H.C.R. 5 Enrolled

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 Cosponsors:
9 Johnny Anderson
10 Patrice M. Arent
11 Stewart Barlow
12 Roger E. Barrus
13 Jim Bird
14 Joel K. Briscoe
15 Derek E. Brown
16 Melvin R. Brown
17 David G. Butterfield
18 Rebecca Chavez-Houck
19 LaVar Christensen
20 Tim M. Cosgrove
21 Fred C. Cox
22 Bradley M. Daw
23 Brad L. Dee
24 John Dougall
25 Brian Doughty
26 Jack R. Draxler
27 Susan Duckworth
28 James A. Dunnigan
29 Rebecca P. Edwards
Steve EliasonJanice M. Fisher
Craig A. Frank
Gage Froerer
Brad J. Galvez
Francis D. Gibson
Richard A. Greenwood
Keith Grover
Stephen G. Handy
Wayne A. Harper
Lynn N. Hemingway
Neal B. Hendrickson
Christopher N. Herrod
Gregory H. Hughes
Eric K. Hutchings
Don L. Ipson
Ken Ivory
Brian S. King
Todd E. Kiser
Bradley G. Last
David Litvack
Rebecca D. Lockhart
John G. MathisDaniel McCay
Kay L. McIff
Ronda Rudd Menlove
Michael T. Morley
Carol Spackman Moss
Merlynn T. Newbold
Jim Nielson
Michael E. Noel
Patrick Painter
Lee B. Perry
Jeremy A. Peterson
Val L. Peterson
Dixon M. Pitcher
Marie H. Poulson
Kraig Powell
Paul Ray
Douglas Sagers
Stephen E. Sandstrom
Dean Sanpei
Jennifer M. Seelig
V. Lowry Snow
30 Kenneth W. Sumsion
31 Evan J. Vickers
32 Christine F. Watkins
R. Curt WebbMark A. Wheatley
Ryan D. Wilcox
Larry B. WileyBrad R. Wilson
Bill Wright 33
34 LONG TITLE
35 General Description:
36 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor designates February 18,
37 2012, as Utah's Congressional Gold Medal Day.
38 Highlighted Provisions:
39 This resolution:
40 . designates February 18, 2012, as Utah's Congressional Gold Medal Day for the
41 Veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and
42 the Nisei Military Intelligence Service, including those from Utah.
43 Special Clauses:
44 None
45
46 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
47 WHEREAS, at the inception of World War II, pursuant to Executive Order 9066,
48 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, including American citizens, were forcibly removed from
49 the West Coast of the United States and incarcerated in one of the United States of America's
50 infamous concentration camps;
51 WHEREAS, the Nisei, second generation American-born citizens, were classified 4C,
52 meaning enemy alien, unfit for military service because of nationality or ancestry;
53 WHEREAS, these individuals were discriminated against and prevented from actively
54 serving in the United States military;
55 WHEREAS, in 1944, the legendary Mike M. Masaoka, a Utah Nisei and Executive

56 Director of the National Japanese American Citizen League, and others, petitioned to have the
57 442nd Regimental Combat Team activated;
58 WHEREAS, during World War II, the 100th Infantry Battalion (100th) and the 442nd
59 Regimental Combat Team (442nd), Nisei soldiers from Hawaii and mainland United States,
60 including Utah, entered combat in the European Theater of War;
61 WHEREAS, many of these soldiers, eventually totaling 13,000, entered military service
62 after being released from concentration camps where they and their families were incarcerated;
63 WHEREAS, after 10 days of bitter combat to liberate the towns of Bruyeres, Belmont,
64 and Biffontaine, the 442nd was ordered to effect the rescue of the Texas First Battalion, the
65 141st Regiment, 36th Division -- known as the Lost Battalion -- who were trapped in the
66 French Vosges Forest occupied by elite German SS soldiers;
67 WHEREAS, after five days of one of the toughest battles of the war, the 100th and the
68 442nd, suffering a combined 814 casualties, including 140 dead, rescued 211 Texans in
69 October 1944;
70 WHEREAS, about 3,000 riflemen of the 100th and the 442nd accomplished what two
71 divisions, consisting of 40,000 men, could not do in six months, by climbing unrelentingly for
72 12 hours up a 3,000 foot vertical cliff at night on a side the Germans would not expect, and in
73 32 minutes breached the impregnable fortress, the Gothic Line, in Italy;
74 WHEREAS, the men of the 100th and 442nd fought in seven major campaigns in Italy
75 and France;
76 WHEREAS, often referred to as the "Go For Broke Regiment," the soldiers of the
77 100th and the 442nd suffered extremely heavy casualties, including over 600 killed in action,
78 an extraordinarily high rate of its original infantry strength;
79 WHEREAS, on October 21, 1963, Texas Governor John Connolly issued a
80 proclamation which conferred on the members of the 442nd the state's honorary citizenship;
81 WHEREAS, the 100th and 442nd became two of the most decorated units in United
82 States military history in slightly less than two years, with over 18,000 individual and unit
83 decorations, including the Good Conduct Medal;

84 WHEREAS, among the awards were eight Presidential Unit Citations, 43 Division
85 Commendations, 13 Army Commendations, two Meritorious Service Unit Plaques, 21
86 Congressional Medals of Honor, 29 Distinguished Service Crosses, one Distinguished Service
87 Medal, 560 Silver Stars with 28 Oak Leaf Clusters in lieu of second medals, 22 Legion of
88 Merits, 15 Soldier Medals, more than 4000 Bronze Stars and 1,300 Oak Leaf Clusters, over
89 4,500 Purple Hearts including Oak Leaf Clusters, 12 French Croix de Guerre and two Palms to
90 the Croix de Guerre, and two Italian Medals for Military Valor;
91 WHEREAS, the Nisei Military Intelligence Service (MIS), consisting of over 3,000
92 Japanese Americans, including those from Utah, served in all campaigns in the Pacific Theater
93 of War;
94 WHEREAS, the Nisei MIS conducted highly classified operations and produced
95 tactical intelligence information vital to the United States military's successes, serving as
96 interpreters, translators, interrogators, and communication interceptors in the entire Pacific
97 War, including the Aleutians, China-Burma, East Asia, Guadalcanal, the Phillippines, and
98 Okinawa, and even operated behind enemy lines in Burma and the Phillippines;
99 WHEREAS, after Japan surrendered, the Nisei MIS soldiers, including some from
100 Utah, used their understanding of the culture and ability to build trust to render service that was
101 critical in accomplishing the peaceful transition to a new, democratic government and
102 becoming an important ally to the United States;
103 WHEREAS, the MIS was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation, one Distinguished
104 Service Cross, two Legion of Merits, five Silver Stars, one Soldier's Medal, over 50 Bronze
105 Stars, and 25 Purple Hearts;
106 WHEREAS, Major General Charles A. Willoughby, Chief, Military Intelligence under
107 General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Military Commander of the Pacific Theater of War,
108 credited the MIS with shortening the Pacific War by two years and saving a million American
109 lives;
110 WHEREAS, on August 4, 2010, the United States Senate voted unanimously to
111 approve S. 1055, a bill awarding the Congressional Gold Medal collectively to veterans of the

112 100th, the 442nd, and the MIS;
113 WHEREAS, on September 23, 2010, the United States House of Representatives voted
114 unanimously to approve S. 1055, and on October 5, 2010, President Obama signed the bill;
115 WHEREAS, on November 2, 2011, the Congressional Gold Medal was officially
116 presented to the 100th, the 442nd, and the MIS, including the Utah Nisei veterans, and their
117 representatives by the congressional leaders; and
118 WHEREAS, on November 11, 2011, Veterans Day, Governor Herbert honored these
119 veterans in a ceremony at the Utah State Capitol:
120 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
121 Governor concurring therein, designates February 18, 2012, as Utah's Congressional Gold
122 Medal Day for the Veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat
123 Team, and the Nisei Military Intelligence Service, including those from Utah.
124 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be presented to the
125 representatives of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the
126 Nisei Military Intelligence Service.