Interview with 101st Airborne Paratrooper Bob Izumi
Robert Isumi, a Japanese-American, along with his family, was placed in Manzanar Japanese internment camp after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Undeterred by the treatment by his country, he joined the Army as a member of the Japanese-American Nisei Battalion, known as the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, after his release from Manzanar. Bob saw combat in Italy before volunteering for the 101st Airborne Division and was placed in the 506th PIR, G Company.
He was then trucked to Bastogne to fight in the Battle of the Bulge, to engage in some of the fiercest battles of the war. Once the 101st Airborne conquered Hitler's Eagle Nest, Bob stood special guard for Dwight Eisenhower and George Patton.
Bob also served during the Korean War and Vietnam War. In 2011, he received the Congressional Gold Medal, along with his 442nd Regimental combat team.
Interview courtesy of the American Veterans Center
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