A World War II veteran who was stripped of his medals nearly 75 years ago was repinned on Saturday.
Virgil Westdale was part of the most decorated battalion in military history: the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, after he was stripped of his Army Air Corps badge during the war because he was a Japanese-American. Westdale had his pilot’s license taken away and was demoted to a Private in the Army. 75 years later, Westdale got his wings back, along with a celebration of his 100th birthday.
It was a moment decades in the making that many say never needed to happen.
“It was the restoration of his Army Air Corps Badge,” said Lt. Col. Steve Kenyon. “That is 75 years after it was wrongfully taken away from him, so it’s a pretty big deal.”
“It was great,” said Westdale. “They’re still working on it to hopefully make it absolutely official from the military.”
The wings were given to Westdale by a Michigan local and veteran.
“Those wings came from Army Captain John James who was a combat pilot in Iraq,” said Kenyon. “Those wings were in combat. John is running for senate here in the state. John donated his wings.”
“I was absolutely overwhelmed,” said Westdale.
Snip – John James is working to win the R primary to run against Debbie Stabenow (Dbag – MI). I’m going to vote for him.
Another victim of FDR administration racism.
got his wings back now give him all the back pay he lost as well…
🙂
Roosevelt (D-bag), did this.
I was in the service with a man who had been born in Manzanar, was he bitter, only about Democrats.
The whole family was pulled from a fruit farm in Reedley, CA and relocated into a dustbowl.
They got the farm, most of it, back. I visited him and his still spry father, could have opened a fruit stand with all the produce they insisted I take home.
They cooked us dinner, Joe sent me to get some rice from a 30 gallon trash can full.
When I came back I told him there were worms in it. He said: “I know, it’s the only kind Dad will buy, that way you know it hasn’t been poisoned.”
Wow! So glad he got them. Too bad they weren’t the actual ones.
As a side note, the most decorated members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was—-Senator Daniel Inouye [D-HI, deceased], awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star Medal, 2 Purple Hearts, and 12 other medals and citations. In 2000, his Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
I disagreed with his politics, but I honor the warrior.
Meanwhile, some crazed scumbag threw his Vietnam medals over the White House fence, and got them back right away and ran as a war hero.
Whatever advances the agenda, is moral.
Inouye might not be the MOST decorated member of the 442nd—-there were 21 MOHs awarded to 442nd members.
Umm, I don’t want to be the ass here, but why would the Army waste its time taking a qual away from a guy for being Japanese-American in a unit that was by design all Japanese-American and already getting recognized for outstanding acts of heroism? I understand the racism angle (grew up in HI and learned all about the Fighting 442 – “Go For Broke!”) and that was why they could only fight in Europe. BUT, he didn’t get busted to private just for being Nisei. Dig deeper.
I’m with Cryojohn. It’s a great story, but something doesn’t make sense. That being said, his granddaughter is smokin hot!
@Cryer, the 442nd was a COMBAT infantry unit, they took him out of the Army Air Corp and made him an infantry man because that’s the only place Roosevelt would let them serve.
Military Intelligence is an oxymoron.
What a great opportunity to erase the errors of the FDR administration. Too bad it took so long. He needs to have his previous rank (officers) restored as well. Thank you for serving our nation in such a valiant manner, Sir!
@OpentheDoor, now that makes sense. I couldn’t see the angle.
Find the bastards that did this to him and take away everything they’ve enjoyed since.
@Cryer, in your defense, the article appears to have been written by a high school student.
@Greyjohn, you know FDR comments here regularly?
America’s shame is it too ran concentration camps during WWII, just like that National Socialists in Germany.
There are close parallels here – two branches of Socialism ran concentration camps:
German National Socialists – ran concentration camps, rounding up Jews, Romany, homosexuals and other “undesirables”
American Progressive Socialists (Democrat Party) – ran concentration camps, rounding up Japanese immigrants and US-born people of Japanese descent.
Despicable, both programs.
Hold on there General, to compare an American detention facility, as deplorable as they may have been, with the prison camp where my next door neighbour spent the war, until Gen.MacArthur waded ashore.
Dude, you been smokin’ weed?
OTD – not the same comparison. The Japs had brutal, sadistic POW Prisoner Of War camps. The vast majority of POW’s in Jap camps were soldiers & sailors of the Allied forces.
The National Socialists in Germany and the Progressive Socialists/ Democrats in America imprisoned innocent civilians.
Ummm, no.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weixian_Internment_Camp
“Overall, the Japanese held approximately 125,000 civilian prisoners or internees.”
There were more.