Soldier Medals, more than 4000 Bronze Stars and 1,300 Oak Leaf Clusters, over
64 4,500 Purple Hearts including Oak Leaf Clusters, 12 French Croix de Guerre and two Palms to
65 the Croix de Guerre, and two Italian Medals for Military Valor;
66 WHEREAS, the Nisei Military Intelligence Service (MIS), consisting of over 3,000
67 Japanese Americans, including those from Utah, served in all campaigns in the Pacific Theater
68 of War;
69 WHEREAS, the Nisei MIS conducted highly classified operations and produced
70 tactical intelligence information vital to the United States military's successes, serving as
71 interpreters, translators, interrogators, and communication interceptors in the entire Pacific
72 War, including the Aleutians, China-Burma, East Asia, Guadalcanal, the Phillippines and
73 Okinawa, and even operated behind enemy lines in Burma and the Phillippines;
74 WHEREAS, after Japan surrendered, the MIS, Nisei soldiers, including some from
75 Utah, used their understanding of the culture and ability to build trust to render service that was
76 critical in accomplishing the peaceful transition to a new, democratic government and
77 becoming an important ally to the United States;
78 WHEREAS, the MIS was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation, one Distinguished
79 Service Cross, two Legion of Merits, five Silver Stars, one Soldier's Medal, over 50 Bronze
80 Stars, and 25 Purple Hearts;
81 WHEREAS, Major General Charles A. Willoughby, Chief, Military Intelligence under
82 General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Military Commander of the Pacific Theater of War,
83 credited the MIS with shortening the Pacific War by two years and saving a million American
84 lives;
85 WHEREAS, on August 4, 2010, the United States Senate voted unanimously to
86 approve S. 1055, a bill awarding the Congressional H. [ Medal of Honor ] Gold Medal .H ,
86a collectively to veterans of
87 the 100th, the 442nd, and the MIS;
88 WHEREAS, on September 23, 2010, the United States House of Representatives voted
89 unanimously to approve S. 1055, and on October 5, 2010, President Obama signed the bill;

90 WHEREAS, on November 2, 2011, the Congressional Gold Medal was officially
91 presented to the 100th, the 442nd, and the MIS, including the Utah Nisei veterans, and their
92 representatives by the congressional leaders; and
93 WHEREAS, on November 11, 2011, Veterans Day, Governor Herbert honored these
94 veterans in a ceremony at the Utah State Capitol:
95 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
96 Governor concurring therein, designates February 18, 2012, as Utah's Congressional Gold
97 Medal Day for the Veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat
98 Team, and the Nisei Military Intelligence Service, including those from Utah.
99 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be presented to the
100 representatives of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the
101 Nisei Military Intelligence Service.




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as of 1-26-12 2:25 PM

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