Facing the Mountain

If you and your family were ordered from your home by your government, deprived of your constitutional rights, and sent to a remote internment camp, would you volunteer to risk your life fighting for your country? Thousands of young Japanese American men did just that when they were isolated as possible spies and traitors after Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Eighteen thousand of these young men signed on as members of the Army’s 442nd Infantry Regiment, composed entirely of second-generation Japanese Americans, and distinguished themselves as some of the bravest Americans who ever lived. Sent into battles… show more.

If you’ve never heard of the 442nd all-Nisei (or second-generation Japanese American) combat regimental team that went on to become the most decorated military unit for its size in American history, or even if you’re a WWII history buff who knows their story in and out, this book will give you a new appreciation of their sacrifice and dedication. I love how Brown places the stories of three 442nd soldiers side-by-side with those of their families who remained in the camps while also interweaving the legal battle of Gordon Hirabayashi who fought against removal and incarceration orders. What… show more.