after three days of bombing, the second assault commenced. in one platoon of the 100th only five of forty soldiers survived. the 100th again was pulled back into reserve and replaced by british and indian soldiers after nearly taking cassino. war correspondents calling the 100th's soldiers "little men of iron" and the "purple heart battalion." this would be the last time nisei of the original 100th would see combat at monte cassino as they were taken back to san michele to rest and reorganize. from that point on, for the rest of the war, replacements from the new volunteer 442nd regimental combat team began filling its ranks.