New Novel Tells the Story of Hawaii’s 442

“Uninvited Valor – The Forsaken Soldiers of WWII” by John C. Kiyonaga, tells the story of Hawaii’s famous 442nd regimental combat team in a new form – the novel. The story follows the path of Joe Horiuchi, a Nisei boy from Molokai who somewhat reluctantly joins the 442nd after witnessing the attack on Pearl Harbor. Less heroic than duty-bound, Horiuchi makes it through training at Camp Shelby, and goes on to face heavy combat in Italy and France where his fate teeters on every page. Informed by the stories his father, who grew up in Kamalo, told him about serving as an officer in the 442nd, Kiyonaga creates the portrait of an honest young man – conflicted in his responsibility and yet resolute in his service to the very nation which has forsaken him.

Formed in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and the internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans by the U.S. government, the 442nd was an all Japanese American infantry unit who served in the European Theater of World War II. They were renowned for their fearless fighting style, heavy casualties and “Go For Broke” motto. While various nonfiction accounts of the 442nd’s exploits, such as the liberation of the Texas Battalion in the Vosges Mountains, have been described in works like “Facing the Mountain,” this newest addition to 442nd literature approaches the unit primarily through its characters.

A debut author, Kiyonaga has practiced law as a criminal defense attorney for more than 30 years and is a former Army officer himself. His trimmed style creates a compelling, off-beat rhythm, moving the story via tightly stitched scenes. The result is fast-paced engagement, striking at the authentic core of the 442nd experience and demonstrating the reasons why they continue to be remembered today.

“Uninvited Valor” will be available for purchase from Amazon and other major book distributors Oct. 15.