Honor Before Glory: The Epic World War II Story of the Japanese American GIs Who Rescued the Lost Battalion

HONOR BEFORE GLORY                              SCOTT McGAUGH

On October 24, 1944, more than 200 American soldiers were surrounded by German infantry deep in the Vosges Mountains of eastern France. When their food, ammunition, and medical supplies ran out, the area’s Army headquarters turned to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated unit of Japanese–American soldiers, to achieve what other units had failed to do: rescuing the “lost battalion.”

In this riveting, gritty narrative, New York Times bestselling historian Scott McGaugh tells the story of the famous Go–for–Broke regiment, whose soldiers had volunteered for combat from within America’s internment camps. It is a story of a young generation’s fight against both the enemy and American prejudice— a story of heroism, sacrifice, and the best America has to offer. 

PAT'S REVIEW

I had heard about this unit from other books I have read about World War 2. Now this book takes you from the internment camps to sons volunteering to fight. A unit is made of Japanese Americans and after training are sent to fight in Italy. Still fighting in Italy even after D-Day they finally get a break after months only to be sent to France. Once there and still not able to rest they are ordered to find a lost unit in the Vosges Mountains in France. What most people don’t know is that we would be fighting in that area until the Battle of the Bulge. But now they are ordered to rescue a unit that was lured into a trap and they themselves would have to fight through some of the best German forces to get to them. You are given backstory on some of the soldiers and their families as well as want took place during the battle and the arguing between the higher-ups that would continue for decades because of one Generals look at thinking because they were Japanese they were expendable, especially when trying to rescue white soldiers that he put in harm’s way, to begin with. It would be decades later until some of these Japanese Americans who already lost all of their belongings, and so much more seeing what their families were going through but still wanting to fight only to be denied recognition for their actions until decades later. Overall a very good about WWII. I got this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com