Mr Hanks,
You mentioned that there was racism in the US Army in WW2 and insinuated that we were out to eradicate the Japanese because of our racism towards them.
Um, did anyone tell you about the 442nd Infantry Regiment? 2 Medals of Honor issued at the time. 52 Distinguished Service Crosses (19 later upgraded to MoH). 1 Distinguished Service Medal. 560 Silver Stars (plus 58 oak leaves). 22 Legion of Merit. 15 Soldier's Medals. 4000 Bronze Stars (plus 1200 oak leaves; 1 upgraded Medal of Honor, 1 upgraded to Silver Star).
In less than a year of service, which included training.
If it were really racism, then there'd have been no valor awards given.
Compare to the 92nd Infantry Regiment: Medal of Honor: 2 (Posthumously in 1997); Distinguished Service Cross (United States): 2; Distinguished Service Medal (United States): 1; Silver Star: 208; Legion of Merit: 16; Soldier's Medal: 6; Bronze Star: 1,166; Purple Heart: 1891; Order of the Crown of Italy: 8; Military Cross for Military Valor (Italian): 17; Military Cross for Merit in War (Italian): 22; War Medal (Brazil): 1
The 92nd was a black regiment. Notice there are far fewer awards? Far fewer upgraded later? There's the racism in WW2, Mr Hanks. Possibly not, the 442nd was noted for fighting as if they had something to prove. Apparently, they didn't prove anything to Mr Hanks.
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As far as our ferocity toward the Japanese went..has Mr. Hanks taken a long, long look at how the Japanese themselves behaved? Do the words "Rape of Nanking" ring a bell? How about "Bataan Death March?" The Japanese routinely treated people in the areas they occupied worse than the Nazis ever did, and did things openly and in public that would have been done very secretly, if at all, in the Third Reich. In Japan, Oskar Dirlewanger would have been seen as a perfectly normal officer.
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