Rising to the defense of their country, by the thousands they came – these young Japanese American soldiers from Hawaii, the States, America’s concentration camps – to fight in Europe and the Pacific during World War II. Looked upon with suspicion, set apart and deprived of their constitutional rights, they nevertheless remained steadfast and served with indomitable spirit and uncommon valor, for theirs was a fight to prove loyalty. This legacy will serve as a sobering reminder that never again shall any group be denied liberty and the rights of citizenship.

— Ben Tamashiro, 100th Infantry Battalion
Inscription on GFB Monument

GO FOR BROKE MONUMENT

The Go For Broke Monument signifies the sacrifices of the American WWII soldiers of Japanese ancestry who made it their fight to prove their loyalty to their country and to secure the rights and freedoms of future generations. It stands as a tribute not only to the Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans) soldiers themselves, but also to their families who endured tremendous hardship during wartime.

The monument is engraved with the names of more than 16,000 Japanese American men and women who served during the war. It includes the Japanese American soldiers who served in these military units during WWII in the European, Pacific, and China-Burma-India theaters.

  • 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate)
  • 442nd Regimental Combat Team
  • Military Intelligence Service
  • 522nd Field Artillery Battalion
  • 232nd Combat Engineer Company
  • 1399 Engineer Construction Battalion

Located in the historic district of Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles, the Go For Broke Monument today welcomes tens of thousands of visitors from around the world each year. The Monument is free and open to the public. 

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