100th Infantry Battalion – 442nd Regimental Combat Team Sweetheart Tankard or Beer Stein

[dmsusuki]

100th Infantry Battalion – 442nd Regimental Combat Team

Sweetheart Tankard or Beer Stein

 

Many years ago, I visited Saint Louis, Missouri.  While in the city, I visited some military shops and antique stores looking for militaria.  Looking at the internet today, the business is still active which is a good thing regarding our economy.  Below is the name and address of the company.  This is not an endorsement but a location which provided a young man with the encouragement to pursue military collectables as a hobby.

 

Overlord Military Collectables

3008 Woodson Rd, Saint Louis, Missouri 63114

www.overlordmilitary.com

 

 

 

The Artifact-

The subject of this article is nothing special just a silver- or nickel-plated sweetheart tankard made from “brass used the manufacture of this tankard was salvaged from the battlefields of World War II.”  The scenes depicted on the tankard are very detailed considering the technology of the time.  There are no maker marks or origin of manufacture.  Campaigns depicted on the tankards include North Africa, Central Europe, The Pacific and the Mediterranean [the examples I could find on line]. 

 

You can find these artifacts on many online auctions sites price ranging from 65.00 to 300.00.  Condition is key and many have seen better days.  The plating material seems to be rather thin and many tankards tend to suffer this fate.

 

So why did I buy a plated sweetheart tankard?  The artifact is common and something I would not buy if it were not for the custom transport container. 

 

 

The Transport Container-

 

The transport container material is made from scrap wood probably encased some type of war material from the United States.  The container was made especially for the artifact.  The hinge is metal, phosphate, and hand made to fit this project.  On each side of the wooden container the “owner” wrote “beer stein” with an orange China grease marker.

 

I am sure the veteran who purchased this tankard expected to transport and preserve the memories of this European adventure.  But this is not the reason I bought this artifact.

   

 

The motivation to purchase this artifact was the period artwork pained on the front panel of the transport container.  All hand

painted to recognize his pride in service to the organization he represented so many years ago.

 

The second pattern 442nd Regimental Combat Team patch above is accompanied by his battalion and regiment.

 

“Co “C” 100th BN 442 INF REGT.”

 

The 100th BN was the 1st Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.  “Able”, “Baker”, “Charlie” and “Dog” were the infantry companies of the 100 Battalion.  [see table left] [close up of actual artwork front panel lower right]

 

                                                                       

Further Research and Conclusions-

 

This artifact has been sitting in a glass display box for many years.  Back in the day I had asked the owner of the store concerning the provenance of the tankard.  He did not know but he bought it recently.  I asked if there were other objects but he said no.  So, for many years it collected dust and looked at me asking what now?

 

I had obtained an excel spread sheet containing the rosters of all the Nisei Veterans including the 442nd RCT, Military Intelligence Service, instructors and Caucasian members of the MIS and 442nd RCT.  A person can use many types of search criteria with excel.  Since I purchased the artifact in Saint Louis, MO, this would be the baseline search factor.  Other search formats include the following,

1.       Last Name First Name

2.       Serial Number

3.       Organization

4.       Rank

5.       Date of birth

6.       City of birth

7.       City of death

8.       Date of Death

9.       Place of Burial

10.   Other miscellaneous information

Inputting Saint Louis, MO, twelve names were revealed under the search recommendation.  There was only one name that had the key search criterium and that was “organization” which was “C” Company 100th Infantry Battalion.  The soldier’s name was Pfc. Harry Inukai.  Using the baseline search factors listed above let fill in the blanks.

1.       Last Name First Name – Inukai, Harry

2.       Serial Number - 37391138 

3.       Organization – Company C 100th Battalion

4.       Rank - Pfc.

5.     Date of birth - 5-Feb-13

6.       City of Birth - Ripley Co, MO

7.       City of death – Saint Louis, MO

8.       Date of Death - 11 July 1997

9.       Place of Burial - Section 1F, Site 2739, in JEFFERSON BARRACKS NATIONAL CEMETERY, 2900 SHERIDAN ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63125

10.   Other miscellaneous information – Recipient of – Purple Heart, Distinguished Unit Badge [PUC], and Combat Infantryman Badge [reference “Americans” Infantry Journal Press”]

 

Inconclusion-

I am confident the tankard did belong to Pfc Harry Inukai and it was bought at a garage sale or estate sale.  I hope his Purple Heart is engraved and resting in a collection.  Harry was married to Christine Ellen Inukai.  Harry and Christine Inukai are both buried Section 1F, Site 2739, in JEFFERSON BARRACKS NATIONAL CEMETERY

 

 

Thank you for reading                     

Respectively

dmsusuki