April 10, 2021 • 36 mins
Today on the podcast we're jumping into a forgotten story from WW2 with the most decorated unit in US military history, as well as a parenting hack from our hearts to yours. You're welcome. Plus, a movie suggestion, tea recommendations, and a book excerpt. We're really batting a thousand these days.
Sources:
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/442nd-regimental-combat-team
https://www.goforbroke.org/learn/history/military_units/442nd.php
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2019/04/05/this-japanese-american-army-unit-is-the-reason-we-celebrate-national-go-for-broke-day/
https://www.amazon.com/Making-Difference-Stories-Celebrating-Better/dp/1727668898/ref=sr_1_15?dchild=1&qid=1618080327&refinements=p_lbr_one_browse-bin%3ATom+Reynolds&s=books&sr=1-15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF9Quk0QhSE
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.9ea9f70d-7138-ca34-4243-04125ceb462a?autoplay=1&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Pearl (00:00):
Hello.
Thanks for joining us today onthe stories we forgot.
AJ (00:03):
That's my wonderful wife, Pearl.
Pearl (00:05):
That's my amazing husband.
AIJ Hearst.
AJ (00:09):
pleasure to meet you.
Pearl (00:10):
And we are going to be talking today about just some,
history, facts
AJ (00:16):
History by non historians
Pearl (00:18):
by non historians just for you specially curated We had
you in mind when we were puttingthis podcast together and we
thought, you know what?
I think these are the storiesthat they need to hear.
These are the stories theyforgot.
So
AJ (00:30):
You know what I just realized really the only thing
that qualifies us to do thispodcast
Pearl (00:36):
is
AJ (00:36):
is our skills and Googling.
Pearl (00:45):
So what do you what did you drink this morning at J
Hearst
AJ (00:48):
drinking a hot cup of Joe.
Pearl (00:50):
Elaborate on that.
AJ (00:50):
really it's the same thing I have most, every morning.
It's a Mayorga dark roast,organic coffee from
Pearl (00:57):
Costco,
AJ (00:59):
with a brewed in a French press
Pearl (01:03):
that Costco is killing small businesses.
But I can't help it.
It's so good.
AJ (01:11):
I mean when your children eat as much as our children
Pearl (01:15):
your children, as much as our children, do you,
AJ (01:17):
which I'm pretty sure it's significantly more than other
people's
Pearl (01:20):
eat so much food
AJ (01:22):
Probably not but it's just a
Pearl (01:24):
just seems like it.
And we don't even like stock ourpantry with snacks.
You know what I mean?
Like we have baby carrots,peanuts, Fruit other vegetables.
I'm you know, lots of bananas.
They just eat us out of thehouse man
AJ (01:42):
Anyways as I was saying Dark roast.
Organic Mayorga coffee, freshlyground
Pearl (01:50):
Yeah, you got to have a freshly ground.
You know what?
If you're drinking coffee, don'tbuy pre-ground coffee.
AJ (01:56):
It's gross to think about.
Oh yeah.
Pearl (01:58):
Don't do it.
If you're still drinkingpre-ground coffee, it's time to
grow up and get yourself coffeegrinder.
Okay.
AJ (02:04):
And a little bit of maple syrup and some fresh, raw milk.
Pearl (02:08):
Yeah.
AJ (02:10):
Swirl that together.
I am going to try a differentcoffee blend soon had to get the
rest of the, yeah.
Well, I had to get the rest ofthe Mayorga stuff through the
grinder.
So
Pearl (02:22):
he just kind of buys different coffees and mixes them
in the coffee grinder and
AJ (02:26):
Yeah.
It's like a coffee suicide.
Right And were we just talkingabout that The soda suicide yeah
so we'll see it's supposed to bea little lighter roast I tend to
like the dark stuff
Pearl (02:37):
Yeah Dark roast is just so good I think if you're trying
to expand your palate lighterroasts or the direction you want
to go cause they have morecomplexity but the problem with
light roast is a lot of timesthey tend to go in the sour or
tart direction And I'm just nota fan of tart
AJ (02:55):
Yeah.
Or it's a little hard to get thebrew.
Right.
They tend to be extra lightbruise, which then just kind of
feel a little while
Pearl (03:02):
it's do you just triple up the amount of coffee you use
and then end up really buzzed?
Or what do you,
AJ (03:08):
well, I think you just adjust your palette is what
you're supposed to do.
So for me, I'd prefer to
Pearl (03:14):
be fair we grew up in the land of Starbucks
AJ (03:17):
I brew it dark.
I brew it long and then I
Pearl (03:19):
burns or beans.
Everyone knows that.
And so now we've, we grew uploving, burnt coffee, I guess.
AJ (03:24):
Yeah.
So sorry.
People who know more aboutcoffee, I'll let it sit in the
French press for way too
Pearl (03:29):
coffee snob,
AJ (03:30):
And just let it get nice and dark and strong.
And then,
Pearl (03:33):
black and bitter.
AJ (03:35):
and actually what I'll usually do is I'll pour a little
extra.
So that later on in the day Ican finish off what's left in
the
Pearl (03:42):
coffee Purists are like shuttering right
AJ (03:44):
just throw some extra milk and some extra sweetener in
there And then it's kinda Idunno little ice coffee middle
of the day to keep me goingThat's what I do
Pearl (03:54):
Poor man's cold brew
AJ (03:55):
How about you Pearl
Pearl (03:56):
Yeah this morning I yeah I mixed custom blend over here
AJ (03:59):
Ooh true coffee snob.
Pearl (04:01):
Well, not coffee.
I'm doing tea.
Half and half.
I did.
Yeah.
You said two half and half hotcinnamon spice.
I feel like if I drink, it'sjust straight hot cinnamon spice
too many days in a row.
It's just so intensely cinnamon.
AJ (04:13):
Just burn your taste buds.
Pearl (04:15):
It's so good.
But I like to mix it half andhalf Hotson and spice.
And then I have an another teathat I like to mix it with.
It was just called queenCatherine and queen Catherine is
a really robust, dark tea thatisn't a stringent, it's a very
smooth, warm tea, if you're acoffee drinker, you would like
queen Catherine.
So I like to mix the two and getjust kind of like a warmer, more
(04:35):
robust version of the two.
That's still perfectly sweet onits own.
And I know people are I knoweveryone mocks me when I say you
don't need sweetener, but thenpeople try it.
Everyone that I know that hastried hot cinnamon spice is
shocked.
And then they go buy some
AJ (04:48):
it's pretty good.
Pearl (04:49):
It's so good.
AJ (04:50):
Can I be honest that most of the times when we're talking
about T I end up thinking aboutTed lasso, Has anyone else
watched Ted
Pearl (04:58):
Oh my gosh.
It was like, I think it's anApple TV.
AJ (05:00):
on Apple and Apple original.
Pearl (05:02):
It's hilarious.
AJ (05:03):
That is one of our favorite
Pearl (05:05):
Anyway, it's a soccer coach that comes, goes to the UK
and he
AJ (05:09):
so Jason
Pearl (05:10):
marks so Degas.
Jason Sudeikis
AJ (05:13):
Jason Sue advocates.
Yeah,
Pearl (05:15):
He mocks T because, Americans aren't tea drinkers,
by the way.
AJ (05:18):
coffee drinkers.
Pearl (05:19):
Yeah.
AJ (05:20):
First time he drinks it, he just spits it
Pearl (05:22):
but you know what?
Most Americans don't drink goodcoffee.
So I feel like there's no pointin mocking tea.
If you say you're a coffeedrinker, and if you've ever had
something from Duncan's andliked it, you're not a coffee
drinker.
AJ (05:33):
Yeah, there was a small, there was a smaller chain of
coffee stands back in Washingtonthat we used to go to and
everybody loved it.
Pearl (05:43):
Oh, Dutch brothers, right?
AJ (05:44):
everyone's if you like coffee, you like
Pearl (05:46):
Dutch brothers is the best.
AJ (05:48):
And then we went to it and we're like, This is not coffee.
Pearl (05:52):
is not copy.
AJ (05:52):
this is hot
Pearl (05:53):
hot chocolate.
I mean, I love their hotchocolate
AJ (05:56):
This is delicious, hot chocolate with like maybe one
shot thrown in.
Pearl (06:00):
a fake coffee.
I don't know.
It's so ridiculous.
AJ (06:03):
Yeah.
They basically take a little bitof coffee and then they do like
when you were a kid and theyjust like empty half a thing of
sugar and sweetener into it.
And then they put.
Pearl (06:13):
There they're back there, like getting a workout, pumping
the syrup bottles into one, one,two cup.
AJ (06:18):
Yes.
It's like CrossFit with syruppumping back there.
Pearl (06:21):
Oh, it's
AJ (06:22):
it tastes pretty good,
Pearl (06:23):
for hot chocolate.
It's excellent.
Hot
AJ (06:25):
the only buzz you're going to get is from all the sugar
swirling through your system,
Pearl (06:30):
Hashtag diabetes, anyone.
Yeah.
So it's springtime here inVirginia.
All the flowers are blooming.
The leaves are finally startingto unfurl on the trees.
The birds are going nuts.
Um
AJ (06:42):
Still fighting, but at least they're doing it
Pearl (06:44):
right, right.
Huge distinction fightingoutside for the neighbors to
hear.
And then we can be like, man,whose kids are out there
screaming,
AJ (06:50):
Yes.
Yeah.
Our boys have gotten theirhammocks back out, hung up in
the gigantic tree.
That's outside our house.
And I was thinking about thatthis morning that most people
think of a hammock as like a
Pearl (07:02):
Oh right.
This is not for relaxation.
AJ (07:04):
boys turn it into, you know what, they turn it into American
gladiator,
Pearl (07:09):
American gladiators hammock style,
AJ (07:11):
basically.
Yeah.
They like.
Harness themselves into theseand then start swinging into
each other feet up.
I don't know how they have it.
Well, I'm sure they have kickedeach other in the
Pearl (07:22):
fall.
I'm sure they have.
AJ (07:23):
I haven't really heard too much about it.
Pearl (07:25):
is, the screamings.
AJ (07:27):
Yeah.
So if you hear screaming, that'sjust our kids relaxing
Pearl (07:30):
Yeah.
You hear screaming in thebackground of this podcast.
That's what we're saying,because there's only so much we
can, if you hear stomping, we'rethumping sounds also children.
AJ (07:39):
but that's just normal.
That's
Pearl (07:40):
That's normal Yeah
AJ (07:42):
Crazy.
That's just walking.
Pearl (07:44):
Yeah.
Walking quietly.
No, no less.
Yeah, we we're getting ready toget in our garden.
Set up here.
If anyone has any gardeningtips, they want to send her
away, feel free because we arenot experts.
But what I do know is that.
AJ (07:58):
we're finding a lot of ways to not do it.
So that's a step
Pearl (08:01):
Well, yeah, Edison and the light bulb.
I have a ton of pea seeds toplant in the garden because last
year we only had two pea plantsand they, the kids loved it.
So then I was like, well, thekids love peas.
I'll just plant a bunch of greenbeans and they can eat the young
tender green beans are sodelicious.
So we planted a massive amountof green beans.
Turns out kids hate green beans.
About the third weekend when I'mgoing out there and there's
(08:22):
these.
Plants just loaded with greenbeans.
And I'm like, you can't havelunch until you all go outside
and eat 15 green
AJ (08:27):
That's true That's true.
Pearl (08:29):
It's like that.
That's not how I want this.
AJ (08:31):
It was
Pearl (08:32):
them to be eating it because they like
AJ (08:33):
it was an endless supply of
Pearl (08:34):
You had so many green beans last year.
AJ (08:36):
were pretty good though.
Big purple ones.
Pearl (08:38):
Yeah, but so this year I'm just planting a ton of peas.
And I actually went to a gardensupply store and I got like a
one pound bag of peas for largergardens.
And I hand it gave each kid ahandful to put in their pocket
and told them, plant them upagainst trees and fence posts
and stuff where I'm not going tomow over them.
And so now we have a ton of peaplants just growing all over.
AJ (09:01):
Yeah.
It's going to be a scavengerhunt
Pearl (09:03):
It's going to be nuts.
AJ (09:04):
be great.
Pearl (09:05):
Yeah.
Yeah, they're gonna, they'regonna eat them like crazy.
So yeah, that's my life hack forthe day.
Give your kids some PCD and tellthem to go plant them up against
the fence line up against thehouse.
They only last for a couplemonths and they're super easy to
pull out when the season's overand your kids are gonna love it.
This is a pandemic quarantinehack.
(09:26):
Let your kids go outside and eatsome peas.
AJ (09:28):
There you go.
Okay.
Shall we roll into this day inhistory?
History
Pearl (09:33):
Yeah.
Do it.
And thanks for the echo.
AJ (09:37):
You're welcome.
As I'm sure you know by now Icheat when it comes to this day
in history, if it falls withinthe week.
Pearl (09:45):
Sure.
Yeah.
So any time in the last, anytimewithin a 14 day windows fair
game,
AJ (09:49):
within a
Pearl (09:49):
shop fortnight, that sounds better.
AJ (09:52):
So this is, I mean, this is actually only from yesterday,
April 9th, 1865.
Pearl (09:57):
Okay.
AJ (09:58):
General Robert E.
Lee surrenders at the Appomattoxcourthouse.
Pearl (10:04):
And that's in Richmond.
Is that Richmond?
I think that's
AJ (10:07):
Virginia.
I'm not sure exactly where itis.
Pearl (10:09):
I feel like it's Richmond, but I
AJ (10:11):
I can give you the coordinates because Google is
giving me the coordinates righthere, but.
That's all I got.
I just thought it was a worth.
Pearl (10:18):
Cool cool story bro
AJ (10:21):
Thank you for your support.
April 9th, 1939, Marian Andersonsings on the steps of the
Lincoln Memorial.
Pearl (10:29):
Oh, this is a good one.
AJ (10:30):
Yeah, this is much cooler.
So in 1939, Marian Anderson, whowas a.
A black woman and a world famouscontrol toe gave a performance
at the Lincoln Memorial on April9th, 1939.
She was an internationalsuperstar
Pearl (10:49):
imagine how amazing that must've sounded in the Lincoln
AJ (10:54):
Yeah.
I'm wondering if it was actuallyin or just out on the steps
sounds that it was out on thesteps, but still
Pearl (11:02):
still
AJ (11:03):
an incredible venue.
One way or the other, MarianAnderson was a singer possessed
of what are Turo Tuscanini.
I don't know who that is, butapparently he has a good opinion
Pearl (11:15):
an Italian name.
So
AJ (11:18):
she, he called her a voice such as one hears once in a
hundred years.
And race was no impediment toher career.
Internationally, but still therewere places in the U S where a
black woman was simply notwelcomed, no matter how famous.
What surprised Anderson and manyother Americans was to discover
(11:39):
in 1939, that one such placethat she was not welcome was a
venue called constitution hallowned and operated by the
daughters of the Americanrevolution in DC.
When the daughters of theAmerican revolution refused to
allow Marian Anderson to performat constitution hall because of
her skin color, the organizationlost one of its most influential
(12:01):
members.
First lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.
Roosevelt and many other womenquit the Dar in protest of its
discriminatory action now.
I'm going to assume that EleanorRoosevelt had a hand in this,
the invitation to perform on thesteps of the Lincoln Memorial
came directly from the secretaryof the interior, Harold L X, who
(12:23):
proclaimed in his introductionof Marian Anderson on that
Easter Sunday.
Oh, so it was Easter Sunday thatshe gave this performance that
quote genius draws, no colorline.
There was nothing overtlypolitical in the selection of
songs.
She performed that day before agathered crowd of 75,000.
So she was a big deal and a liveradio audience of millions, but
(12:46):
the message inherent in anAfrican-American woman singing
my country, TIS of V whilestanding before the shrine of
America's great emancipator wascrystal clear.
Pearl (12:56):
There's kids yelling in the background,
AJ (12:58):
hear kids screaming, Abraham Lincoln's famous words with
malice toward none with charityfor all.
Let us strive on to finish thework we are in to bind up.
The nation's wounds are carvedin massive letters on the
exterior wall of the LincolnMemorial.
This was the theme that Andersonadvanced with the power of her
incredible voice.
As she stood in front of thosewords on this day in 1939, it
(13:19):
was a performance now recognizedas an important prelude to the
movement to come.
And we did actually have, yeah.
Have an opportunity to listen toa singer sing in the Lincoln
Memorial one time when we werevisiting just recently.
And it was really cool.
And she was, I would say she wasan operatic singer, a beautiful
(13:40):
voice.
It was a black woman actually aswell.
And it was really cool.
We kind of saw, they were like,These, few people came in and
they were dressed really fancyand someone had a camera and
you're something's about tohappen.
Pearl (13:53):
guys.
We're not going to
AJ (13:54):
Yeah.
We're like, hang on guys.
We are staying here.
Pearl (13:57):
Let's see.
What's going to happen.
AJ (13:58):
And yeah, she stood right in front of the actual statue of
Lincoln and gave just a verybrief performance while someone
recorded it.
And it was pretty amazing.
The acoustics in that areincredible.
And just, I mean, you get thefeels when you're standing in
that
Pearl (14:18):
right.
It's a very significant spot inour country.
standing there yeah.
Great story.
Thanks for sharing that AGA whatelse do you have for
AJ (14:27):
I also have one of the 100 word stories from Tom Reynolds
in his book, making adifference, true stories,
celebrating our better self.
Pearl (14:37):
Yeah, this is a great book, a great coffee table book.
We link whenever we read fromthis book, we link it in our
show notes to the Amazon pagewhere you can buy it for$5.
AJ (14:49):
It's pretty sure it
Pearl (14:49):
know what Tom Reynolds is he lives here in Bridgewater
with us.
So send Tom Reynolds some loveon Amazon and pick up his book.
AJ (14:59):
Yeah, that's a good one.
Nothing monumental, but veryintriguing.
Lots of great little stories inhere.
This one is called first andflight.
And I feel like we've coveredwe've may have mentioned this
woman, or maybe we should.
I just seen her as we wereresearching other things,
interesting character.
We may expand on her in a futurepodcast.
(15:20):
Bessie Coleman was born into afamily of sharecroppers in
Texas.
She grew up working in thecotton fields and attending a
small segregated school.
When she developed an interestin flying, she could find no us
flight school that acceptedAfrican-Americans at the age of
23 Bessie, moved to Chicago andworked to raise money and learn
French.
(15:40):
So she could enter a flightschool in France on June 15th,
1921.
She became the first black womanin history to earn an aviators
license.
Subsequently she returned to theU S and established a flight
school for black Wow.
That's amazing.
So she actually came back andnot only did she get her pilots
license, but she started flightschool for black women.
Pearl (16:03):
Yeah.
That's a big deal.
AJ (16:04):
Yeah.
Pearl (16:05):
that.
What year was this?
AJ (16:07):
Well, in 1921, she became the first black woman to earn an
aviators license.
So my guess would be in thetwenties or thirties.
That's amazing.
Pearl (16:19):
Yeah.
AJ (16:20):
I'm sure that was not an easy undertaking for her to do,
Pearl (16:25):
right.
Yeah.
Especially as a black womanduring the earliest part of the
20th century.
AJ (16:31):
Yeah.
And now I pass it on to Pearl.
What do you got for us?
Pearl (16:36):
Well today today on the pod, we're going to be talking
about the 442nd regimentalcombat team in world.
AJ (16:47):
Oh, another world war two
Pearl (16:49):
war II story.
AJ (16:50):
squadron.
Yeah.
Okay.
Pearl (16:52):
It's a combat team.
AJ (16:53):
Oh my bad.
Oops.
Pearl (16:55):
So this the 442nd regiment is unique because it
was made up of JapaneseAmericans during world war two.
AJ (17:08):
It's just so crazy.
Every time I hear about thesedifferent regiments where they,
I mean, I guess.
It's good that they didn'toutright ban them from serving,
but they had to always,
Pearl (17:20):
to the story.
You'll find
AJ (17:21):
well, I, well, I'm just saying, it's just, it blows my
mind that they had to sequesterall these people by like race.
Yes.
Segregate.
Thank you.
they had so much segregation.
Pearl (17:35):
and world war one, world war II.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But that's how you get crazystories like the Tuskegee
airmen, and another crazy storyis the 442nd regimental combat
team.
And you know what the ridiculousthing is I've never heard of
them.
AJ (17:50):
That's what I was just thinking.
Pearl (17:51):
They are unique for multiple reasons, but one of the
reasons that they're unique isthat they were the most
decorated unit.
In the history of the U Smilitary, does that blow your
mind?
Yeah, so
AJ (18:09):
I've never heard of them at
Pearl (18:10):
right.
I mean, well, let's be honest.
Most people have, will not haveheard of this story.
And if you know the story, yourdefinitely in the minority and
it's an important story becauseit highlights it highlights some
of the courage and Patriotism ofpeople that we treated really
terribly during world war two.
(18:31):
So world war II, presidentRoosevelt or Franklin Roosevelt,
president Franklin Roosevelt.
AJ (18:38):
Thank you for clarifying that.
Pearl (18:39):
I don't know why I said Franklin Roosevelt.
Just, yeah.
He decided to He decided toplace all Japanese Americans in
incarceration camps which wasessentially anyone that lived on
the West coast, which is, we'rea very large percentage of
Japanese population is
AJ (18:58):
yeah, we covered this before.
It was like 90% of 180,000
Pearl (19:03):
Yeah.
So, when he did this, so that'sthe mainland us.
There were also a lot ofJapanese people living in Hawaii
at the time and the logistics ofpulling Japanese Americans out
of Hawaii, putting them inGerman camps.
It was too difficult.
So while they faced well,Japanese-Americans in Hawaii,
(19:23):
faced a lot of racism.
And segregation, they didn't getentered in turd.
AJ (19:30):
Sure.
They weren't placed in
Pearl (19:32):
They weren't placed in interment camps like mainland
Americans.
So right after right after so mysources today are go for
broke.org.
Army times.com and nationalworld war II, museum.org.
And I'm going to link to thesein the show notes as well.
(19:52):
So right after the Japanesebombed Pearl Harbor basically
everyone on the Hawaiian islandswas really galvanized to help
with the war effort, includingNisei and Nisei are essentially
second generation JapaneseAmericans.
AJ (20:09):
right?
Pearl (20:09):
so, everyone is really galvanized to help with the war
effort.
And the Nisei were a reallylarge part of that in the
Hawaiian islands.
There, aiding the wounded,sorting through rebel, giving
blood and they're standing watchand guarding and that, and they
cause they were part of Hawaii'sterritorial guard.
(20:30):
But on January 19th, 1942.
So.
Less, or just a little bit overa month after the bombing the
the army disbanded, the Hawaiiterritorial guard, and then they
reformed the unit the next verynext day.
But when they reformed it, theyexcluded all of the Nisei.
So.
(20:50):
By the end of March, allJapanese men of draft age were
re-designated as enemy aliensand they could not enlist in the
armed forces.
Yeah.
So all the Nisei, especially theHawaiian Nisei were really
frustrated and upset about thatand really demoralized.
But the Hawaiians but theHawaiian Nisei were so committed
(21:16):
to proving their patriotism thatthey formed the varsity victory
volunteers,
AJ (21:23):
varsity victory
Pearl (21:24):
varsity victory volunteers.
And they were basically justWe're here to do labor.
We'll do whatever it takes.
They built barracks, theyquarried rock, they dug ditches,
they fixed and surface roads.
And because of their dedicationthe war department announced in
January of 1943, that they weregoing to form an all Nisei
(21:46):
combat team.
So they asked for 1500volunteers in Hawaii and they
got 10,000 men.
Yes.
In the mainland us they had agoal of 3000 recruits and they
only got just over 1100.
And obviously that difference,stems from the fact that
Hawaiians were not intermentcamps.
(22:07):
They were having a verydifferent experience in the war.
It is important to point outthat even in spite of all of the
horrific things that happened tomainland Japanese Americans over
1100 of them left theirinterment camps where their
family had been banned.
With intense discrimination andracism.
(22:28):
And they went to fight for thecountry that was putting them in
these camps.
Like it, it doesn't make sensewhen you think about it.
They were just, they just wereso committed to, they were so
committed to being Americans andproving everyone wrong about so,
(22:48):
so the two groups go togetherand they become the 442nd
regimental combat team.
So Hawaiians made up about twothirds of the regimen and the
one-third is Nisei from the mainlens or the mainland, not to my
lens.
And the two groups.
Did not mix.
They did not get along together.
(23:08):
They got her frequent fights.
The Hawaiians thought that themainlanders were cheap and Solan
and unfriendly.
And the main lenders off of theHawaiians were rude and
impulsive and they just had alot of cultural conflict
happened, even though they'reall Japanese.
These are men that have beenraised in Hawaii.
These are men who have beenraised in the mainland United
(23:29):
States very differentupbringing.
And the main source of divisionis that the Hawaiian Nisei did
not understand what theAmerican, this, what the
mainland Nisei were livingthrough
AJ (23:43):
with the tournament
Pearl (23:44):
with the interment camps.
So, what the army decided to dois they sent a group of Hawaiian
Nisei to visit the intermissioncamps.
In the United States, Right.
Doesn't it just blow your mindokay.
You don't understand how badlywe're treating these guys.
So we're going to show you howmean, where we've been to the
third of the guys in your
AJ (24:03):
room
Pearl (24:04):
so that you're nicer to them.
So that's what they did.
So these a Hawaiian to say, goto the United States, they see
what's going on.
And they realize that the menthat they're serving with our
true heroes and Patriots,they've been sending back every
spare dime to their families ininterment camps in the United
States, and it blows theirminds.
So after that visit.
(24:24):
The the 4442nd regimental combatteam becomes tight there.
AJ (24:30):
this not been made into a
Pearl (24:31):
Honestly it might've been I don't think it has you never
know that you'll always findlike super random stuff but yeah
this should be like ablockbuster because this is a
AJ (24:41):
I mean as you're saying this I'm just like this sounds like
something out of a script out ofa movie you're like really into
that happen Okay
Pearl (24:50):
Immediately they recognize their shared history
and their shared culture Andthey joined together in just
like this intensely loyal unitwhere they're just they're there
for each other
AJ (25:05):
because it's remember the Titans but we're both
Pearl (25:09):
in world war two,
AJ (25:11):
Japanese Americans.
Okay.
Go on.
Pearl (25:14):
So, from May, 1943 to February, 1942 44, the men
trained heavily for combat Andthey were excellent at
maneuvers.
They really learned during thattime, how to operate as a team.
And then in April of 1944, theywere sent on their first
(25:35):
overseas assignment to Europe.
AJ (25:37):
Late in the
Pearl (25:38):
yeah.
AJ (25:39):
Man.
There's so many questions thatare coming what did people think
these Japanese internment campsabout how they were being
treated about being at war withfair?
Maybe, I guess they wouldn'tprobably home country at that
time but their country of originand what they thought of the men
(26:04):
who did volunteer For thiscombat like where they were,
they generally applauding these1100 men or did they see them a
little bit as traders and theneven thinking further into the
war, what did all these JapaneseAmericans think drop nuclear
bombs on Japanese it was justlike a lot of stuff going
Pearl (26:30):
layers there
AJ (26:31):
that Is just crazy.
And, I mean,
Pearl (26:37):
really it's a really tough time to be a Japanese
American, for sure.
So yeah, so for the length ofservice and the size of the
unit, the 442nd regimentalcombat team was the most
decorated unit in the entirehistory of U S military.
In total, about 18,000 menserved they ultimately earned
(27:00):
9,486 purple hearts, 21 medalsof honor, and an unprecedented
seven presidential unitcitations.
AJ (27:09):
I mean, it's hard for me.
I don't know exactly what tocompare that to, but it sounds
impressive.
Pearl (27:14):
Yeah.
So, I've never heard of this,but apparently there's a
national gopher broke day.
Again, never heard of it.
And the gopher broke is kind ofthe the mantra of the 442nd.
Regiment
AJ (27:31):
Oh, this is directly tied to this regiment.
Pearl (27:34):
Yeah.
And go from national gopherbroke day is celebrated April
5th every year.
Because it was April 5th, 1945that, Sudeo Muna Mori, the 440
seconds.
RTCs four and 42nd RTCs.
First medal of honor.
Recipient was killed in actionnear in Italy.
So,
AJ (27:55):
By now we, I want to look up the story of each of their medal
of honor
Pearl (28:00):
Right.
Yeah.
The four and 42nd went to Ithink the majority of the time
they were in France, theyliberated cities and France from
German control.
And then they they actually wereassigned in 1945 with the 92nd
infantry division, which was anall black unit to drive German
(28:20):
forces out of Northern Italy.
So that kind of seems like amovie right there, the four 42nd
and the 92nd all JapaneseAmericans and black Americans
just showing how it's done,yeah, the four 42nd was
inactivated about a year afterthe war ended.
It was only around for two yearstotal, but that's one of the,
that's one of the things thatmakes it so unique in how many
(28:42):
metals at one, they were onlyaround for a short amount of
time and they just.
They just did so much.
So apparently there is aHollywood movie 1951 title go
for broke.
So
AJ (28:52):
what it's called.
Pearl (28:53):
called gopher broke.
AJ (28:54):
So 70 years ago there was a Hollywood movie made about these
Pearl (28:58):
Yeah.
So 1951 Hollywood, a movietitled go for broke.
I'm going to link to it in theshow notes, because I think that
could be a, an interesting movieto watch.
In 2010 the, some various groupsveterans advocates and the
national veterans networklobbied to get the congressional
(29:20):
passage of bill.
As 10 25 or 10 55, which posthumorously awarded all members
of the four 42nd, the militarythe congressional gold medal for
their heroic actions in worldwar II.
So tons of metals tons ofrecognition, but they also
received the congressional goldmedal.
(29:43):
Yeah, so I just wanted to touchon that story briefly for the
podcast today and just kind ofhighlight, there's been a
massive spike in violenceagainst Asian Americans in the
United States.
Of course not limited to Chinesepeople.
Basically anyone of Asiandescent is they're going outside
(30:03):
with more more awareness andfear and having to just be
cautious.
And I think it's a really, it'san incredibly ignorant thing to
think of.
It's an incredibly ignorantthing in America to think of
anyone being an outsider.
Unless you are native American.
Because we're all outsiders, weall came here from another
(30:27):
country and it's important torecognize how much
Asian-Americans have contributedto the United States and how
long they've been here.
And yeah.
AJ (30:38):
Yeah.
This is a great story.
Thank you for bringing that tolight.
That's really amazing.
I mean, man, to think of.
Massive numbers of theseJapanese Americans, many of whom
were born in America than beinginterred, it's a huge it's a
huge black spot on our nationfor sure
Pearl (31:00):
Yeah
AJ (31:01):
But then to think that the same Japanese Americans came out
of their internment camps whiletheir families were still in
these camps and they went.
To fight with Valor.
It's not like they were justkinda in there taking up space.
They're like, well, this isbetter than being in a
tournament camp.
No, they went to battle and wentto war, died fighting for this
(31:29):
country that they believe in.
And for the values of freedomwhich they were not being
afforded
Pearl (31:35):
were not Which they're not getting access to
AJ (31:37):
they were liberating and tournament camps while their own
family was interred
Pearl (31:42):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's a great, it's a greatstory.
And I just, yeah, I just wantedto highlight some amazing
Asian-Americans and kind ofbring awareness to some of the
contributions that they've madein our history and for the
freedom of our United States.
And yeah.
Yeah.
It if you would like to supportAn Asian owned business.
(32:06):
I'll actually link to it in theshow notes, but my aunt toy is
from She and my art, my, my aunttoy is from Thailand and she and
my uncle met when he wasstationed there during Vietnam.
And they make the world's bestThai sauces.
AJ (32:24):
It's the
Pearl (32:26):
I'm not even exaggerating.
If
AJ (32:28):
and toy is amazing.
Pearl (32:29):
And toy makes the best food ever.
Yeah, so normally we would haveto only, we could only buy this
being on the wa being on theEast coast.
We could only find Ty Fusion'sfood at Williams-Sonoma, but
it's super expensive there.
It was like$18 a bottle and belike, Oh, Christmas, here's our
Christmas day meal.
But yeah, totally worth it.
But now you can buy it onlinethrough a different source and
(32:51):
it's really fordable, I'm justplugging it because it's so
good.
And you guys deserve to trysomething incredible.
So, yeah, I'll link to it in theshow notes, you can, I'll tag
them on Facebook and Instagram.
You can look them up.
AJ (33:03):
and they're the sweetest people.
Pearl (33:04):
Yeah.
Go try some incredible.
The only caveat I have is thatyou might want to add yourself a
can of coconut milk orsomething.
If you've got, if you are tooweak for,
AJ (33:17):
the heat,
Pearl (33:17):
if you can't handle the heat, authentic Thai food they
don't have star ratings.
They just give you what theyknow that you need.
Like it's going to be
AJ (33:25):
is more spice
Pearl (33:26):
and it's going to be delicious and you're going to
deal with it.
Because it's so good.
AJ (33:31):
It is
Pearl (33:31):
So if you need a little bit of coconut milk to to take
the heat down but yeah, it'samazing.
So
AJ (33:36):
Their Curry sauces and their pad ties.
Peanut sauce, so Now you'remaking me hungry.
Pearl (33:42):
I know.
I was just thinking I need tobuy some
AJ (33:43):
Yeah.
We need to place another orderthere.
Pearl (33:45):
get some of that gets into that pinning
AJ (33:48):
Oh, it's so
Pearl (33:50):
Curry Put her on the I like to man there's just so many
things to do with it one of thethings we'd like to do with it
is just brush it on some chickenlegs put it on chicken
drumsticks put it on the grillcook up some nice Jasmine rice
and then peanut sauce Likenobody's business It's just so
AJ (34:10):
Yeah.
We always try and make a jarlasts for two meals, but
Pearl (34:14):
never does.
It never
AJ (34:15):
We're just cause
Pearl (34:16):
well because we're trying to make it not too spicy for the
kids.
So we don't put a ton of it inthere, but then we bring the jar
to the table so that age, and Ican just like dump from the jar
straight onto her plate and justyeah.
And violet really loves spicyfood too.
So by all
AJ (34:28):
It's just so
Pearl (34:30):
Yeah.
It's like it hurts, but I canstop
AJ (34:33):
Oh man.
Mouth's watering now.
Pearl (34:35):
anyways.
Yeah, so,
AJ (34:36):
on myself.
Pearl (34:37):
so yeah, that that's the pod for the day.
Again, we're happy you listened.
If you're still listening.
Good for you.
Go get yourself a cup of hot teaand celebrate.
You deserve it,
AJ (34:53):
Visit us at the stories.
We forgot.com.
You can listen to the latestepisode there, you can get
yourself a coupon for some tea,and you can submit some stories
to
Pearl (35:06):
Oh man, you guys, we need story submissions.
But you know what we need you tolike, do a sing better research
when you submit the story.
It's all I'm asking like aWikipedia link or something
like,
AJ (35:17):
Yeah.
Even just give us some links tofind the info.
Pearl (35:20):
Yeah, don't just be like, here's a name, follow that one
up.
Cause we forget.
So, I feel like I've gotten somegood submissions already, but
I've just forgotten So I needthem to be messaged to me
through the website, with link.
AJ (35:36):
Oh, right.
Yeah.
Pearl (35:37):
or Facebook and Instagram.
So anyways have a good day.
Enjoy your weekend.
bye.
AJ (35:44):
Oh, wait, don't forget to share it with your mom.
Bye.
Hello.
Thanks for joining us today onthe stories we forgot.
AJ (00:03):
That's my wonderful wife, Pearl.
Pearl (00:05):
That's my amazing husband.
AIJ Hearst.
AJ (00:09):
pleasure to meet you.
Pearl (00:10):
And we are going to be talking today about just some,
history, facts
AJ (00:16):
History by non historians
Pearl (00:18):
by non historians just for you specially curated We had
you in mind when we were puttingthis podcast together and we
thought, you know what?
I think these are the storiesthat they need to hear.
These are the stories theyforgot.
So
AJ (00:30):
You know what I just realized really the only thing
that qualifies us to do thispodcast
Pearl (00:36):
is
AJ (00:36):
is our skills and Googling.
Pearl (00:45):
So what do you what did you drink this morning at J
Hearst
AJ (00:48):
drinking a hot cup of Joe.
Pearl (00:50):
Elaborate on that.
AJ (00:50):
really it's the same thing I have most, every morning.
It's a Mayorga dark roast,organic coffee from
Pearl (00:57):
Costco,
AJ (00:59):
with a brewed in a French press
Pearl (01:03):
that Costco is killing small businesses.
But I can't help it.
It's so good.
AJ (01:11):
I mean when your children eat as much as our children
Pearl (01:15):
your children, as much as our children, do you,
AJ (01:17):
which I'm pretty sure it's significantly more than other
people's
Pearl (01:20):
eat so much food
AJ (01:22):
Probably not but it's just a
Pearl (01:24):
just seems like it.
And we don't even like stock ourpantry with snacks.
You know what I mean?
Like we have baby carrots,peanuts, Fruit other vegetables.
I'm you know, lots of bananas.
They just eat us out of thehouse man
AJ (01:42):
Anyways as I was saying Dark roast.
Organic Mayorga coffee, freshlyground
Pearl (01:50):
Yeah, you got to have a freshly ground.
You know what?
If you're drinking coffee, don'tbuy pre-ground coffee.
AJ (01:56):
It's gross to think about.
Oh yeah.
Pearl (01:58):
Don't do it.
If you're still drinkingpre-ground coffee, it's time to
grow up and get yourself coffeegrinder.
Okay.
AJ (02:04):
And a little bit of maple syrup and some fresh, raw milk.
Pearl (02:08):
Yeah.
AJ (02:10):
Swirl that together.
I am going to try a differentcoffee blend soon had to get the
rest of the, yeah.
Well, I had to get the rest ofthe Mayorga stuff through the
grinder.
So
Pearl (02:22):
he just kind of buys different coffees and mixes them
in the coffee grinder and
AJ (02:26):
Yeah.
It's like a coffee suicide.
Right And were we just talkingabout that The soda suicide yeah
so we'll see it's supposed to bea little lighter roast I tend to
like the dark stuff
Pearl (02:37):
Yeah Dark roast is just so good I think if you're trying
to expand your palate lighterroasts or the direction you want
to go cause they have morecomplexity but the problem with
light roast is a lot of timesthey tend to go in the sour or
tart direction And I'm just nota fan of tart
AJ (02:55):
Yeah.
Or it's a little hard to get thebrew.
Right.
They tend to be extra lightbruise, which then just kind of
feel a little while
Pearl (03:02):
it's do you just triple up the amount of coffee you use
and then end up really buzzed?
Or what do you,
AJ (03:08):
well, I think you just adjust your palette is what
you're supposed to do.
So for me, I'd prefer to
Pearl (03:14):
be fair we grew up in the land of Starbucks
AJ (03:17):
I brew it dark.
I brew it long and then I
Pearl (03:19):
burns or beans.
Everyone knows that.
And so now we've, we grew uploving, burnt coffee, I guess.
AJ (03:24):
Yeah.
So sorry.
People who know more aboutcoffee, I'll let it sit in the
French press for way too
Pearl (03:29):
coffee snob,
AJ (03:30):
And just let it get nice and dark and strong.
And then,
Pearl (03:33):
black and bitter.
AJ (03:35):
and actually what I'll usually do is I'll pour a little
extra.
So that later on in the day Ican finish off what's left in
the
Pearl (03:42):
coffee Purists are like shuttering right
AJ (03:44):
just throw some extra milk and some extra sweetener in
there And then it's kinda Idunno little ice coffee middle
of the day to keep me goingThat's what I do
Pearl (03:54):
Poor man's cold brew
AJ (03:55):
How about you Pearl
Pearl (03:56):
Yeah this morning I yeah I mixed custom blend over here
AJ (03:59):
Ooh true coffee snob.
Pearl (04:01):
Well, not coffee.
I'm doing tea.
Half and half.
I did.
Yeah.
You said two half and half hotcinnamon spice.
I feel like if I drink, it'sjust straight hot cinnamon spice
too many days in a row.
It's just so intensely cinnamon.
AJ (04:13):
Just burn your taste buds.
Pearl (04:15):
It's so good.
But I like to mix it half andhalf Hotson and spice.
And then I have an another teathat I like to mix it with.
It was just called queenCatherine and queen Catherine is
a really robust, dark tea thatisn't a stringent, it's a very
smooth, warm tea, if you're acoffee drinker, you would like
queen Catherine.
So I like to mix the two and getjust kind of like a warmer, more
(04:35):
robust version of the two.
That's still perfectly sweet onits own.
And I know people are I knoweveryone mocks me when I say you
don't need sweetener, but thenpeople try it.
Everyone that I know that hastried hot cinnamon spice is
shocked.
And then they go buy some
AJ (04:48):
it's pretty good.
Pearl (04:49):
It's so good.
AJ (04:50):
Can I be honest that most of the times when we're talking
about T I end up thinking aboutTed lasso, Has anyone else
watched Ted
Pearl (04:58):
Oh my gosh.
It was like, I think it's anApple TV.
AJ (05:00):
on Apple and Apple original.
Pearl (05:02):
It's hilarious.
AJ (05:03):
That is one of our favorite
Pearl (05:05):
Anyway, it's a soccer coach that comes, goes to the UK
and he
AJ (05:09):
so Jason
Pearl (05:10):
marks so Degas.
Jason Sudeikis
AJ (05:13):
Jason Sue advocates.
Yeah,
Pearl (05:15):
He mocks T because, Americans aren't tea drinkers,
by the way.
AJ (05:18):
coffee drinkers.
Pearl (05:19):
Yeah.
AJ (05:20):
First time he drinks it, he just spits it
Pearl (05:22):
but you know what?
Most Americans don't drink goodcoffee.
So I feel like there's no pointin mocking tea.
If you say you're a coffeedrinker, and if you've ever had
something from Duncan's andliked it, you're not a coffee
drinker.
AJ (05:33):
Yeah, there was a small, there was a smaller chain of
coffee stands back in Washingtonthat we used to go to and
everybody loved it.
Pearl (05:43):
Oh, Dutch brothers, right?
AJ (05:44):
everyone's if you like coffee, you like
Pearl (05:46):
Dutch brothers is the best.
AJ (05:48):
And then we went to it and we're like, This is not coffee.
Pearl (05:52):
is not copy.
AJ (05:52):
this is hot
Pearl (05:53):
hot chocolate.
I mean, I love their hotchocolate
AJ (05:56):
This is delicious, hot chocolate with like maybe one
shot thrown in.
Pearl (06:00):
a fake coffee.
I don't know.
It's so ridiculous.
AJ (06:03):
Yeah.
They basically take a little bitof coffee and then they do like
when you were a kid and theyjust like empty half a thing of
sugar and sweetener into it.
And then they put.
Pearl (06:13):
There they're back there, like getting a workout, pumping
the syrup bottles into one, one,two cup.
AJ (06:18):
Yes.
It's like CrossFit with syruppumping back there.
Pearl (06:21):
Oh, it's
AJ (06:22):
it tastes pretty good,
Pearl (06:23):
for hot chocolate.
It's excellent.
Hot
AJ (06:25):
the only buzz you're going to get is from all the sugar
swirling through your system,
Pearl (06:30):
Hashtag diabetes, anyone.
Yeah.
So it's springtime here inVirginia.
All the flowers are blooming.
The leaves are finally startingto unfurl on the trees.
The birds are going nuts.
Um
AJ (06:42):
Still fighting, but at least they're doing it
Pearl (06:44):
right, right.
Huge distinction fightingoutside for the neighbors to
hear.
And then we can be like, man,whose kids are out there
screaming,
AJ (06:50):
Yes.
Yeah.
Our boys have gotten theirhammocks back out, hung up in
the gigantic tree.
That's outside our house.
And I was thinking about thatthis morning that most people
think of a hammock as like a
Pearl (07:02):
Oh right.
This is not for relaxation.
AJ (07:04):
boys turn it into, you know what, they turn it into American
gladiator,
Pearl (07:09):
American gladiators hammock style,
AJ (07:11):
basically.
Yeah.
They like.
Harness themselves into theseand then start swinging into
each other feet up.
I don't know how they have it.
Well, I'm sure they have kickedeach other in the
Pearl (07:22):
fall.
I'm sure they have.
AJ (07:23):
I haven't really heard too much about it.
Pearl (07:25):
is, the screamings.
AJ (07:27):
Yeah.
So if you hear screaming, that'sjust our kids relaxing
Pearl (07:30):
Yeah.
You hear screaming in thebackground of this podcast.
That's what we're saying,because there's only so much we
can, if you hear stomping, we'rethumping sounds also children.
AJ (07:39):
but that's just normal.
That's
Pearl (07:40):
That's normal Yeah
AJ (07:42):
Crazy.
That's just walking.
Pearl (07:44):
Yeah.
Walking quietly.
No, no less.
Yeah, we we're getting ready toget in our garden.
Set up here.
If anyone has any gardeningtips, they want to send her
away, feel free because we arenot experts.
But what I do know is that.
AJ (07:58):
we're finding a lot of ways to not do it.
So that's a step
Pearl (08:01):
Well, yeah, Edison and the light bulb.
I have a ton of pea seeds toplant in the garden because last
year we only had two pea plantsand they, the kids loved it.
So then I was like, well, thekids love peas.
I'll just plant a bunch of greenbeans and they can eat the young
tender green beans are sodelicious.
So we planted a massive amountof green beans.
Turns out kids hate green beans.
About the third weekend when I'mgoing out there and there's
(08:22):
these.
Plants just loaded with greenbeans.
And I'm like, you can't havelunch until you all go outside
and eat 15 green
AJ (08:27):
That's true That's true.
Pearl (08:29):
It's like that.
That's not how I want this.
AJ (08:31):
It was
Pearl (08:32):
them to be eating it because they like
AJ (08:33):
it was an endless supply of
Pearl (08:34):
You had so many green beans last year.
AJ (08:36):
were pretty good though.
Big purple ones.
Pearl (08:38):
Yeah, but so this year I'm just planting a ton of peas.
And I actually went to a gardensupply store and I got like a
one pound bag of peas for largergardens.
And I hand it gave each kid ahandful to put in their pocket
and told them, plant them upagainst trees and fence posts
and stuff where I'm not going tomow over them.
And so now we have a ton of peaplants just growing all over.
AJ (09:01):
Yeah.
It's going to be a scavengerhunt
Pearl (09:03):
It's going to be nuts.
AJ (09:04):
be great.
Pearl (09:05):
Yeah.
Yeah, they're gonna, they'regonna eat them like crazy.
So yeah, that's my life hack forthe day.
Give your kids some PCD and tellthem to go plant them up against
the fence line up against thehouse.
They only last for a couplemonths and they're super easy to
pull out when the season's overand your kids are gonna love it.
This is a pandemic quarantinehack.
(09:26):
Let your kids go outside and eatsome peas.
AJ (09:28):
There you go.
Okay.
Shall we roll into this day inhistory?
History
Pearl (09:33):
Yeah.
Do it.
And thanks for the echo.
AJ (09:37):
You're welcome.
As I'm sure you know by now Icheat when it comes to this day
in history, if it falls withinthe week.
Pearl (09:45):
Sure.
Yeah.
So any time in the last, anytimewithin a 14 day windows fair
game,
AJ (09:49):
within a
Pearl (09:49):
shop fortnight, that sounds better.
AJ (09:52):
So this is, I mean, this is actually only from yesterday,
April 9th, 1865.
Pearl (09:57):
Okay.
AJ (09:58):
General Robert E.
Lee surrenders at the Appomattoxcourthouse.
Pearl (10:04):
And that's in Richmond.
Is that Richmond?
I think that's
AJ (10:07):
Virginia.
I'm not sure exactly where itis.
Pearl (10:09):
I feel like it's Richmond, but I
AJ (10:11):
I can give you the coordinates because Google is
giving me the coordinates righthere, but.
That's all I got.
I just thought it was a worth.
Pearl (10:18):
Cool cool story bro
AJ (10:21):
Thank you for your support.
April 9th, 1939, Marian Andersonsings on the steps of the
Lincoln Memorial.
Pearl (10:29):
Oh, this is a good one.
AJ (10:30):
Yeah, this is much cooler.
So in 1939, Marian Anderson, whowas a.
A black woman and a world famouscontrol toe gave a performance
at the Lincoln Memorial on April9th, 1939.
She was an internationalsuperstar
Pearl (10:49):
imagine how amazing that must've sounded in the Lincoln
AJ (10:54):
Yeah.
I'm wondering if it was actuallyin or just out on the steps
sounds that it was out on thesteps, but still
Pearl (11:02):
still
AJ (11:03):
an incredible venue.
One way or the other, MarianAnderson was a singer possessed
of what are Turo Tuscanini.
I don't know who that is, butapparently he has a good opinion
Pearl (11:15):
an Italian name.
So
AJ (11:18):
she, he called her a voice such as one hears once in a
hundred years.
And race was no impediment toher career.
Internationally, but still therewere places in the U S where a
black woman was simply notwelcomed, no matter how famous.
What surprised Anderson and manyother Americans was to discover
(11:39):
in 1939, that one such placethat she was not welcome was a
venue called constitution hallowned and operated by the
daughters of the Americanrevolution in DC.
When the daughters of theAmerican revolution refused to
allow Marian Anderson to performat constitution hall because of
her skin color, the organizationlost one of its most influential
(12:01):
members.
First lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.
Roosevelt and many other womenquit the Dar in protest of its
discriminatory action now.
I'm going to assume that EleanorRoosevelt had a hand in this,
the invitation to perform on thesteps of the Lincoln Memorial
came directly from the secretaryof the interior, Harold L X, who
(12:23):
proclaimed in his introductionof Marian Anderson on that
Easter Sunday.
Oh, so it was Easter Sunday thatshe gave this performance that
quote genius draws, no colorline.
There was nothing overtlypolitical in the selection of
songs.
She performed that day before agathered crowd of 75,000.
So she was a big deal and a liveradio audience of millions, but
(12:46):
the message inherent in anAfrican-American woman singing
my country, TIS of V whilestanding before the shrine of
America's great emancipator wascrystal clear.
Pearl (12:56):
There's kids yelling in the background,
AJ (12:58):
hear kids screaming, Abraham Lincoln's famous words with
malice toward none with charityfor all.
Let us strive on to finish thework we are in to bind up.
The nation's wounds are carvedin massive letters on the
exterior wall of the LincolnMemorial.
This was the theme that Andersonadvanced with the power of her
incredible voice.
As she stood in front of thosewords on this day in 1939, it
(13:19):
was a performance now recognizedas an important prelude to the
movement to come.
And we did actually have, yeah.
Have an opportunity to listen toa singer sing in the Lincoln
Memorial one time when we werevisiting just recently.
And it was really cool.
And she was, I would say she wasan operatic singer, a beautiful
(13:40):
voice.
It was a black woman actually aswell.
And it was really cool.
We kind of saw, they were like,These, few people came in and
they were dressed really fancyand someone had a camera and
you're something's about tohappen.
Pearl (13:53):
guys.
We're not going to
AJ (13:54):
Yeah.
We're like, hang on guys.
We are staying here.
Pearl (13:57):
Let's see.
What's going to happen.
AJ (13:58):
And yeah, she stood right in front of the actual statue of
Lincoln and gave just a verybrief performance while someone
recorded it.
And it was pretty amazing.
The acoustics in that areincredible.
And just, I mean, you get thefeels when you're standing in
that
Pearl (14:18):
right.
It's a very significant spot inour country.
standing there yeah.
Great story.
Thanks for sharing that AGA whatelse do you have for
AJ (14:27):
I also have one of the 100 word stories from Tom Reynolds
in his book, making adifference, true stories,
celebrating our better self.
Pearl (14:37):
Yeah, this is a great book, a great coffee table book.
We link whenever we read fromthis book, we link it in our
show notes to the Amazon pagewhere you can buy it for$5.
AJ (14:49):
It's pretty sure it
Pearl (14:49):
know what Tom Reynolds is he lives here in Bridgewater
with us.
So send Tom Reynolds some loveon Amazon and pick up his book.
AJ (14:59):
Yeah, that's a good one.
Nothing monumental, but veryintriguing.
Lots of great little stories inhere.
This one is called first andflight.
And I feel like we've coveredwe've may have mentioned this
woman, or maybe we should.
I just seen her as we wereresearching other things,
interesting character.
We may expand on her in a futurepodcast.
(15:20):
Bessie Coleman was born into afamily of sharecroppers in
Texas.
She grew up working in thecotton fields and attending a
small segregated school.
When she developed an interestin flying, she could find no us
flight school that acceptedAfrican-Americans at the age of
23 Bessie, moved to Chicago andworked to raise money and learn
French.
(15:40):
So she could enter a flightschool in France on June 15th,
1921.
She became the first black womanin history to earn an aviators
license.
Subsequently she returned to theU S and established a flight
school for black Wow.
That's amazing.
So she actually came back andnot only did she get her pilots
license, but she started flightschool for black women.
Pearl (16:03):
Yeah.
That's a big deal.
AJ (16:04):
Yeah.
Pearl (16:05):
that.
What year was this?
AJ (16:07):
Well, in 1921, she became the first black woman to earn an
aviators license.
So my guess would be in thetwenties or thirties.
That's amazing.
Pearl (16:19):
Yeah.
AJ (16:20):
I'm sure that was not an easy undertaking for her to do,
Pearl (16:25):
right.
Yeah.
Especially as a black womanduring the earliest part of the
20th century.
AJ (16:31):
Yeah.
And now I pass it on to Pearl.
What do you got for us?
Pearl (16:36):
Well today today on the pod, we're going to be talking
about the 442nd regimentalcombat team in world.
AJ (16:47):
Oh, another world war two
Pearl (16:49):
war II story.
AJ (16:50):
squadron.
Yeah.
Okay.
Pearl (16:52):
It's a combat team.
AJ (16:53):
Oh my bad.
Oops.
Pearl (16:55):
So this the 442nd regiment is unique because it
was made up of JapaneseAmericans during world war two.
AJ (17:08):
It's just so crazy.
Every time I hear about thesedifferent regiments where they,
I mean, I guess.
It's good that they didn'toutright ban them from serving,
but they had to always,
Pearl (17:20):
to the story.
You'll find
AJ (17:21):
well, I, well, I'm just saying, it's just, it blows my
mind that they had to sequesterall these people by like race.
Yes.
Segregate.
Thank you.
they had so much segregation.
Pearl (17:35):
and world war one, world war II.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But that's how you get crazystories like the Tuskegee
airmen, and another crazy storyis the 442nd regimental combat
team.
And you know what the ridiculousthing is I've never heard of
them.
AJ (17:50):
That's what I was just thinking.
Pearl (17:51):
They are unique for multiple reasons, but one of the
reasons that they're unique isthat they were the most
decorated unit.
In the history of the U Smilitary, does that blow your
mind?
Yeah, so
AJ (18:09):
I've never heard of them at
Pearl (18:10):
right.
I mean, well, let's be honest.
Most people have, will not haveheard of this story.
And if you know the story, yourdefinitely in the minority and
it's an important story becauseit highlights it highlights some
of the courage and Patriotism ofpeople that we treated really
terribly during world war two.
(18:31):
So world war II, presidentRoosevelt or Franklin Roosevelt,
president Franklin Roosevelt.
AJ (18:38):
Thank you for clarifying that.
Pearl (18:39):
I don't know why I said Franklin Roosevelt.
Just, yeah.
He decided to He decided toplace all Japanese Americans in
incarceration camps which wasessentially anyone that lived on
the West coast, which is, we'rea very large percentage of
Japanese population is
AJ (18:58):
yeah, we covered this before.
It was like 90% of 180,000
Pearl (19:03):
Yeah.
So, when he did this, so that'sthe mainland us.
There were also a lot ofJapanese people living in Hawaii
at the time and the logistics ofpulling Japanese Americans out
of Hawaii, putting them inGerman camps.
It was too difficult.
So while they faced well,Japanese-Americans in Hawaii,
(19:23):
faced a lot of racism.
And segregation, they didn't getentered in turd.
AJ (19:30):
Sure.
They weren't placed in
Pearl (19:32):
They weren't placed in interment camps like mainland
Americans.
So right after right after so mysources today are go for
broke.org.
Army times.com and nationalworld war II, museum.org.
And I'm going to link to thesein the show notes as well.
(19:52):
So right after the Japanesebombed Pearl Harbor basically
everyone on the Hawaiian islandswas really galvanized to help
with the war effort, includingNisei and Nisei are essentially
second generation JapaneseAmericans.
AJ (20:09):
right?
Pearl (20:09):
so, everyone is really galvanized to help with the war
effort.
And the Nisei were a reallylarge part of that in the
Hawaiian islands.
There, aiding the wounded,sorting through rebel, giving
blood and they're standing watchand guarding and that, and they
cause they were part of Hawaii'sterritorial guard.
(20:30):
But on January 19th, 1942.
So.
Less, or just a little bit overa month after the bombing the
the army disbanded, the Hawaiiterritorial guard, and then they
reformed the unit the next verynext day.
But when they reformed it, theyexcluded all of the Nisei.
So.
(20:50):
By the end of March, allJapanese men of draft age were
re-designated as enemy aliensand they could not enlist in the
armed forces.
Yeah.
So all the Nisei, especially theHawaiian Nisei were really
frustrated and upset about thatand really demoralized.
But the Hawaiians but theHawaiian Nisei were so committed
(21:16):
to proving their patriotism thatthey formed the varsity victory
volunteers,
AJ (21:23):
varsity victory
Pearl (21:24):
varsity victory volunteers.
And they were basically justWe're here to do labor.
We'll do whatever it takes.
They built barracks, theyquarried rock, they dug ditches,
they fixed and surface roads.
And because of their dedicationthe war department announced in
January of 1943, that they weregoing to form an all Nisei
(21:46):
combat team.
So they asked for 1500volunteers in Hawaii and they
got 10,000 men.
Yes.
In the mainland us they had agoal of 3000 recruits and they
only got just over 1100.
And obviously that difference,stems from the fact that
Hawaiians were not intermentcamps.
(22:07):
They were having a verydifferent experience in the war.
It is important to point outthat even in spite of all of the
horrific things that happened tomainland Japanese Americans over
1100 of them left theirinterment camps where their
family had been banned.
With intense discrimination andracism.
(22:28):
And they went to fight for thecountry that was putting them in
these camps.
Like it, it doesn't make sensewhen you think about it.
They were just, they just wereso committed to, they were so
committed to being Americans andproving everyone wrong about so,
(22:48):
so the two groups go togetherand they become the 442nd
regimental combat team.
So Hawaiians made up about twothirds of the regimen and the
one-third is Nisei from the mainlens or the mainland, not to my
lens.
And the two groups.
Did not mix.
They did not get along together.
(23:08):
They got her frequent fights.
The Hawaiians thought that themainlanders were cheap and Solan
and unfriendly.
And the main lenders off of theHawaiians were rude and
impulsive and they just had alot of cultural conflict
happened, even though they'reall Japanese.
These are men that have beenraised in Hawaii.
These are men who have beenraised in the mainland United
(23:29):
States very differentupbringing.
And the main source of divisionis that the Hawaiian Nisei did
not understand what theAmerican, this, what the
mainland Nisei were livingthrough
AJ (23:43):
with the tournament
Pearl (23:44):
with the interment camps.
So, what the army decided to dois they sent a group of Hawaiian
Nisei to visit the intermissioncamps.
In the United States, Right.
Doesn't it just blow your mindokay.
You don't understand how badlywe're treating these guys.
So we're going to show you howmean, where we've been to the
third of the guys in your
AJ (24:03):
room
Pearl (24:04):
so that you're nicer to them.
So that's what they did.
So these a Hawaiian to say, goto the United States, they see
what's going on.
And they realize that the menthat they're serving with our
true heroes and Patriots,they've been sending back every
spare dime to their families ininterment camps in the United
States, and it blows theirminds.
So after that visit.
(24:24):
The the 4442nd regimental combatteam becomes tight there.
AJ (24:30):
this not been made into a
Pearl (24:31):
Honestly it might've been I don't think it has you never
know that you'll always findlike super random stuff but yeah
this should be like ablockbuster because this is a
AJ (24:41):
I mean as you're saying this I'm just like this sounds like
something out of a script out ofa movie you're like really into
that happen Okay
Pearl (24:50):
Immediately they recognize their shared history
and their shared culture Andthey joined together in just
like this intensely loyal unitwhere they're just they're there
for each other
AJ (25:05):
because it's remember the Titans but we're both
Pearl (25:09):
in world war two,
AJ (25:11):
Japanese Americans.
Okay.
Go on.
Pearl (25:14):
So, from May, 1943 to February, 1942 44, the men
trained heavily for combat Andthey were excellent at
maneuvers.
They really learned during thattime, how to operate as a team.
And then in April of 1944, theywere sent on their first
(25:35):
overseas assignment to Europe.
AJ (25:37):
Late in the
Pearl (25:38):
yeah.
AJ (25:39):
Man.
There's so many questions thatare coming what did people think
these Japanese internment campsabout how they were being
treated about being at war withfair?
Maybe, I guess they wouldn'tprobably home country at that
time but their country of originand what they thought of the men
(26:04):
who did volunteer For thiscombat like where they were,
they generally applauding these1100 men or did they see them a
little bit as traders and theneven thinking further into the
war, what did all these JapaneseAmericans think drop nuclear
bombs on Japanese it was justlike a lot of stuff going
Pearl (26:30):
layers there
AJ (26:31):
that Is just crazy.
And, I mean,
Pearl (26:37):
really it's a really tough time to be a Japanese
American, for sure.
So yeah, so for the length ofservice and the size of the
unit, the 442nd regimentalcombat team was the most
decorated unit in the entirehistory of U S military.
In total, about 18,000 menserved they ultimately earned
(27:00):
9,486 purple hearts, 21 medalsof honor, and an unprecedented
seven presidential unitcitations.
AJ (27:09):
I mean, it's hard for me.
I don't know exactly what tocompare that to, but it sounds
impressive.
Pearl (27:14):
Yeah.
So, I've never heard of this,but apparently there's a
national gopher broke day.
Again, never heard of it.
And the gopher broke is kind ofthe the mantra of the 442nd.
Regiment
AJ (27:31):
Oh, this is directly tied to this regiment.
Pearl (27:34):
Yeah.
And go from national gopherbroke day is celebrated April
5th every year.
Because it was April 5th, 1945that, Sudeo Muna Mori, the 440
seconds.
RTCs four and 42nd RTCs.
First medal of honor.
Recipient was killed in actionnear in Italy.
So,
AJ (27:55):
By now we, I want to look up the story of each of their medal
of honor
Pearl (28:00):
Right.
Yeah.
The four and 42nd went to Ithink the majority of the time
they were in France, theyliberated cities and France from
German control.
And then they they actually wereassigned in 1945 with the 92nd
infantry division, which was anall black unit to drive German
(28:20):
forces out of Northern Italy.
So that kind of seems like amovie right there, the four 42nd
and the 92nd all JapaneseAmericans and black Americans
just showing how it's done,yeah, the four 42nd was
inactivated about a year afterthe war ended.
It was only around for two yearstotal, but that's one of the,
that's one of the things thatmakes it so unique in how many
(28:42):
metals at one, they were onlyaround for a short amount of
time and they just.
They just did so much.
So apparently there is aHollywood movie 1951 title go
for broke.
So
AJ (28:52):
what it's called.
Pearl (28:53):
called gopher broke.
AJ (28:54):
So 70 years ago there was a Hollywood movie made about these
Pearl (28:58):
Yeah.
So 1951 Hollywood, a movietitled go for broke.
I'm going to link to it in theshow notes, because I think that
could be a, an interesting movieto watch.
In 2010 the, some various groupsveterans advocates and the
national veterans networklobbied to get the congressional
(29:20):
passage of bill.
As 10 25 or 10 55, which posthumorously awarded all members
of the four 42nd, the militarythe congressional gold medal for
their heroic actions in worldwar II.
So tons of metals tons ofrecognition, but they also
received the congressional goldmedal.
(29:43):
Yeah, so I just wanted to touchon that story briefly for the
podcast today and just kind ofhighlight, there's been a
massive spike in violenceagainst Asian Americans in the
United States.
Of course not limited to Chinesepeople.
Basically anyone of Asiandescent is they're going outside
(30:03):
with more more awareness andfear and having to just be
cautious.
And I think it's a really, it'san incredibly ignorant thing to
think of.
It's an incredibly ignorantthing in America to think of
anyone being an outsider.
Unless you are native American.
Because we're all outsiders, weall came here from another
(30:27):
country and it's important torecognize how much
Asian-Americans have contributedto the United States and how
long they've been here.
And yeah.
AJ (30:38):
Yeah.
This is a great story.
Thank you for bringing that tolight.
That's really amazing.
I mean, man, to think of.
Massive numbers of theseJapanese Americans, many of whom
were born in America than beinginterred, it's a huge it's a
huge black spot on our nationfor sure
Pearl (31:00):
Yeah
AJ (31:01):
But then to think that the same Japanese Americans came out
of their internment camps whiletheir families were still in
these camps and they went.
To fight with Valor.
It's not like they were justkinda in there taking up space.
They're like, well, this isbetter than being in a
tournament camp.
No, they went to battle and wentto war, died fighting for this
(31:29):
country that they believe in.
And for the values of freedomwhich they were not being
afforded
Pearl (31:35):
were not Which they're not getting access to
AJ (31:37):
they were liberating and tournament camps while their own
family was interred
Pearl (31:42):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's a great, it's a greatstory.
And I just, yeah, I just wantedto highlight some amazing
Asian-Americans and kind ofbring awareness to some of the
contributions that they've madein our history and for the
freedom of our United States.
And yeah.
Yeah.
It if you would like to supportAn Asian owned business.
(32:06):
I'll actually link to it in theshow notes, but my aunt toy is
from She and my art, my, my aunttoy is from Thailand and she and
my uncle met when he wasstationed there during Vietnam.
And they make the world's bestThai sauces.
AJ (32:24):
It's the
Pearl (32:26):
I'm not even exaggerating.
If
AJ (32:28):
and toy is amazing.
Pearl (32:29):
And toy makes the best food ever.
Yeah, so normally we would haveto only, we could only buy this
being on the wa being on theEast coast.
We could only find Ty Fusion'sfood at Williams-Sonoma, but
it's super expensive there.
It was like$18 a bottle and belike, Oh, Christmas, here's our
Christmas day meal.
But yeah, totally worth it.
But now you can buy it onlinethrough a different source and
(32:51):
it's really fordable, I'm justplugging it because it's so
good.
And you guys deserve to trysomething incredible.
So, yeah, I'll link to it in theshow notes, you can, I'll tag
them on Facebook and Instagram.
You can look them up.
AJ (33:03):
and they're the sweetest people.
Pearl (33:04):
Yeah.
Go try some incredible.
The only caveat I have is thatyou might want to add yourself a
can of coconut milk orsomething.
If you've got, if you are tooweak for,
AJ (33:17):
the heat,
Pearl (33:17):
if you can't handle the heat, authentic Thai food they
don't have star ratings.
They just give you what theyknow that you need.
Like it's going to be
AJ (33:25):
is more spice
Pearl (33:26):
and it's going to be delicious and you're going to
deal with it.
Because it's so good.
AJ (33:31):
It is
Pearl (33:31):
So if you need a little bit of coconut milk to to take
the heat down but yeah, it'samazing.
So
AJ (33:36):
Their Curry sauces and their pad ties.
Peanut sauce, so Now you'remaking me hungry.
Pearl (33:42):
I know.
I was just thinking I need tobuy some
AJ (33:43):
Yeah.
We need to place another orderthere.
Pearl (33:45):
get some of that gets into that pinning
AJ (33:48):
Oh, it's so
Pearl (33:50):
Curry Put her on the I like to man there's just so many
things to do with it one of thethings we'd like to do with it
is just brush it on some chickenlegs put it on chicken
drumsticks put it on the grillcook up some nice Jasmine rice
and then peanut sauce Likenobody's business It's just so
AJ (34:10):
Yeah.
We always try and make a jarlasts for two meals, but
Pearl (34:14):
never does.
It never
AJ (34:15):
We're just cause
Pearl (34:16):
well because we're trying to make it not too spicy for the
kids.
So we don't put a ton of it inthere, but then we bring the jar
to the table so that age, and Ican just like dump from the jar
straight onto her plate and justyeah.
And violet really loves spicyfood too.
So by all
AJ (34:28):
It's just so
Pearl (34:30):
Yeah.
It's like it hurts, but I canstop
AJ (34:33):
Oh man.
Mouth's watering now.
Pearl (34:35):
anyways.
Yeah, so,
AJ (34:36):
on myself.
Pearl (34:37):
so yeah, that that's the pod for the day.
Again, we're happy you listened.
If you're still listening.
Good for you.
Go get yourself a cup of hot teaand celebrate.
You deserve it,
AJ (34:53):
Visit us at the stories.
We forgot.com.
You can listen to the latestepisode there, you can get
yourself a coupon for some tea,and you can submit some stories
to
Pearl (35:06):
Oh man, you guys, we need story submissions.
But you know what we need you tolike, do a sing better research
when you submit the story.
It's all I'm asking like aWikipedia link or something
like,
AJ (35:17):
Yeah.
Even just give us some links tofind the info.
Pearl (35:20):
Yeah, don't just be like, here's a name, follow that one
up.
Cause we forget.
So, I feel like I've gotten somegood submissions already, but
I've just forgotten So I needthem to be messaged to me
through the website, with link.
AJ (35:36):
Oh, right.
Yeah.
Pearl (35:37):
or Facebook and Instagram.
So anyways have a good day.
Enjoy your weekend.
bye.
AJ (35:44):
Oh, wait, don't forget to share it with your mom.
Bye.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.