jimmie kanaya was captured and spent 18 months as a p.o.w. the 442nd won freedom for strangers while their families were locked up back home. >> we had to go forward to prove ourselves so that we would be free when we got back. >> reporter: but the battle was not over when they returned. george tried selling flowers in seattle. guy says, "nope." >> i walked in there, and the guy says, "nope." i says, "what's wrong?" "they're grown by the wrong type of people." i says, "i'm really not that bad of a guy." and i said, "i'll leave now, but you give me one answer. i said if you were in my shoes right now, what would do you?" >> reporter: the 442 became one of the most decorated units in u.s. military history. and today in the u.s. capitol, they received one of our nation's highest civilian honors, the congressional gold medal. ( applause ) jimmie kanaya and goerge iwasaki were there for their fellow soldiers who could not be. >> there were a lot of them that got killed, and there's a lot of them that have passed on since. you come to my house, my

jimmy kanaya was captured and spent 18 months as a p.o.w.rs, while their families were locked up back home. >> we had to go forward to prove ourselves so that we will be free when we get back. >> reporter: but the battle was not over when they returned. george tried selling flowers in seattle. >> i walked in there and the guy says, nope. i says, what's wrong? they are grown by the wrong type of people. i says, i'm really not that bad of a guy. and i said, i'll leave now, but you give me one answer. i said, if you were in my shoes right now, what would you do? >> reporter: the 442 became one of the most decorated units in u.s. military history. and in the u.s. capitol, they received one of the highest honors, the congressional gold medal. jimmy kanaya and george iwasaki were there, for their soldiers who could not be. >> there were a lot of them that got killed and a lot of them have passed on since, and you come to my house, my flag is out there all the time, because not because of me, it's because of all the other guys. >> reporter: an endu