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.
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.
The ceremony in Honolulu marks another milestone in America's slow reckoning with its treatment of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. It follows the 1988 Civil Liberties Act that paid reparations to surviving internees, the 2000 Medal of Honor upgrades for 20 Japanese American soldiers whose heroism had been overlooked due to racism, and the 2011 Congressional Gold Medal for Nisei veterans. Each step takes decades. Each corrects an injustice that took moments to inflict.
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Thomas Paine
(1737-1809) ·Revolutionary · politics
Fictional AI pastiche — not real quote.
"How swiftly tyranny brands men as enemies, yet how glacially does justice restore their honor! These brave souls proved what I have long maintained: that loyalty springs not from blood or birthplace, but from devotion to liberty's cause. A government that demands eighty years to acknowledge what conscience should have recognized in an instant reveals itself unworthy of the sacrifice it belatedly honors."
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People Involved
Daniel Betsui
University of Hawaii ROTC Cadet (Killed in action, Italy, 1944; posthumously promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, January 2026)
Jerrod Melander
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army; Former Professor of Military Science, University of Hawaii (Active duty; led commissioning effort)
Nakoa Hoe
1st Sergeant, 100th Battalion, 442nd Regiment, U.S. Army Reserve (Active duty)
Daniel K. Inouye
U.S. Senator from Hawaii; 442nd Regimental Combat Team veteran (Deceased (1924-2012))
Jenhatsu Chinen
University of Hawaii ROTC Cadet (Killed in action, Italy, 1944; posthumously promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, January 2026)
Robert Murata
University of Hawaii ROTC Cadet (Killed in action, France, 1944; posthumously promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, January 2026)
Grover Nagaji
University of Hawaii ROTC Cadet (Killed in action, Italy, 1944; posthumously promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, January 2026)
Akio Nishikawa
University of Hawaii ROTC Cadet (Killed in action, Italy, 1944; posthumously promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, January 2026)
Hiroichi Tomita
University of Hawaii ROTC Cadet (Killed in action, Italy, 1944; posthumously promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, January 2026)
Howard Urabe
University of Hawaii ROTC Cadet (Killed in action, Italy, 1944; posthumously promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, January 2026)
Gen. Ronald P. Clark
Commanding General, U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) (Active duty; led January 2026 commissioning ceremony)
Clifford Urabe
Nephew of Lt. Howard Urabe (Attended 2026 ceremony)
June Harada
Niece of Lt. Howard Urabe (Attended 2026 ceremony)
Todd Murata
Nephew of Lt. Robert Murata (Attended 2026 ceremony)
Col. Khalid Shabazz
Command Chaplain, U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) (Active duty; participated in January 2026 ceremony)
Daniel P. Driscoll
Secretary of the Army (Approved posthumous promotions in fall 2025)
Organizations Involved
44
442nd Regimental Combat Team
U.S. Army Infantry Unit
Status: Continues as 100th Battalion/442nd Infantry Regiment in Army Reserve
The most decorated unit for its size and length of service in U.S. military history, composed almost entirely of second-generation Japanese Americans (Nisei) who fought in Europe during WWII.
HA
Hawaii Territorial Guard
State Defense Force
Status: Disbanded after WWII
Volunteer defense force mobilized in Hawaii immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack, which initially included Japanese American ROTC cadets before they were dismissed in January 1942.
UN
University of Hawaii
Public University
Status: Active
The university whose ROTC program trained the seven cadets, and which awarded them posthumous degrees in 2012.
Timeline
Posthumous Commissioning Ceremony
Recognition
Seven Japanese American soldiers promoted to 2nd lieutenant in Honolulu ceremony, 80+ years after their deaths.
Ceremony Held at Ke'ehi Lagoon Memorial State Park
Recognition
Seven soldiers formally commissioned as 2nd lieutenants in ceremony attended by families, military officials, and current ROTC cadets. Featured traditional silver-dollar salute. Rain stopped as ceremony began.
Promotions Approved
Administrative
Army approves posthumous promotions during Trump administration.
Secretary of Army Approves Promotions
Administrative
Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll approved posthumous rank upgrades to 2nd lieutenant in fall 2025 after years of advocacy by local veterans groups.
Commissioning Effort Launched
Administrative
Lt. Col. Jerrod Melander begins effort to posthumously commission seven cadets as 2nd lieutenants.
Posthumous Degrees Awarded
Recognition
University of Hawaii awards posthumous degrees to seven ROTC cadets killed in WWII.
Congressional Gold Medal Awarded
Recognition
President Obama presents Congressional Gold Medal to Nisei soldiers of 100th Battalion, 442nd RCT, and Military Intelligence Service.
Medal of Honor Upgrades
Recognition
President Clinton awards Medal of Honor to 20 Japanese American veterans after review finds racism denied them the honor.
Civil Liberties Act Signed
Legal
President Reagan signs law apologizing for internment and granting $20,000 to each surviving internee.
Korematsu Conviction Vacated
Legal
Federal court overturns Fred Korematsu's conviction for defying internment, finding government suppressed evidence.
Truman Honors 442nd
Recognition
President Truman welcomes unit at White House: 'You fought the enemy abroad and prejudice at home.'
'Lost Battalion' Rescue
Military
442nd rescues surrounded Texas unit in Vosges Mountains, suffering casualties several times the number rescued.
442nd Enters Combat in Italy
Military
Unit begins European campaign. 100th Infantry Battalion, another Nisei unit, attached as 1st Battalion.
Seven ROTC Cadets Killed in Action
Military
All seven former University of Hawaii ROTC cadets killed fighting in Italy and France.
442nd Regimental Combat Team Created
Military
Roosevelt announces formation of all-Nisei combat unit. Seven former ROTC cadets among volunteers.
Executive Order 9066 Signed
Legal
President Roosevelt authorizes military to remove 120,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast to internment camps.
Varsity Victory Volunteers Formed
Military
Dismissed Nisei ROTC cadets form volunteer labor battalion to contribute to war effort.
Nisei Dismissed from Territorial Guard
Discrimination
All Japanese Americans dismissed from Hawaii Territorial Guard without explanation and reclassified as 'enemy aliens.'
Pearl Harbor Attack
Military
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. University of Hawaii ROTC cadets mobilized immediately as part of Hawaii Territorial Guard.
Scenarios
1
Full Recognition Achieved for Nisei Veterans
Discussed by: Japanese American advocacy organizations, military historians
This ceremony joins a decades-long series of corrections that have largely achieved formal recognition for Japanese American WWII service: the 1988 reparations, 2000 Medal of Honor upgrades, 2011 Congressional Gold Medal, and now these posthumous commissions. The primary remaining gaps involve individual soldiers whose cases haven't been reviewed and broader public awareness of this history.
2
Additional Posthumous Reviews Undertaken
Discussed by: Military historians, veterans' advocacy groups
The commissioning of these seven cadets could prompt review of other Japanese American service members who may have been denied promotions, decorations, or recognition due to wartime discrimination. Similar reviews in 2000 led to 20 Medal of Honor upgrades. The infrastructure for such corrections now exists within the Department of Defense.
3
Recognition Efforts Extend to Other Groups
Discussed by: Civil rights organizations, military historians studying discrimination
The framework used for Japanese American recognition—systematic review of wartime decisions for evidence of discrimination—could be applied to other groups who faced similar treatment. African American, Native American, and Hispanic soldiers have received some posthumous upgrades, but comprehensive reviews remain incomplete.
Historical Context
Tuskegee Airmen Recognition (1972-2007)
1972-2007
What Happened
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military pilots, trained at a segregated facility in Alabama beginning in 1941. Despite flying 1,578 missions and earning over 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, their achievements were systematically overlooked. A 1949 aerial gunnery competition won by Tuskegee pilots was recorded as 'winner unknown' for 46 years.
Outcome
Short Term
In 2007, President George W. Bush awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to approximately 300 surviving Tuskegee Airmen.
Long Term
Their success contributed to President Truman's 1948 executive order desegregating the armed forces. Recognition efforts continue, including a 2022 plaque acknowledging their 1949 Top Gun victory.
Why It's Relevant Today
Both groups faced official discrimination while serving their country, and both required decades of advocacy before receiving formal recognition. The Tuskegee Airmen's path—Congressional Gold Medal, individual award upgrades, facility namings—mirrors the 442nd's recognition trajectory.
442nd Medal of Honor Upgrades (2000)
1990s-2000
What Happened
In the 1990s, Congress directed the Army to review Distinguished Service Cross awards to Asian Americans and African Americans from WWII to determine if racial bias had prevented Medal of Honor awards. The review found that 22 soldiers—including Daniel Inouye—had performed actions worthy of the Medal of Honor but were denied due to racism.
Outcome
Short Term
On June 21, 2000, President Clinton awarded the Medal of Honor to 20 Asian American veterans, 19 of them from the 442nd. Only seven were still living.
Long Term
The upgrade established a precedent that wartime discrimination in military awards could be systematically reviewed and corrected decades later.
Why It's Relevant Today
This posthumous commissioning follows the same logic: identifying a specific discriminatory decision (revoking ROTC status), documenting what rank the individuals would have achieved absent discrimination, and formally correcting the record.
Civil Liberties Act Reparations (1988)
1978-1990
What Happened
Beginning in 1978, Japanese American activists organized a campaign for redress for the 120,000 people forcibly removed from their homes during WWII. A congressional commission held hearings across the country. The resulting Civil Liberties Act, numbered H.R. 442 in honor of the regiment, passed in 1988.
Outcome
Short Term
The law apologized for internment, acknowledged it was based on 'race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership,' and authorized $20,000 payments to surviving internees. The first checks were presented in October 1990.
Long Term
The act paid 82,219 individuals totaling $1.6 billion and established a public education fund. It became a model for other historical reparations discussions.
Why It's Relevant Today
The Civil Liberties Act represents the largest-scale formal correction of Japanese American wartime treatment. Today's commissioning ceremony is a continuation of that acknowledgment, addressing a specific institutional wrong—the revocation of ROTC status—rather than the broader internment policy.
