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00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:05,631
NARRATOR: When a U.S. Battalion is
surrounded by Germans,
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00:00:07,967 --> 00:00:11,929
Soldiers of a segregated Japanese-American
unit fight to reach them.
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00:00:13,556 --> 00:00:16,267
Pinned at the base of what
they would call Suicide Hill,
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00:00:17,060 --> 00:00:19,645
No one moves when
given the order to charge.
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00:00:21,731 --> 00:00:24,984
Until an unlikely hero
steps up to lead the way.
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00:00:31,699 --> 00:00:33,618
NARRATOR: On June 6th, 1944,
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00:00:34,285 --> 00:00:36,996
Allied forces finally land
troops in Normandy
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00:00:39,290 --> 00:00:40,208
to open the western front.
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00:00:43,169 --> 00:00:48,049
But Nazi fanatics and diehards continue
to fight ferociously for survival.
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00:00:54,055 --> 00:00:55,515
D-day was a battle.
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00:00:58,059 --> 00:00:59,393
They still need
to win the war.
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00:01:12,073 --> 00:01:17,912
NARRATOR: Friday, October 27th, 1944.
The Vosges mountains, France.
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00:01:23,417 --> 00:01:25,586
American sergeant Shiro Kashino
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00:01:25,586 --> 00:01:29,465
leads his soldiers along a narrow
path deep in the forest.
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00:01:31,717 --> 00:01:35,221
At 0300 hours they
struggle to see their route.
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00:01:36,764 --> 00:01:39,267
ROBERT: It's almost unimaginable
how dark it is.
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00:01:39,267 --> 00:01:42,186
The overhang of the trees,
the blackness.
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00:01:42,186 --> 00:01:46,274
The total absence of any kind of city
lights that would illuminate the sky
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00:01:47,441 --> 00:01:50,570
{\an8}makes it seem like you're
in the middle of a nightmare.
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00:01:51,696 --> 00:01:55,366
NARRATOR: Afraid the men of the 442nd
regimental combat team
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00:01:55,366 --> 00:01:57,160
will lose their way in the forest,
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00:01:57,660 --> 00:02:02,123
they pin squares of white paper to their
backs for the soldier behind to follow.
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00:02:08,379 --> 00:02:12,133
NARRATOR: Their mission is to rescue part
of a battalion of American soldiers
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00:02:12,133 --> 00:02:14,760
completely cut off by German forces.
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00:02:20,266 --> 00:02:23,519
The other battalion is five
miles away as the crow flies,
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00:02:24,478 --> 00:02:28,482
but the valleys dip and peak,
to greatly increase the distance.
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00:02:32,278 --> 00:02:33,738
When they volunteered for the army,
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00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:39,076
many soldiers of the 442nd lived as
detainees in incarceration camps.
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00:02:42,747 --> 00:02:44,290
NARRATOR: After the bombing
of Pearl Harbor,
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00:02:44,749 --> 00:02:47,960
an executive order signed by
President Franklin Roosevelt
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00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,464
forced Japanese-Americans on
the mainland from their homes.
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00:02:53,299 --> 00:02:57,178
Anyone with 1/16th Japanese
heritage is incarcerated,
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00:02:57,178 --> 00:03:00,765
Including thousands of children,
the elderly and disabled.
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00:03:01,807 --> 00:03:06,103
ROBERT: The government built ten
so-called permanent relocation camps
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00:03:06,103 --> 00:03:11,317
spread across the United States and these
were basically army shelters.
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00:03:11,317 --> 00:03:14,237
They were big barracks
with common latrines,
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00:03:14,737 --> 00:03:17,823
set in the middle of nowhere,
and surrounded by barbed wire,
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00:03:17,823 --> 00:03:22,453
and this would be the home for more
than 100,000 Japanese Americans
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00:03:22,453 --> 00:03:24,538
for the next three
years of their lives.
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00:03:25,539 --> 00:03:30,294
NARRATOR: Japanese-Americans serving in
the military on December 7th, 1941
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00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:34,632
are discharged or
reassigned in February 1942.
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00:03:36,592 --> 00:03:39,136
But many young men in the
camps still volunteer
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00:03:39,136 --> 00:03:44,976
when Roosevelt activates the segregated
442nd regimental combat team a year later.
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00:03:48,104 --> 00:03:50,273
ROBERT: Well you have to
remember, these were boys.
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00:03:50,273 --> 00:03:56,696
They were youth ranging from 17,
18 years old to 21, 22 year old.
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00:03:57,697 --> 00:03:59,031
Some of them were patriots.
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00:03:59,031 --> 00:04:02,159
They wanted to fight to prove
themselves to their country.
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00:04:02,576 --> 00:04:06,330
Some of them just wanted to get out of the
camps. It was a terrible environment.
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00:04:08,499 --> 00:04:11,085
NARRATOR: After training, the
442nd fights in Italy,
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00:04:11,085 --> 00:04:13,421
and then lands in
southern France.
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00:04:15,131 --> 00:04:17,800
ROBERT: They were literally
dodging bullets abroad
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00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,594
and they knew they had to
win to save their lives.
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00:04:22,221 --> 00:04:27,059
On the other hand they also knew they were
representing something about themselves
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00:04:27,059 --> 00:04:31,439
and their people who were still in
the camps or were still in Hawaii.
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00:04:31,439 --> 00:04:36,444
And they understood that this was
a test of who they were as Americans.
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00:04:43,451 --> 00:04:45,369
NARRATOR: After their 3:00 am start,
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00:04:45,369 --> 00:04:49,248
the 442nd arrives at their jump off
point in the late morning.
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00:04:50,207 --> 00:04:53,753
The unit they must rescue
is still three miles away.
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00:04:59,008 --> 00:05:02,762
The lost battalion is from
the 141st infantry regiment,
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00:05:03,512 --> 00:05:08,267
a sister regiment to the 442nd,
within the 36th infantry division.
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00:05:09,727 --> 00:05:12,897
{\an8}The 36th Division was pretty highly
combat experienced by this time.
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00:05:15,441 --> 00:05:19,028
JOHN: It had led the way in the invasion
of South France in August 1944.
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00:05:19,695 --> 00:05:23,157
It had plunged into the
Vosges by September.
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00:05:23,157 --> 00:05:27,161
And here's where the figurative
fun began to kind of end.
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00:05:28,162 --> 00:05:31,957
{\an8}NARRATOR: As the 141st
attacked to take hill 5-9-5,
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00:05:32,958 --> 00:05:35,294
{\an8}First battalion
pulls too far ahead.
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00:05:35,878 --> 00:05:39,298
{\an8}Germans close in from behind and separate
them from their regiment,
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00:05:40,049 --> 00:05:43,719
{\an8}Cutting them off from reinforcement,
resupply and relief.
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00:05:46,806 --> 00:05:49,558
NARRATOR: The encirclement kicks off the
Second World War version
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00:05:49,892 --> 00:05:51,477
of the Lost Battalion saga.
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00:05:52,478 --> 00:05:54,647
JOHN: It was a term left over
from World War I,
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when you had a similar kind of situation,
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where you've had a unit,
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00:06:00,277 --> 00:06:03,656
not really lost because loss
would indicate that, you know,
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00:06:03,656 --> 00:06:05,825
they're gone, or you never
know what happens to them.
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00:06:05,825 --> 00:06:08,702
No, you know precisely where they are.
You just can't get to them.
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00:06:11,247 --> 00:06:13,290
NARRATOR: Lieutenant Martin
Higgins establishes
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00:06:13,290 --> 00:06:16,168
a defensive perimeter to
secure their position.
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00:06:23,384 --> 00:06:28,347
For three days, the cut off battalion
fends off a series of German attacks.
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00:06:32,643 --> 00:06:36,605
All attempts to fight their way out, or
for the regiment to fight their way in,
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00:06:36,605 --> 00:06:37,523
have failed.
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00:06:45,114 --> 00:06:48,200
NARRATOR: As their remaining rations
and ammunition run low,
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00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,579
the situation for the Texan
regiment grows desperate.
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00:06:52,121 --> 00:06:54,915
It's not clear how long they can hang on.
85
00:07:03,591 --> 00:07:06,594
NARRATOR: Sergeant Shiro Kashino and
the members of "I" company
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00:07:06,594 --> 00:07:10,139
fight for every advance in the forest
during the rescue attempt.
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00:07:14,393 --> 00:07:18,564
As they lead the American assault, the
Germans launch a fierce counter-attack.
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00:07:22,276 --> 00:07:24,904
"I" company's left
flank becomes exposed.
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00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:33,120
Kashino identifies a platoon pinned by a
machine gun nest on the slope above.
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00:07:35,331 --> 00:07:39,877
ROBERT: Kashino was a Japanese American
who grew up in Washington State,
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00:07:39,877 --> 00:07:45,174
and he was by all accounts
a kind of all-American boy.
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00:07:45,633 --> 00:07:47,051
He played on the football team.
93
00:07:48,052 --> 00:07:53,307
He found himself uprooted and sent to the
Minidoka relocation camp in Idaho.
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00:07:53,849 --> 00:07:57,436
And I think he was impatient
to get out of Minidoka,
95
00:07:57,811 --> 00:08:01,774
and he saw the army as an
opportunity to prove himself.
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00:08:04,735 --> 00:08:08,739
NARRATOR: Suddenly, Kashino bursts out to
relieve pressure on the trapped platoon.
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00:08:12,910 --> 00:08:15,829
He rushes uphill giving
the Germans a moving target.
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00:08:29,510 --> 00:08:34,557
ROBERT: Kashino distinguished himself as
consistently rising to the challenge.
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00:08:35,849 --> 00:08:39,186
If that meant risking his own
life for the soldiers he was serving,
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00:08:39,186 --> 00:08:41,522
he would do it and he did it,
time and time again.
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00:08:43,732 --> 00:08:44,984
NARRATOR: Kashino succeeds.
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00:08:45,442 --> 00:08:49,572
He draws the German fire to himself, so
the other men are able to advance.
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00:08:52,157 --> 00:08:55,452
He motions for them to loop around
and take out the machine gun nest.
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00:08:57,621 --> 00:08:59,665
Still under intense fire himself,
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00:09:00,082 --> 00:09:03,335
he uses his Thompson submachine gun
to cover their attack.
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00:09:04,003 --> 00:09:08,591
ROBERT: I think that kind of action both
endeared him to his men
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00:09:08,591 --> 00:09:13,012
and proved that soldiers were
capable of doing things,
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00:09:13,178 --> 00:09:14,972
you know, beyond their imaginations.
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00:09:16,432 --> 00:09:18,601
NARRATOR: With the Germans
distracted by his fire,
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00:09:19,018 --> 00:09:21,312
the others can eliminate
the machine gun nest.
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00:09:32,448 --> 00:09:34,074
NARRATOR: As the Americans fight ahead,
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00:09:37,703 --> 00:09:40,289
a German tank creeps into
position above them.
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00:09:43,751 --> 00:09:47,171
The noise and chaos of the
battle have masked its arrival.
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00:09:53,260 --> 00:09:56,930
Tech sergeant Al Takahashi spots
the beast at the last second.
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00:09:57,514 --> 00:10:00,059
- NARRATOR: As its muzzle flares...
- Feuer!
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00:10:01,352 --> 00:10:03,228
He throws himself to the side.
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00:10:09,401 --> 00:10:13,322
NARRATOR: The shell fired by the tank
lands in the dirt beside Al Takahashi,
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00:10:13,781 --> 00:10:17,409
but does not explode.
Thankfully it's a dud.
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00:10:17,910 --> 00:10:21,830
But had he jumped in the other direction,
the impact would've surely killed him.
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00:10:25,292 --> 00:10:27,378
The Americans fight an entrenched enemy,
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00:10:27,378 --> 00:10:31,048
spurred to make any Allied
advance as costly as possible.
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00:10:31,507 --> 00:10:35,219
{\an8}PETER: It's relatively rare in the
war in 1944
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00:10:35,219 --> 00:10:38,097
{\an8}that the Germans encircle an
entire Allied battalion.
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00:10:39,765 --> 00:10:43,519
And this chance now is too
good for the propaganda to lose.
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00:10:43,519 --> 00:10:48,065
So, German troops are ordered
to stop any rescue attempts
126
00:10:48,065 --> 00:10:49,817
from the Americans of this battalion.
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00:10:51,443 --> 00:10:55,447
NARRATOR: Special mountain units are
assigned to reinforce German positions.
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00:10:57,199 --> 00:10:59,118
PETER: Gebirgsjäger, or Mountain Troops,
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00:10:59,535 --> 00:11:03,706
were already founded in the First World
War to defend the Austrian Alps.
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00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:08,085
They are trained to fight under
severe weather conditions.
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00:11:08,585 --> 00:11:10,754
To fight at high altitudes.
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00:11:12,047 --> 00:11:13,590
The peculiarity of the Gebirgsjäger
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00:11:13,590 --> 00:11:17,845
is that they are mostly
recruited from the alpine areas,
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00:11:18,262 --> 00:11:20,139
from Austria and from Bavaria.
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00:11:22,808 --> 00:11:27,646
NARRATOR: Major Franz Seebacher commands
the Heeres-Gebirgsjäger battalion 2-O-1.
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00:11:28,897 --> 00:11:32,901
PETER: Franz Seebacher is a relatively
young battalion commander.
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00:11:32,901 --> 00:11:36,321
He's only 26 years old
when he takes over command.
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00:11:36,905 --> 00:11:40,492
He is an Austrian, initially
enters the Austrian army,
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00:11:40,492 --> 00:11:43,120
later is transferred into the German Army,
140
00:11:43,579 --> 00:11:47,249
and pursues a distinguished career
in the Second World War.
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00:11:49,126 --> 00:11:51,962
NARRATOR: Seebacher moves into
position with 1,000 men
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00:11:51,962 --> 00:11:55,549
armed with machine guns,
light artillery, and mortars.
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00:11:56,508 --> 00:11:58,510
PETER: The Germans have got the maps.
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00:11:58,844 --> 00:12:03,390
They know the region, they know the
strength and weaknesses of the terrain,
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00:12:03,390 --> 00:12:07,811
and they position their troops on the
defense line on the top of the hills
146
00:12:07,811 --> 00:12:10,481
and can fire down on
the Americans in the valley.
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00:12:12,858 --> 00:12:15,110
NARRATOR: The German
counter attack continues
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00:12:15,110 --> 00:12:16,862
with more tank and
artillery fire.
149
00:12:17,279 --> 00:12:18,363
Feuer!
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00:12:24,536 --> 00:12:26,747
NARRATOR: Trees explode
around the soldiers
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00:12:26,747 --> 00:12:29,541
of the 442nd
regimental combat team.
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00:12:30,834 --> 00:12:35,547
ROBERT: Without exception, every soldier I
spoke to spoke about the tree bursts.
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00:12:35,547 --> 00:12:37,049
They were terrified of them.
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00:12:38,634 --> 00:12:41,470
{\an8}If you can imagine being
in a forest with pine trees
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00:12:41,470 --> 00:12:44,890
{\an8}stretching 60, 70 feet
above you, and then suddenly,
156
00:12:44,890 --> 00:12:50,896
{\an8}out of nowhere, artillery
fire opens up and explodes in the trees,
157
00:12:50,896 --> 00:12:54,858
so you're vulnerable not just
to the hail of lead,
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00:12:54,858 --> 00:12:59,196
but to the branches that had been
burst off by this explosion.
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00:13:03,492 --> 00:13:06,328
NARRATOR: Under intense pressure from
German snipers and shells,
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00:13:06,328 --> 00:13:08,455
the Americans must withdraw.
161
00:13:10,999 --> 00:13:12,334
Fall back!
162
00:13:14,586 --> 00:13:16,463
NARRATOR: They halt the German
counter attack,
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00:13:17,756 --> 00:13:21,260
but also cede some of the hard fought
gains of the day's fighting.
164
00:13:22,261 --> 00:13:23,804
It's a painful set back.
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00:13:28,308 --> 00:13:31,603
NARRATOR: Saturday, October 28th, 1944.
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00:13:32,980 --> 00:13:35,440
With their rescuers still
three miles away,
167
00:13:36,233 --> 00:13:38,819
Lieutenant Martin Higgins and
the remains of his battalion
168
00:13:38,819 --> 00:13:43,407
of the 141st infantry regiment
face mounting challenges.
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00:13:46,660 --> 00:13:51,957
After four days of isolation with very
limited rations, they're slowly starving.
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00:13:57,212 --> 00:13:59,506
But drinking water is
their biggest concern.
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00:14:01,717 --> 00:14:03,886
JOHN: You just simply
have to have access to it.
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00:14:03,886 --> 00:14:05,888
If your soldiers are
dehydrating over time,
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00:14:05,888 --> 00:14:08,724
it doesn't necessarily mean
they're going to keel over dead any minute
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00:14:08,724 --> 00:14:11,143
{\an8}but it does mean as they're
more and more dehydrated,
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00:14:11,143 --> 00:14:13,186
{\an8}they become less combat effective.
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00:14:15,439 --> 00:14:16,440
NARRATOR: Just beyond their perimeter,
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00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:19,902
a muddy puddle provides their only
source of drinking water.
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00:14:21,153 --> 00:14:23,697
And worse, they have to
share it with the enemy.
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00:14:25,574 --> 00:14:28,201
A dead body would
contaminate the supply.
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00:14:29,119 --> 00:14:32,623
So, both sides avoid
shooting any one nearby.
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00:14:33,916 --> 00:14:37,294
But even without a corpse,
it may not be safe to drink.
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00:14:38,128 --> 00:14:39,087
JOHN: There's a recognition,
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00:14:39,087 --> 00:14:41,757
that you're going to have to get
stream water, river water,
184
00:14:41,757 --> 00:14:45,135
all those kinds of things where there are
microorganisms that can make you sick.
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00:14:45,969 --> 00:14:50,641
So, Halazone tablets were vital to
purify the water that you're drinking.
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00:14:52,267 --> 00:14:54,144
NARRATOR: Halazone is a
chemical compound,
187
00:14:54,144 --> 00:14:56,730
that uses chlorine to kill
bacteria and parasites.
188
00:14:57,773 --> 00:14:59,816
Debate over the effectiveness of chlorine
189
00:14:59,816 --> 00:15:03,445
delayed Halazone's
widespread use until 1944,
190
00:15:03,987 --> 00:15:06,198
when research proved
it safe and effective.
191
00:15:07,282 --> 00:15:10,869
Two dissolved halazone tablets
make a canteen of water drinkable
192
00:15:10,869 --> 00:15:12,287
in about 10 minutes.
193
00:15:13,538 --> 00:15:16,041
Four tablets can be
used for muddy water.
194
00:15:17,167 --> 00:15:20,379
It's a low tech, portable
water purification system.
195
00:15:24,883 --> 00:15:29,054
NARRATOR: The lost battalion's initial
supply of tablets only lasted for one day.
196
00:15:29,805 --> 00:15:32,808
They desperately need more Halazone, food,
197
00:15:32,808 --> 00:15:37,312
medical supplies for the wounded,
and batteries for the radio.
198
00:15:38,313 --> 00:15:40,816
The first attempt to
resupply by air failed
199
00:15:40,816 --> 00:15:44,486
when cloud cover made it
impossible to identify their location.
200
00:15:47,489 --> 00:15:49,449
But the pilots remain determined.
201
00:15:50,325 --> 00:15:53,161
- Now with the sound of P-47s in the air...
- Alright, guys.
202
00:15:53,495 --> 00:15:56,373
Higgins and the men get ready for
the delivery of provisions.
203
00:15:57,749 --> 00:16:01,545
They've prepared a visual cue to alert
the aircraft of their position.
204
00:16:02,879 --> 00:16:05,632
JOHN: They're going to try and
signal by taking off anything
205
00:16:06,008 --> 00:16:10,053
that's light colored or white colored that
they can use to string together
206
00:16:10,053 --> 00:16:13,724
that might catch a
pilot's eye as he's flying over.
207
00:16:15,642 --> 00:16:17,185
NARRATOR: The fabric creates a signal.
208
00:16:17,936 --> 00:16:20,480
With the lost battalion
surrounded by Germans,
209
00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,900
the pilots must drop the
canisters in the right spot.
210
00:16:34,911 --> 00:16:38,498
NARRATOR: Higgins and the men watch as
the containers float down from the sky.
211
00:16:49,051 --> 00:16:52,429
And one by one, they
land in enemy territory.
212
00:17:00,604 --> 00:17:03,482
All the supplies
fall into German hands.
213
00:17:06,485 --> 00:17:07,819
JOHN: You talk about going
from the high to the low,
214
00:17:09,362 --> 00:17:11,948
Here comes the planes,
here comes our supplies.
215
00:17:11,948 --> 00:17:15,786
Awesome. I'm going to get to eat,
I'm going to get maybe some water
216
00:17:16,203 --> 00:17:20,082
and it's like, "No, I'm not getting that.
My mortal enemy is getting that."
217
00:17:23,210 --> 00:17:24,461
NARRATOR: Without re-supply,
218
00:17:24,461 --> 00:17:27,798
the lost battalion's situation
grows more desperate.
219
00:17:30,133 --> 00:17:33,762
JOHN: Higgins is probably worried about
the steady decline of his command.
220
00:17:34,221 --> 00:17:36,306
He's got more and
more people wounded.
221
00:17:36,306 --> 00:17:38,225
Fewer medical supplies
to take care of them.
222
00:17:38,975 --> 00:17:42,604
He's probably worried about conserving
his ammo. And there's the unknown.
223
00:17:42,979 --> 00:17:44,523
Is help going to be
able to get to you?
224
00:17:47,484 --> 00:17:49,903
NARRATOR: Suddenly, the
Americans in the perimeter
225
00:17:49,903 --> 00:17:52,614
hear the sound of an
incoming artillery shell.
226
00:17:53,323 --> 00:17:55,158
(explosion)
227
00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:04,709
NARRATOR: As part of the
36th infantry division,
228
00:18:04,709 --> 00:18:09,464
the lost battalion is under the command of
American Major General, John Dahlquist.
229
00:18:09,464 --> 00:18:10,590
The 141st is pinned down, sir.
230
00:18:11,174 --> 00:18:14,970
Annoyed that the 141st could
not rescue their own men,
231
00:18:14,970 --> 00:18:20,475
Dahlquist had called in the 442nd
regimental combat team to do the job.
232
00:18:22,310 --> 00:18:25,564
He continues to be frustrated by
the failure of the rescue
233
00:18:25,564 --> 00:18:27,357
and floundering relief attempts.
234
00:18:27,357 --> 00:18:28,942
Let's go! Let's go!
235
00:18:28,942 --> 00:18:31,236
JOHN: I think his impatience
is pretty understandable.
236
00:18:32,529 --> 00:18:34,823
He's got a battalion of
his guys that's cut off.
237
00:18:34,823 --> 00:18:38,493
He's got other units that need
to fight their way to them.
238
00:18:39,369 --> 00:18:41,371
The last thing on Earth that he wants
239
00:18:41,371 --> 00:18:45,250
is one of his battalions to be destroyed,
obviously for its own sake,
240
00:18:46,042 --> 00:18:49,671
but this also can be devastating
to a division's morale,
241
00:18:50,130 --> 00:18:51,756
to its fighting prowess.
242
00:18:52,299 --> 00:18:55,093
NARRATOR: To deliver essential
rations and supplies,
243
00:18:55,093 --> 00:18:59,556
Dahlquist plans to fire
artillery shells on his own men.
244
00:19:01,641 --> 00:19:05,687
Well behind the line, items like
concentrated food rations,
245
00:19:05,687 --> 00:19:08,481
water purification tablets
and medical supplies,
246
00:19:08,481 --> 00:19:11,359
are carefully wrapped and
inserted into hollow shells.
247
00:19:14,696 --> 00:19:15,864
You fire them into the perimeter,
248
00:19:15,864 --> 00:19:17,532
because you don't really
have to worry about weather
249
00:19:17,532 --> 00:19:20,869
and your observers know where the
isolated battalion is.
250
00:19:21,870 --> 00:19:24,581
{\an8}But it is, you know, a reasonably
ingenious kind of solution to this,
251
00:19:24,581 --> 00:19:26,583
but it's only a very temporary patch,
252
00:19:27,292 --> 00:19:32,047
{\an8}it's designed to get you by for a few more
hours until you figure out a better way.
253
00:19:34,257 --> 00:19:38,261
NARRATOR: A smoke shell lands outside the
lost battalion's defensive perimeter.
254
00:19:42,265 --> 00:19:45,185
It has been fired to confirm
the coordinates of their camp.
255
00:19:49,564 --> 00:19:52,609
With a series of adjustments
from their artillery observer,
256
00:19:54,236 --> 00:19:57,239
The shells start to
explode overhead.
257
00:20:00,492 --> 00:20:03,745
They land in the trees and spill
rations on to the ground.
258
00:20:12,545 --> 00:20:17,217
Once collected, the meagre supplies are
shared amongst more than 200 soldiers
259
00:20:17,217 --> 00:20:19,177
who continue to hold
out on the hilltop.
260
00:20:25,850 --> 00:20:29,604
NARRATOR: Meanwhile, the rescue force
continues their approach.
261
00:20:31,898 --> 00:20:34,693
With little ground gained,
Sergeant Shiro Kashino
262
00:20:34,693 --> 00:20:38,571
and the other men of the 442nd
regimental combat team
263
00:20:38,571 --> 00:20:41,324
dig in for the second night
of their relief mission.
264
00:20:43,952 --> 00:20:48,873
In contrast to the Sergeant,
Private Barney Hajiro grew up in Hawaii,
265
00:20:48,873 --> 00:20:50,500
and was not incarcerated.
266
00:20:51,710 --> 00:20:55,130
And unlike Kashino, Hajiro's
considered a problem soldier.
267
00:20:56,631 --> 00:20:59,551
ROBERT: Barney Hajiro was a
fascinating character
268
00:20:59,551 --> 00:21:03,680
because he had a reputation from
the day he was in the army
269
00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:08,935
{\an8}of being both a kind of slacker
and a kind of trouble maker.
270
00:21:09,519 --> 00:21:12,814
He was a fiery youth
who got in fist fights,
271
00:21:12,814 --> 00:21:18,236
and constantly was in trouble both with
his peers and with his commanders.
272
00:21:18,236 --> 00:21:20,655
Okay guys.
Prepare to move out.
273
00:21:21,072 --> 00:21:24,576
NARRATOR: Now he and the others face
another long, wet night.
274
00:21:33,501 --> 00:21:36,588
In the middle of the forest
there are no comfortable billets,
275
00:21:36,588 --> 00:21:38,131
comfortable billets, or
structures of any kind.
276
00:21:38,673 --> 00:21:44,220
ROBERT: It was the end of October.
It was starting to turn into winter.
277
00:21:44,220 --> 00:21:49,017
It was cold, it started to
rain, and their nightly routine
278
00:21:49,017 --> 00:21:52,771
was to dig a trench,
huddle into it,
279
00:21:52,771 --> 00:21:57,817
hope they were protected against tree
bursts, and just tuck in for the night.
280
00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:04,240
NARRATOR: Another ongoing problem is
supplying the 442nd with food.
281
00:22:05,241 --> 00:22:09,829
As with the lost battalion, the rescuers
also have had an unstable supply line.
282
00:22:11,414 --> 00:22:15,210
The isolation and the terrain makes it
difficult for trucks to reach the front.
283
00:22:17,545 --> 00:22:20,590
3rd battalion commander,
Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Pursall
284
00:22:20,590 --> 00:22:24,928
calls for volunteers to retrieve
rations delivered to a nearby road,
285
00:22:27,222 --> 00:22:29,724
Kashino agrees to lead the supply run,
286
00:22:32,185 --> 00:22:34,687
but is reluctant to depart immediately.
287
00:22:35,605 --> 00:22:42,362
ROBERT: Kashino sensibly pointed
out that the noise of the supply trucks
288
00:22:42,362 --> 00:22:44,864
would attract the
attention of the Germans.
289
00:22:46,783 --> 00:22:48,326
NARRATOR: He wants to wait for an hour,
290
00:22:48,326 --> 00:22:51,079
in case the Germans target
the delivery location.
291
00:22:52,497 --> 00:22:56,376
But Pursall disagrees
and issues a direct order.
292
00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:00,213
Alright guys, listen up!
I need five volunteers.
293
00:23:00,213 --> 00:23:04,217
ROBERT: So, he got up and gave his men the
order to follow him down the trail
294
00:23:04,217 --> 00:23:06,261
to the supply trucks.
295
00:23:12,308 --> 00:23:15,937
NARRATOR: Kashino leads his men
through the dark, quiet forest.
296
00:23:28,992 --> 00:23:33,246
NARRATOR: In the distance, the supply
trucks make their way up a narrow road.
297
00:23:45,842 --> 00:23:51,556
Before the soldiers can advance more than
200 yards, there is a massive explosion.
298
00:23:55,852 --> 00:23:59,481
NARRATOR: As Sergeant Shiro Kashino leads
his men down a dark mountain path
299
00:23:59,481 --> 00:24:00,857
to meet their supply trucks,
300
00:24:02,108 --> 00:24:04,444
the forest around them
bursts into flames.
301
00:24:06,946 --> 00:24:10,992
{\an8}Exactly what Kashino predicted
would happen did happen.
302
00:24:10,992 --> 00:24:16,039
The Germans were able to locate the troops
from the noise of the supply train
303
00:24:16,289 --> 00:24:17,957
and they opened fire.
304
00:24:24,047 --> 00:24:27,675
NARRATOR: The soldiers of the
442nd regimental combat team
305
00:24:27,675 --> 00:24:29,260
do not have time
to find cover.
306
00:24:30,637 --> 00:24:32,680
The barrage is too intense.
307
00:24:39,437 --> 00:24:41,648
The blast injures eight men.
308
00:24:45,193 --> 00:24:48,321
When the fire lifts, Kashino
and the others less injured
309
00:24:48,321 --> 00:24:50,573
help the wounded
to the aid station.
310
00:24:56,663 --> 00:24:59,916
Later, when Kashino arrives at
the battalion command post,
311
00:24:59,916 --> 00:25:03,336
he finds Lieutenant
Colonel Alfred Pursall.
312
00:25:06,256 --> 00:25:08,591
NARRATOR: Kashino calls out his commanding officer
313
00:25:08,591 --> 00:25:11,469
for putting them in a needlessly
dangerous situation.
314
00:25:11,469 --> 00:25:12,929
Those men died out
there because of you!
315
00:25:12,929 --> 00:25:14,514
He adds that any of
the men would rather starve
316
00:25:14,514 --> 00:25:17,684
than for others to suffer the
casualties caused by the order.
317
00:25:18,601 --> 00:25:22,105
From a military perspective,
Kashino crosses a line.
318
00:25:22,105 --> 00:25:24,274
Sergeant,
that's how the army works.
319
00:25:24,274 --> 00:25:27,944
ROBERT: It's a complete
violation of military law.
320
00:25:27,944 --> 00:25:32,198
A junior ranking
non-commissioned officer
321
00:25:32,198 --> 00:25:37,078
cannot question the
direct orders of a superior.
322
00:25:44,377 --> 00:25:46,588
NARRATOR: With the attack
on the supply detail,
323
00:25:46,921 --> 00:25:50,883
casualties amongst the Japanese-American
soldiers continue to mount
324
00:25:50,883 --> 00:25:54,137
across their front, after two
days of fighting to rescue
325
00:25:54,137 --> 00:25:56,431
the members of the 141st
infantry regiment.
326
00:25:59,892 --> 00:26:04,480
{\an8}And the lost battalion still remains about
two miles past their present location.
327
00:26:06,983 --> 00:26:09,485
ROBERT: They would advance
through the dark forest,
328
00:26:10,153 --> 00:26:14,490
they would meet a hail of
machine gun fire, duck for cover,
329
00:26:15,992 --> 00:26:18,328
and then they would crawl up
the hill a little bit more.
330
00:26:22,457 --> 00:26:25,918
As a result, the men really
never knew where they were.
331
00:26:26,836 --> 00:26:30,632
They just knew that somewhere out there
someone was firing a gun at them,
332
00:26:30,632 --> 00:26:32,050
and they had to keep going.
333
00:26:39,932 --> 00:26:42,935
Sunday October 29th, 1944.
334
00:26:45,563 --> 00:26:46,689
In the morning fighting,
335
00:26:46,689 --> 00:26:50,151
the soldiers from the Japanese
American unit gain a little ground
336
00:26:50,151 --> 00:26:52,278
against the entrenched German defenses.
337
00:26:54,989 --> 00:26:59,369
But for 36th infantry division commander
Major General John Dahlquist,
338
00:26:59,661 --> 00:27:00,953
this is not good enough.
339
00:27:03,414 --> 00:27:06,084
Dahlquist believes that there
should be more progress.
340
00:27:08,252 --> 00:27:11,714
He takes the unusual step of visiting
the front during the battle.
341
00:27:11,714 --> 00:27:12,632
Forward!
Come on!
342
00:27:13,466 --> 00:27:15,426
JOHN: He does not trust his leaders.
343
00:27:15,426 --> 00:27:19,097
And in that sense, perhaps he's more of
a micromanager than is necessary.
344
00:27:21,307 --> 00:27:24,727
JOHN: This is something that
should be an incredible force multiplier,
345
00:27:24,894 --> 00:27:27,772
{\an8}to have a two-star general right
there in the front line saying,
346
00:27:27,772 --> 00:27:30,692
{\an8}"Hey, you know what? I'm not just telling
you guys to go forward.
347
00:27:30,692 --> 00:27:32,568
{\an8}"I'm leading you forward."
348
00:27:35,571 --> 00:27:38,991
As barrages descend, the men are
forced to take cover.
349
00:27:43,162 --> 00:27:46,040
JOHN: Dahlquist never really adjusts to
the reality of the moment,
350
00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:48,418
of saying, "Oh, now I see what
you guys are up against."
351
00:27:49,711 --> 00:27:53,506
NARRATOR: Instead, he causes confusion by
ignoring the chain of command.
352
00:27:53,923 --> 00:27:57,218
He engages directly with the soldiers
and badgers them to advance.
353
00:27:59,220 --> 00:28:00,847
Finally, 3rd battalion commander,
354
00:28:00,847 --> 00:28:04,100
Lieutenant-Colonel Pursall
reaches a breaking point.
355
00:28:04,100 --> 00:28:05,017
These are my boys!
356
00:28:05,017 --> 00:28:07,061
He shouts for
Dahlquist to get off his front.
357
00:28:11,941 --> 00:28:15,027
For Lieutenant Colonel Pursall to turn on
the General this way,
358
00:28:15,027 --> 00:28:17,447
he would have to be
completely at his wits end.
359
00:28:18,364 --> 00:28:20,199
And from an enlisted
soldier's perspective,
360
00:28:20,199 --> 00:28:24,746
to see these two key authority
figures bickering in this way
361
00:28:24,746 --> 00:28:30,209
does nothing for your unity and morale
to go forward on this mission.
362
00:28:34,255 --> 00:28:36,883
NARRATOR: Within the lost
battalion's defensive perimeter,
363
00:28:38,092 --> 00:28:40,386
The sound of planes
again fills the air,
364
00:28:40,386 --> 00:28:43,473
with the goal of dispensing
lifesaving supplies.
365
00:28:45,516 --> 00:28:50,605
It's the third attempt to deliver goods by
air drop, and it proves successful.
366
00:28:53,065 --> 00:28:57,195
Food, medical supplies, and
ammunition spill out from canisters.
367
00:28:58,654 --> 00:29:02,158
It all buys Lieutenant Martin
Higgins and his men some relief.
368
00:29:04,869 --> 00:29:09,040
JOHN: It's gotten better. It's gotten more
manageable, but it is not at an end.
369
00:29:09,290 --> 00:29:10,750
You hope in that time,
370
00:29:10,750 --> 00:29:13,544
that friendly forces are going to be
able to fight their way to you.
371
00:29:13,544 --> 00:29:16,589
Until that happens,
your crisis has not ended.
372
00:29:22,261 --> 00:29:24,847
NARRATOR: In the meantime, Sergeant Shiro Kashino
373
00:29:24,847 --> 00:29:27,934
and the soldiers of 3rd
battalion of the 442nd
374
00:29:28,184 --> 00:29:30,728
have fought to close in
on the lost battalion.
375
00:29:35,233 --> 00:29:38,361
{\an8}They face another advance
across treacherous terrain.
376
00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:42,073
{\an8}At the end of the ridge,
just over a mile away,
377
00:29:42,323 --> 00:29:44,575
{\an8}Higgins and his men
wait for rescue.
378
00:29:48,830 --> 00:29:51,958
But to get there, third
battalion must clear the slope.
379
00:29:55,044 --> 00:29:58,965
The dug in German soldiers
exact a toll for every gain.
380
00:30:04,428 --> 00:30:11,102
Even as they try to ascend, the German
fire closes in from all around them.
381
00:30:18,776 --> 00:30:20,570
NARRATOR: After trying to outflank
the Germans,
382
00:30:21,279 --> 00:30:26,242
members of the 442nd regimental combat
team have stalled along a narrow front,
383
00:30:26,242 --> 00:30:28,911
in their quest
to reach the lost battalion.
384
00:30:33,916 --> 00:30:36,752
ROBERT: The battle was really
one of inches,
385
00:30:36,961 --> 00:30:40,214
and they were almost
helplessly pinned down.
386
00:30:40,590 --> 00:30:44,135
{\an8}And not knowing where the next
explosion would come from,
387
00:30:44,135 --> 00:30:46,512
{\an8}not knowing where the next
grenade would be thrown,
388
00:30:46,512 --> 00:30:49,265
{\an8}not knowing where the next
machine gun fire would open up.
389
00:30:52,685 --> 00:30:53,686
Fix bayonets now!
390
00:30:54,562 --> 00:30:57,899
NARRATOR: An order comes
down the line: Fix bayonets.
391
00:31:00,067 --> 00:31:04,113
A bayonet is a knife blade attached
to the end of a military rifle.
392
00:31:04,906 --> 00:31:08,409
Soldiers train to wield
bayonets in a thrusting motion
393
00:31:08,409 --> 00:31:10,912
to cause deep and
fatal internal wounds.
394
00:31:11,329 --> 00:31:12,914
But they're rarely used.
395
00:31:13,414 --> 00:31:16,042
JOHN: A lot of people would rather be in a
gunfight than a knife fight,
396
00:31:16,042 --> 00:31:19,587
because a knife fight is very personal,
and very much physical and all that,
397
00:31:19,587 --> 00:31:21,923
versus just trading bullets with
someone in the abstract.
398
00:31:22,340 --> 00:31:25,426
The bayonet is really the
desperation kind of weapon.
399
00:31:25,801 --> 00:31:28,179
{\an8}An officer gives an order to
fix bayonets only under
400
00:31:28,179 --> 00:31:29,931
{\an8}the most desperate circumstances.
401
00:31:31,599 --> 00:31:33,351
NARRATOR: As the soldiers
attach the blades,
402
00:31:33,643 --> 00:31:37,313
they discover that any discernible
movement attracts a hail of bullets
403
00:31:37,313 --> 00:31:39,273
from the German defenders above.
404
00:31:42,109 --> 00:31:45,947
NARRATOR: Trapped and exposed,
more men are shot,
405
00:31:47,865 --> 00:31:50,451
including sergeant Shiro Kashino.
406
00:31:50,826 --> 00:31:55,289
ROBERT: We don't know a lot except that he
was constantly exposing himself to fire,
407
00:31:56,207 --> 00:32:00,670
and at a certain point he was wounded for
the third time within a matter of days
408
00:32:04,173 --> 00:32:07,218
NARRATOR: Barney Hajiro sees that his
platoon leader is bleeding.
409
00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:10,304
He insists that
Kashino seek medical care.
410
00:32:12,098 --> 00:32:17,436
Years later Hajiro would tell me, almost
with incredulity that, you know,
411
00:32:18,104 --> 00:32:22,400
"Here I am, I'm a private and I'm telling
a sergeant he's gotta go back,"
412
00:32:22,942 --> 00:32:28,447
and he was amazed that Kashino, who had
never turned away from any challenge,
413
00:32:29,031 --> 00:32:33,160
must've been so wounded that
he in fact did go back.
414
00:32:53,222 --> 00:32:56,142
NARRATOR: Overlooking the ridge,
Major Franz Seebacher
415
00:32:56,142 --> 00:32:58,936
observes the American
forces amassing below.
416
00:32:59,562 --> 00:33:03,566
{\an8}The Americans don't receive
a lot of support from the air
417
00:33:03,816 --> 00:33:05,985
{\an8}or support of armor or artillery.
418
00:33:06,569 --> 00:33:08,029
They are fighting
like the Germans.
419
00:33:08,446 --> 00:33:14,827
A battle of attrition and both sides
are low on ammunition and men.
420
00:33:16,078 --> 00:33:18,873
In the end, it is a
brutal place to fight.
421
00:33:20,499 --> 00:33:22,793
NARRATOR: But Seebacher knows
he has no choice.
422
00:33:22,793 --> 00:33:25,212
They must protect these heights of land,
423
00:33:25,212 --> 00:33:29,800
to have any chance of halting the Allied
advance before they reach the Rhine river.
424
00:33:37,933 --> 00:33:41,771
Still pinned down on the ridge
by heavy machine gun fire from above,
425
00:33:42,104 --> 00:33:44,440
the Americans receive the order to charge.
426
00:33:47,318 --> 00:33:51,447
But for an instant, no one, including
Private Barney Hajiro, advances.
427
00:33:55,284 --> 00:33:58,996
ROBERT: Hajiro told me many years later
that you can't go backwards,
428
00:33:58,996 --> 00:34:00,539
you can only go forwards.
429
00:34:01,749 --> 00:34:04,543
He looked at his men, he saw
that they were pinned down,
430
00:34:05,169 --> 00:34:08,506
he knew that they would all die on
that hill if they didn't do something.
431
00:34:09,256 --> 00:34:11,383
NARRATOR: With his Browning
automatic rifle ready,
432
00:34:11,759 --> 00:34:13,969
Hajiro locates extra ammunition
433
00:34:13,969 --> 00:34:18,432
and turns to his assistant B.A.R. man,
Private Takeyasu Onaga.
434
00:34:19,266 --> 00:34:22,603
Onaga tells Hajiro to
take his P-38 if he gets shot.
435
00:34:25,898 --> 00:34:28,901
ROBERT: Hajiro remembered
that very vividly,
436
00:34:28,901 --> 00:34:33,906
that a look of sadness just crossed
his fox hole buddy's face.
437
00:34:34,365 --> 00:34:38,577
And it was probably in that
split second before Hajiro stood up
438
00:34:38,577 --> 00:34:40,704
and started leading the charge.
439
00:34:48,003 --> 00:34:51,048
NARRATOR: With Hajiro in the lead,
the rest of "I" company follows.
440
00:34:53,843 --> 00:34:56,929
ROBERT: I think the best part
of him came out in battle,
441
00:34:57,179 --> 00:35:02,768
and it's one of those strange
circumstances that men can be tested,
442
00:35:03,310 --> 00:35:07,439
and find within themselves resources
that they never knew they had.
443
00:35:08,190 --> 00:35:11,110
And I think that was
very true of Barney Hajiro.
444
00:35:15,322 --> 00:35:19,577
NARRATOR: Men are immediately cut down by
machine gun fire and artillery blasts.
445
00:35:26,584 --> 00:35:31,046
Close on the heels of his
friend, Assistant B.A.R. man Onaga
446
00:35:31,046 --> 00:35:34,133
stops to lift a tree that
has fallen on a fellow soldier.
447
00:35:44,185 --> 00:35:46,896
Onaga then continues his
advance up the hill,
448
00:35:51,984 --> 00:35:54,278
targeting enemy
soldiers with a grenade.
449
00:36:03,913 --> 00:36:07,249
Without warning, a
bullet rips into his throat.
450
00:36:15,007 --> 00:36:17,134
Hajiro sees his friend fall.
451
00:36:22,473 --> 00:36:26,810
ROBERT: I think he was angry.
I think he was horror stricken,
452
00:36:28,229 --> 00:36:32,107
and also remember he was
losing his ammunition man.
453
00:36:32,650 --> 00:36:35,986
So he knew he had a
magazine to make his point,
454
00:36:44,536 --> 00:36:47,665
and he ran like a mad man
firing all the way.
455
00:36:56,799 --> 00:37:00,344
NARRATOR: The soldiers of the German
201st mountain batallion
456
00:37:00,344 --> 00:37:02,638
hold steady against
the American attackers.
457
00:37:06,350 --> 00:37:08,477
PETER: It's undoubtedly unnerving to see
458
00:37:08,477 --> 00:37:12,064
men coming up the hill,
screaming and shouting.
459
00:37:12,564 --> 00:37:16,860
{\an8}This is a situation when the
war gets purely emotional
460
00:37:17,069 --> 00:37:18,570
{\an8}and totally unpredictable.
461
00:37:25,035 --> 00:37:26,537
NARRATOR: Pinned down for days,
462
00:37:26,537 --> 00:37:30,165
the stalemate breaks
and taking prisoners isn't a priority.
463
00:37:32,918 --> 00:37:36,130
Private Barney Hajiro
continues his charge up the hill,
464
00:37:36,130 --> 00:37:37,631
and locates another machine gun nest.
465
00:37:41,260 --> 00:37:44,638
ROBERT: A BAR weighs 15 or 20 pounds,
you're wearing you're helmet,
466
00:37:44,847 --> 00:37:47,850
you're carrying this equipment.
You're running up a steep hill.
467
00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:49,518
I don't know how he did it.
468
00:37:49,977 --> 00:37:54,523
{\an8}You have to have a rush of adrenaline that
just powers you through these things.
469
00:38:02,031 --> 00:38:06,160
NARRATOR: He continues to climb, but as he
approaches a third machine gun nest,
470
00:38:06,452 --> 00:38:07,786
his luck runs out.
471
00:38:12,041 --> 00:38:14,877
ROBERT: Barney just felt this
bullet rip through his arm,
472
00:38:15,961 --> 00:38:20,758
and he had to fall but by that
time you know his men were behind him,
473
00:38:20,758 --> 00:38:22,217
they were taking out the Germans.
474
00:38:24,762 --> 00:38:29,266
What he set out to do he accomplished.
That is lead this charge up the hill.
475
00:38:36,523 --> 00:38:39,526
NARRATOR: The medic wants to send
Hajiro down to the first aid post,
476
00:38:39,526 --> 00:38:42,071
but he refuses.
477
00:38:44,573 --> 00:38:48,702
NARRATOR: He lost his BAR, but
his fighting spirit was still there,
478
00:38:48,911 --> 00:38:51,705
he said, "If I had a
gun I would've kept firing".
479
00:38:52,039 --> 00:38:54,708
- Get outta here!
- I'm okay! I'll keep fighting!
480
00:38:54,917 --> 00:38:58,253
NARRATOR: In the end, Hajiro acknowledges
the gravity of his injury
481
00:38:58,253 --> 00:39:02,174
and agrees to withdraw,
though he refuses help.
482
00:39:11,975 --> 00:39:15,270
ROBERT: He wanted to make sure that the
people who needed help more than he did
483
00:39:15,270 --> 00:39:16,188
could get it,
484
00:39:17,815 --> 00:39:23,028
and I think it's a kind of
badge of honor to be the last man
485
00:39:23,028 --> 00:39:26,782
and to make sure that everybody
else is taken care of before you are.
486
00:39:29,201 --> 00:39:33,747
NARRATOR: After losing Shiro Kashino and
Barney Hajiro, along with numerous others,
487
00:39:34,748 --> 00:39:37,459
the 442nd pushes the Germans back.
488
00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:43,257
But they've not yet made contact
with the lost battalion.
489
00:39:46,635 --> 00:39:49,263
The next morning, on Monday, October 30th,
490
00:39:50,139 --> 00:39:54,309
a patrol of Japanese-American soldiers
advances through the woods.
491
00:39:57,312 --> 00:39:59,940
ROBERT: The battlefield was deserted,
there was a strange calm,
492
00:39:59,940 --> 00:40:02,651
and so they inched forward,
493
00:40:02,651 --> 00:40:04,945
not knowing exactly what to expect,
494
00:40:04,945 --> 00:40:07,865
being afraid that maybe there were
machine guns awaiting them.
495
00:40:07,865 --> 00:40:09,533
Maybe there was more mortar fire.
496
00:40:12,411 --> 00:40:17,916
NARRATOR: They discover a communications
wire and decide to follow it.
497
00:40:23,797 --> 00:40:28,635
{\an8}When you've got two friendly units in
such close proximity, it's always dicey.
498
00:40:28,635 --> 00:40:33,098
I think now also within the forest, given
what's happened for almost a week,
499
00:40:33,098 --> 00:40:35,809
I think that only adds
to the stress level.
500
00:40:40,856 --> 00:40:42,816
NARRATOR: They detect movement
and ready themselves.
501
00:40:45,611 --> 00:40:47,905
A figure emerges
from behind a tree.
502
00:40:49,448 --> 00:40:52,242
It's a fellow American
from the lost battalion.
503
00:40:54,703 --> 00:40:59,458
ROBERT: Mutt Sakumoto, who was the first
one to encounter the Los Battalion,
504
00:40:59,458 --> 00:41:03,420
didn't know what to say and so he
just sort of fumbled and said,
505
00:41:03,420 --> 00:41:05,005
"Hey, you guys want some cigarettes?"
506
00:41:05,506 --> 00:41:09,760
And that turned out to be a
just a great, humble,
507
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:14,056
wonderful acknowledgement of what
both sides had been through.
508
00:41:15,265 --> 00:41:19,228
A cigarette was just a great relief after
the horrors they had experienced.
509
00:41:27,194 --> 00:41:29,613
NARRATOR: After seven days of isolation,
510
00:41:29,613 --> 00:41:35,285
the surviving members of first battalion,
141st infantry regiment, are rescued.
511
00:41:35,827 --> 00:41:40,832
Of the original 274 soldiers,
211 descend the hill,
512
00:41:41,124 --> 00:41:42,584
Including 32 wounded.
513
00:41:46,505 --> 00:41:47,589
NARRATOR: There's much press coverage,
514
00:41:48,382 --> 00:41:51,009
but the images released by
the United States Army
515
00:41:51,009 --> 00:41:54,054
do not acknowledge the role of
the Japanese-American soldiers
516
00:41:54,054 --> 00:41:56,598
who sacrificed so much.
517
00:42:01,228 --> 00:42:05,983
From the segregated 442nd,
52 are killed during the mission
518
00:42:06,441 --> 00:42:08,193
and 280 are wounded.
519
00:42:08,694 --> 00:42:12,072
Their casualties likely exceed
the number of men rescued.
520
00:42:15,576 --> 00:42:20,872
Two weeks later, Major General
John Dahlquist orders the 442nd assembled
521
00:42:20,872 --> 00:42:24,293
to award a presidential unit
citation for the action.
522
00:42:25,794 --> 00:42:29,881
He's angry when the number of soldiers
present was lower than he expected.
523
00:42:30,882 --> 00:42:32,676
One of his officers
has to inform him:
524
00:42:33,552 --> 00:42:36,430
"That's all that's
left of the 442nd, sir."
525
00:42:41,018 --> 00:42:45,314
After he recovers, Sergeant Shiro
Kashino continues to fight.
526
00:42:45,814 --> 00:42:48,734
He will earn a Silver Star,
two Bronze Stars,
527
00:42:48,734 --> 00:42:51,403
and six Purple Hearts
for his service.
528
00:42:52,195 --> 00:42:54,531
While nominated for a
Distinguished Service Cross,
529
00:42:54,906 --> 00:42:58,452
He's wrongfully convicted by
court martial and stripped of his rank
530
00:42:58,452 --> 00:43:00,329
and disqualified for the medal.
531
00:43:01,872 --> 00:43:06,627
More than 50 years later, a military
investigation clears Kashino's name.
532
00:43:07,461 --> 00:43:09,796
ROBERT: His fellow soldiers
petitioned the army
533
00:43:09,796 --> 00:43:11,757
for some recognition
after many years,
534
00:43:11,757 --> 00:43:16,345
which he finally got, but unfortunately
about six months after he died.
535
00:43:20,307 --> 00:43:22,100
NARRATOR: While Private Barney Hajiro
536
00:43:22,100 --> 00:43:24,519
is nominated for the Congressional
Medal of Honor,
537
00:43:24,936 --> 00:43:27,689
He receives the Distinguished
Service Cross instead,
538
00:43:27,939 --> 00:43:29,858
because of his
Japanese heritage.
539
00:43:31,652 --> 00:43:34,863
It would take more than
55 years for the American government
540
00:43:34,863 --> 00:43:36,823
to acknowledge that
he had rightfully earned
541
00:43:36,823 --> 00:43:39,159
the nation's highest military award.
542
00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:44,665
{\an8}It was conferred on June 21st, 2000
by President Bill Clinton.
543
00:43:48,335 --> 00:43:50,003
{\an8}By the end of World War II,
544
00:43:50,253 --> 00:43:53,799
{\an8}the 442nd regimental
combat team proves to be
545
00:43:53,799 --> 00:43:57,302
{\an8}one of the most highly decorated
units in the United States Army.
546
00:44:00,347 --> 00:44:05,435
{\an8}They would return to Italy to break the
Gothic Line in the spring of 1945,
547
00:44:05,811 --> 00:44:07,896
{\an8}while the war in Europe still raged on.