100th Infantry Battalion (United States) - Camp McCoy and Camp Shelby

Camp McCoy and Camp Shelby

Following their arrival at Oakland, the 100th boarded a train that would take them to their final destination, Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. Immediately following their arrival to Camp McCoy many of the Nisei could feel the animosity in the air; they faced prejudice, suspicion, and distrust from fellow soldiers and highly placed military and political leaders. Upon arrival, men of the 100th were immediately marched off the train and into tents, four soldiers per tent, which contained a bunk bed, blanket, towels, and backpack. It would be several months until the Nisei would be properly placed into military barracks. As time progressed soldiers were permanently placed into military units, such as Companies A through E, and pushed through intense and rigorous training: building physical stamina, improving marksmanship, and learning military tactics.

While in training at Camp McCoy, the Nisei soldiers knew there was prejudice in the air but were unaware of how deep it was in higher command. Some of the white officers and NCO's appointed to the 100th were schooled in psychology and were ordered to test their physical and military capabilities but most of all their loyalty. The military's attempt to winkle out loyalists to the Japanese Empire was a complete failure. The 100th dominated their training and took to heart everything they did. Competition was desired by every Nisei as they competed with other companies in marksmanship, baseball, softball, physical combat such as scuffles, boxing, and wrestling.

On one such occasion that happened to prove the loyalty and bravery of the new recruits, five Nisei soldiers received the Soldier's Medal for their heroism in rescuing several local civilians who almost drowned on a frozen Wisconsin lake.

Even though the Nisei were able to prove that they were just as an American as any other soldier, they were still scrutinized as being different, something less than human. One disturbing occasion proved that. About 25 of the Japanese American soldiers were sent to a secret training mission on a small island, Cat Island, near the mouth of the Mississippi River . Some top military officers thought that the “Jap” soldiers smelled differently, and that the Nisei soldiers would give off a similar scent. So for three months these 25 Nisei were ordered to train attack dogs to “smell Japs.” Of course the training didn’t work.

Training at Camp McCoy would last for six months until on 6 January 1943 the 100th Battalion was transferred to Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The 100th was attached to the 85th Division under Major General Wade Haislip and would receive even tougher training than they did at Camp McCoy. Upon arrival at Camp Shelby the 100th received the same amount of skepticism as they did at McCoy and were thought to not be able to pass the tasks at hand but 100th were able to prove them wrong as they passed the training exercises with flying colors gaining the respect of their superiors; even when fighting the weather, chiggers, ticks, dry land snakes, reptiles, and cotton-mouth water moccasins. It would be at Camp Shelby where 100th would receive its most intense and advanced training and then eventually sent to Camp Clairborne, Louisiana for field exercises and war games that would ready them for combat.

On return from Camp Clairborne, the 100th had finally met up with the newly formed 442nd Regimental Combat Team on 16 July and advised them of Army life and ways and on 20 July 1943 the 100th received its battalion colors and motto, "Remember Pearl Harbor," as requested by the unit.