They fought for their country. They fought for the honor of Americans of Japanese ancestry. And they fought to win World War II and come home alive.

They never fought for medals.

But now the bravery of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion will be rewarded with the Medal of Honor, decades after their battles became the stuff of Army legend.

Now 19 more will forever be tied to the nation’s highest honor.

Shizuya Hayashi is 82, and the words and the memories of that long-ago war come in fits and spurts. But in 1943, in Italy, the young private charged a German position and killed 20 enemy soldiers. He also took four prisoners.

Next month the Pearl City resident will be at the White House for the special ceremony. He’ll met a president who wasn’t born until after the war.

"It’s kind of surprising," he said. "A lot of other boys deserve it, but they’re not here. Those days, we didn’t think about medals. You were there to do a job. It was something you had to do."

Barney Hajiro fought, too. He helped to rescue the Lost Battalion, a Texas unit trapped behind enemy lines. He was wounded three times.

On Tuesday, he got a telephone call from Washington, informing him of the medal.

"I was thinking a long time ago about this," Hajiro said yesterday. "They turned me down, so I didn’t care. Then it came up again, and I said I would accept it for my buddies who died in the war, not for myself."

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye also is one of the recipients. Inouye lost an arm during the war.

"I am deeply grateful to my nation for this extraordinary award," he said. "The making of a man involves many mentors. If I did well, much of the credit should go to my parents and the gallant men of my platoon. This is their medal. I will receive it on their behalf."

Ed Ichiyama, a veteran of the 442nd and one of those who researched old military documents to support the awards, said yesterday that he feels like a new father. He is 76.

"The AJAs left a legacy of valor, loyalty and self-sacrifice," he said. "We like to think we opened the door of opportunity slightly for succeeding generations."

He, too, plans to be in Washington for the ceremony, proud to honor his comrades living and dead.

"To think these guys, in spite of their fear, did what they did, is simply awesome," Ichiyama said. "I don’t know how they generated the courage to do what they did."