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Jerrod Melander

Jerrod Melander

Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army; Former Professor of Military Science, University of Hawaii

Appears in 1 story

Notable Quotes

They served in the ultimate capacity of giving their lives for the country.

They served in the ultimate capacity of giving their lives for the country.

Although these men did not have the opportunity to complete their university studies, they've earned their degrees in full through their unwavering service and sacrifice on behalf of a grateful nation.

Stories

The long road to recognition for Japanese American WWII soldiers

Rule Changes

Active duty; led commissioning effort

In December 1941, seven University of Hawaii students were weeks away from becoming Army officers. Then Pearl Harbor was bombed, and the U.S. government stripped them of their military status and branded them 'enemy aliens.' They volunteered anyway, joined the most decorated unit in American military history, and died fighting Nazis in Europe. Eighty years later, the Army finally granted them the rank they would have earned—if not for wartime discrimination against Japanese Americans.

Updated Jan 28