Written by Stacey Hayashi. Illustrated by Willie Ito.

The 100th Infantry, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, was the most highly decorated unit in US military history for its size and time in combat. The 100th/442nd were AJA, as we say in Hawaii — Americans of Japanese Ancestry. It’s an inspiring true story of overcoming racism and adversity in a difficult time for our nation, and what it means to be an American.

The 442nd’s 3rd Battalion medics adopted a puppy in Luciana, a war-torn town in Italy, in July 1944. 442nd veteran Eddie Yamasaki took many photos of her. She was paid for with candy (some kids owned her and a deal was negotiated), fed with an eyedropper, and even had her own dogtags. They named her Lucy (short for Luciana), and she became their mascot. All the medics adored her and she went all over Europe with them, providing immeasurable comfort and joy for those who saw the worst of what happens to soldiers in combat. After the war ended, medic Howard Kozuma brought her back to Hawaii.

Paper: 44 pp.