Japanese-American World War II veterans belonging to the 100th Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service will be recognized for their gallantry under legislation approved by the U.S. Senate yesterday.

The congressional action adds nisei, or second-generation Japanese-American, soldiers assigned to the three World War II Army units as recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal—first awarded by the U.S. Continental Congress to George Washington in 1776. The last recipient was Arnold Palmer in 2009. Other recipients have been the Apollo 13 astronauts, surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey, Tuskegee Airmen, Frank Sinatra, Mother Teresa, John Wayne and Navajo Code Talkers. Along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Presidential Citizens Medal, it is the highest civilian honor awarded in the U.S.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, a Medal of Honor recipient who served with the 442nd, said, "I am humbled and appreciative of the honor bestowed upon our unit by the U.S. Senate. I fought and bled alongside many gallant and brave men who gave their lives in defense of our great nation, and my only regret is that more of them are not around to share this high honor."

The legislation must also be approved by the U.S. House before it can be submitted to President Barack Obama to be signed into law. It is expected to be approved next month. A similarly worded version passed the U.S. House last year.

The principal sponsor in the Senate is Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., while Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., initiated the legislation with 300 co-sponsors in the 425-member House.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka said, "One cannot overstate the contributions and sacrifices of these heroic Americans during World War II. While some Japanese-Americans were being wrongly interned due only to their ethnicity, these brave men stepped forward to defend the United States. I am proud to support this well-deserved honor for the nisei veterans of World War II."

The 442nd is acknowledged by the Army as the most decorated unit of its size and length of service in U.S. history. Among its many awards are seven Presidential Unit Citations, 21 Medals of Honor, 29 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars with 28 Oak Leaf Clusters, 22 Legion of Merit Medals, 15 Soldier’s Medals, 4,000 Bronze Stars and more than 4,000 Purple Hearts. The 100th Battalion was activated following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. On June 26, 1944, the 100th was assigned as one of the units in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and fought together until the surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945.

The exploits of the Military Intelligence Service in the Pacific campaign were classified until the 1970s. It is now credited with translating intercepted Japanese intelligence and serving as interpreters helping to achieve victory in the Pacific. The MIS has been credited with shortening the war in the Pacific and saving countless Allied lives.

The MIS was honored by President Bill Clinton with a Presidential Unit Citation in 2000.

Mike Harada said soldiers like his father, Edward Harada, who died in 2006, "would wonder what the fuss is all about."

"They all did what they had to do, not expecting anything in return," said Harada, president of Club 100, which was started after the war by veterans of the 100th Battalion. "But may of us know that we are able to do what we can because of their sacrifices and what they did."

Ann Kabasawa, whose father, Ray Nosaka, served with the 100th Battalion, added, "This is just another way to honor our fathers, give them what they deserve and also preserve their legacy for future generations."