Varsity Victory Volunteers
Encyclopedia
The Varsity Victory Volunteers was a civilian sapper
unit composed of Japanese-Americans from Hawaii
. The VVV was a major stepping stone in the creation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which would end up becoming the most decorated regiment in United States armed forces history.
, the United States announced that all Reserve Officers' Training Corps
(ROTC) students were to report for military duty, forming the Hawaiian Territorial Guard
, or HTG. These ROTC students were given a rifle with only five bullets and ordered to guard vital installations such as bridges, wells, reservoirs, pumping stations, water tanks, and high schools. About a month later it came to the attention of officials in Washington DC that there were Japanese American
s within the HTG. They were ordered back to headquarters where those of Japanese ancestry were dismissed from duty because 4C-"enemy aliens" were ineligible to serve in the military.
After their dismissal, the students that were with the HTG returned to campus to talk amongst themselves. They met Hung Wai Ching who suggested the students volunteer in a labor battalion. Soon after a petition was written and signed by the ROTC students then sent to the military governor at the time, Delos C. Emmons, which reads,
We, the undersigned, were members of the Hawaii Territorial Guard until its recent inactivation. We joined the Guard voluntarily with the hope that this was one way to serve our country in her time of need. Needless to say, we were deeply disappointed when we were told that our services in the Guard were no longer needed.
Hawaii is our home; the United States, our country. We know but one loyalty and that is to the Stars and Stripes. We wish to do our part as loyal Americans in every way possible and we hereby offer ourselves for whatever service you may see fit to use us.
In February 1942 the 169 students got their wish and became a labor battalion to be known as the Varsity Victory Volunteers.
who would so happened to be escorted by Hung Wai Ching. Ching made certain McCloy noticed the VVV. In January 1943 the War Department
would make an announcement that an all Nisei
Regiment was being formed and there was a call for volunteers.
The VVV asked to be disbanded to join the newly formed 442nd Regimental Combat Team
. Their request was granted and on January 31, 1943 the VVV had disbanded after 11 months. It was expected a majority of volunteers would come from the mainland instead of the islands, but 10,000 men from Hawaii had volunteeredsince members of the VVV spread the word about the 442nd.
but it also improved racial stability in the Hawaiian community since many Japanese communities in Hawaii were upset at the way they had been treated. Men such as John Young, Bob Shivers, Kendall Fielder, Charles Hemenway, Charles Loomis, Miles Cary, Stephen Mark, Leslie Hicks, and Riley Allen all saw that to not create a racial uproar was of extreme importance.
It was the VVV which marked the turning point in the treatment of the people of Japanese ancestry in this Territory and their acceptance by the rest of the community. What followed afterward-the record of the 100th, the formation of the 442nd and its history of hard-won battles, the less publicized but equally important and impressive record of the interpreter groups, and the work of the civilians on the home front-was the natural result of the trend which was started in the early months of the war when a group of young men, who numbered at no time more than 170, demonstrated to a suspicious and skeptical community that the Americans of Japanese ancestry were every bit as American and every bit as loyal to this country and to her ideals as any other group of Americans, whether they were white, yellow, black, or brown.
Hawaii Defense Volunteers
Hawaii Air Depot Volunteer Corp
Women’s Army Volunteer Corp
Sapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
unit composed of Japanese-Americans from Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The VVV was a major stepping stone in the creation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which would end up becoming the most decorated regiment in United States armed forces history.
History
On the day of the attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, the United States announced that all Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
(ROTC) students were to report for military duty, forming the Hawaiian Territorial Guard
Hawaii Army National Guard
The Hawaii Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
, or HTG. These ROTC students were given a rifle with only five bullets and ordered to guard vital installations such as bridges, wells, reservoirs, pumping stations, water tanks, and high schools. About a month later it came to the attention of officials in Washington DC that there were Japanese American
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
s within the HTG. They were ordered back to headquarters where those of Japanese ancestry were dismissed from duty because 4C-"enemy aliens" were ineligible to serve in the military.
After their dismissal, the students that were with the HTG returned to campus to talk amongst themselves. They met Hung Wai Ching who suggested the students volunteer in a labor battalion. Soon after a petition was written and signed by the ROTC students then sent to the military governor at the time, Delos C. Emmons, which reads,
We, the undersigned, were members of the Hawaii Territorial Guard until its recent inactivation. We joined the Guard voluntarily with the hope that this was one way to serve our country in her time of need. Needless to say, we were deeply disappointed when we were told that our services in the Guard were no longer needed.
Hawaii is our home; the United States, our country. We know but one loyalty and that is to the Stars and Stripes. We wish to do our part as loyal Americans in every way possible and we hereby offer ourselves for whatever service you may see fit to use us.
In February 1942 the 169 students got their wish and became a labor battalion to be known as the Varsity Victory Volunteers.
Organization
The VVV was assigned to Schofield Barracks and were under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, attached to the 34th Combat Engineers Regiment. The VVV was broken down into 12 gangs and each one given a specific task. They did various labor tasks such as: build roads, military installations, fences, string barbed wire, and work in the quarry. They were placed into 3 separate barracks, Varsity, Victory and Volunteers, given a cot, a mattress, food and little to no pay. As time progressed the VVV began to warm up to and gain trust with other units at Schofield that were not of Japanese ancestry. Picnics and parties were held among all races at Schofield including friendly competition. The VVV adopted a football team, boxing team, basketball team, and golf team as well.Afterwards
In December 1942 the VVV would get a visit from Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloyJohn J. McCloy
John Jay McCloy was a lawyer and banker who served as Assistant Secretary of War during World War II, president of the World Bank and U.S. High Commissioner for Germany...
who would so happened to be escorted by Hung Wai Ching. Ching made certain McCloy noticed the VVV. In January 1943 the War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
would make an announcement that an all Nisei
Nisei
During the early years of World War II, Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated from their homes in the Pacific coast states because military leaders and public opinion combined to fan unproven fears of sabotage...
Regiment was being formed and there was a call for volunteers.
The VVV asked to be disbanded to join the newly formed 442nd Regimental Combat Team
442nd Regimental Combat Team
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army, was composed of Japanese-American enlisted men and mostly Caucasian officers. They fought primarily in Europe during World War II, beginning in 1944. The families of many of its soldiers were subject to internment...
. Their request was granted and on January 31, 1943 the VVV had disbanded after 11 months. It was expected a majority of volunteers would come from the mainland instead of the islands, but 10,000 men from Hawaii had volunteeredsince members of the VVV spread the word about the 442nd.
Legacy
The VVV not only led to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team442nd Regimental Combat Team
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army, was composed of Japanese-American enlisted men and mostly Caucasian officers. They fought primarily in Europe during World War II, beginning in 1944. The families of many of its soldiers were subject to internment...
but it also improved racial stability in the Hawaiian community since many Japanese communities in Hawaii were upset at the way they had been treated. Men such as John Young, Bob Shivers, Kendall Fielder, Charles Hemenway, Charles Loomis, Miles Cary, Stephen Mark, Leslie Hicks, and Riley Allen all saw that to not create a racial uproar was of extreme importance.
It was the VVV which marked the turning point in the treatment of the people of Japanese ancestry in this Territory and their acceptance by the rest of the community. What followed afterward-the record of the 100th, the formation of the 442nd and its history of hard-won battles, the less publicized but equally important and impressive record of the interpreter groups, and the work of the civilians on the home front-was the natural result of the trend which was started in the early months of the war when a group of young men, who numbered at no time more than 170, demonstrated to a suspicious and skeptical community that the Americans of Japanese ancestry were every bit as American and every bit as loyal to this country and to her ideals as any other group of Americans, whether they were white, yellow, black, or brown.
See also
Businessmen’s Military Training CorpsBusinessmen’s Military Training Corps
The Businessmen’s Military Training Corps was a white and part-Hawaiian militia unit to prevent collaboration of Japanese-Americans as a result of a Japanese invasion of Hawaii. The militia was made up of 17 companies, two thirds of which were Wold War I veterans. Their main activates were...
Hawaii Defense Volunteers
Hawaii Defense Volunteers
The Hawaii Defense Volunteers was a Chinese-American militia in Hawaii and one of three in Honolulu during the World War II, it also had Filipinos, Hawaiians, Puerto Ricans, Koreans, and Whites....
Hawaii Air Depot Volunteer Corp
Hawaii Air Depot Volunteer Corp
The Hawaii Air Depot Volunteer Corp was a civilian Paramilitary unit at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii during the World War II. Doing various tasks as Anti-aircraft crews, Firefighters, Security Base, EMS, and aircraft mechanics . Surprisingly for a civilian militia, they had anti-aircraft guns in...
Women’s Army Volunteer Corp
Women’s Army Volunteer Corp
The Women's Army Volunteer Corps was an organization within the Women's Army Corps in which women could serve as office assistants or military bus drivers.-External links:*...