Colonel Young-Oak Kim and the Choice to Serve Together

Young-Oak Kim, a Korean American raised in Los Angeles, became a U.S. Army officer during World War II. He was the only Korean American to serve in the 100th Infantry Battalion or the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, units composed of Japanese American soldiers.

When offered a transfer because of concern that Korean and Japanese Americans might not get along, Kim made clear that he and the soldiers were Americans who would fight together. He earned their trust as a combat leader and distinguished himself in the European theater.

Kim continued his military career after World War II, served in the Korean War, and retired as a colonel in 1972. He later helped found the Go For Broke Educational Foundation to preserve the history of Japanese American soldiers in World War II. His life shows how people can acknowledge different historical experiences while choosing shared responsibility.

Reference: Army University Press, Nisei Spirit: The Cultural Identity of the 442nd RCT.