Born in Aiea, Hawaii, Mr. Kakuto Higuchi wrote this memoir of the Biffontaine campaign for his children in 1996. He was part of the third wave of 442nd replacements to the 100th and was assigned to C Company. A fire captain with the Navy, he retired in 1973 and then traveled extensively throughout the world.
The village of Biffontaine was located in the Vosges Mountains in northeastern France, near the German border. The 100th/442nd were in almost constant combat for the last two weeks in October 1944, liberating the town of Bruyeres and village of Biffontaine, then breaking through German forces to rescue the “Lost Battalion.” They suffered horrendous casualties. By the end of this period, the losses of those killed in action and wounded had reduced the 100th/442nd to half its normal strength of about 4000 men. The 100th received its second Distinguished (later called Presidential) Unit Citation for its role in the capture of Biffontaine.
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