Friday 8pm GO FOR BROKE (1951) A war drama starring Van Johnson. It's the story of Japanese-American soldiers who fought in Europe during World War II.
During World War II, Lt. Michael Grayson (Van Johnson) is a newly commissioned American Army officer who looks forward to being assigned to the 36th Texas Division. Instead, he is put in charge of Japanese-American soldiers, who form the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Grayson is bigoted and uneasy about the assignment, but when the unit goes into combat in Italy, he admires their courage and determination. The 442nd eventually becomes the most decorated unit in the U.S. Army.
The 442nd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army and is the only infantry formation in the Army Reserve. The regiment is best known for its history as a fighting unit composed almost entirely of second-generation American soldiers of Japanese ancestry who fought in World War II.
TRIVIA
- Several of the main characters were played by actual members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team depicted in the film. The men saw action with the outfit in Italy and France.
- Even though the 442nd Regimental Combat Team is the most decorated unit in US Army history, there is only one brief--VERY brief--scene of President Harry S. Truman pinning a medal on a soldier's chest, with no ceremony or dialogue. There is also an earlier reference, almost a throwaway line, by Lt. Grayson (Van Johnson) about awarding a soldier a medal.
- Towards the end of the film, reference is made to a Piper Cub aircraft being used for spotting/reconnaissance. The original Piper Cub was manufactured from 1938-1947. In military configuration, from 1943-1946, it was officially known as the L-4 "Grasshopper" (since it was painted Army Olive drab), but most soldiers still called them "Cubs." There were actually over 5,400 produced for the US military during that time.
