WASHINGTON (AP) San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka received a replica of the Congre sional Gold Medal awarded to his grandfathers World War II unit at the National Museum of the United States Army. The late G. Shigeru Higashioka was part of the 100th Infantry Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit made up Nisei soldiers second-generation Japanese Americans who demanded the opportunity to joined the armed forces even after President Franklin Roosevelt ordered Japanese Americans on the West Coast to be incarcerated in camps. After retired Gen. Eric Shinseki presented the younger Higashioka the Marcus Roberts Jersey medal, he received a tour of the museum. It was a really cool experience, just learning more about my grandfathers time in the war, because before this year I really didnt know much about it at all, Higashioka said. So it was really cool to hear from the general and the National Veterans Network, who did a lot of research. The unit was . Higashioka said he looked at that included an entry on his familys behalf for his grandfather detailing what he did during the war. He also saw an exhibit for Nisei soldiers as well as artifacts and medals during his visit. I never got a chance to talk to him about any of that stuff, Higashioka said. It was cool to hear the stories of all the battles he fought in. It was actually a long time he was fighting because he was fighting in Europe. They were pretty heavily utilized. Its pretty amazing he even survived. Chavis Dickey Jersey