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World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients 21 Asian American World War II Vets to Get Medal of Honor
Dedicated To Those Who Decided To "Go For Broke"
'You fought not only the enemy, you fought prejudice, and you have won.'
President Harry S. Truman
At a 1945 White House ceremony
honoring the 100th Battalion and
442nd Regimental Combat Team
In 1996 Congress directed the Secretary of the Army to conduct a review of all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in World War II to determine whether any such award should be upgraded to the Medal of Honor. The task of identifying soldiers who qualified for the review and locating the required official documentation was given to the Command History Office at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, California. The team completed their research in September 1998 and turned their findings over to the US Armys Military Awards Branch. On 21 June 2000 President William Clinton awarded the Medal of Honor to 22 Asian-Pacific Americans.
By Rudi Williams
American Force Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 19, 2000 -- Twenty-one Asian American World War II heroes are scheduled to have their wartime Distinguished Service Crosses upgraded to Medals of Honor during White House ceremonies on June 21.
Seven of the 21 recipients are still living. They are: Rudolph B. Davila of Vista, Calif.; Barney F. Hajiro of Waipahu, Hawaii; Shizuya Hayashi of Pearl City, Hawaii; U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye of Honolulu, Hawaii; Yeiki Kobashigawa of Hawaii (city not available); Yukio Okutsu of Hilo, Hawaii; and George T. Sakato of Denver.
The Distinguished Service Cross was conferred on 11 of the heroes posthumously. The remaining three have died since the war.
President Clinton approved the Army's recommendations for the upgrades on May 12. Nineteen of the 21 veterans were members of the all-Japanese 100th Infantry Battalion or 442nd Regimental Combat Team -- for their size, among the most highly decorated units in U.S. military history.
The 100th, comprised mostly of Japanese American National Guardsmen from Hawaii, was the first all-Japanese American combat unit. While the 442nd was being formed in 1943, the 100th Battalion was already fighting in Italy. The 100th merged into the 442nd in 1944 and became the regiment's first battalion though it retained its unit designation.
The upgrading of the medals stems from efforts by Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, who authored the provision of the 1996 Defense Authorization Act mandating a review of the service records of Asian Pacific Americans who received the Distinguished Service Cross.
"The number of nominations made by the Army and approved ... by the president underscores the reason I sought this review: to dispel any doubt about discrimination in the process of awarding the Medal of Honor," Akaka said in a press release.
He noted that the 100th and 442nd fought with incredible courage and bravery in Italy and France, well befitting the unit motto, "Go for Broke!" -- Hawaiian slang for "shoot the works." Its members earned more than 18,000 individual decorations, including one wartime Medal of Honor, 53 Distinguished Service Crosses, 9,486 Purple Hearts and seven Presidential Unit Citations, the nation's top award for combat units.
"Unfortunately, Asian Pacific Americans were not accorded full consideration for the Medal of Honor at the time of their service," said Akaka, who praised the Army and Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera for a "tremendous job conducting" the records review.
"A prevailing climate of racial prejudice against Asian Pacific Americans during World War II precluded this basic fairness, the most egregious example being the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans," Akaka said. "The bias, discrimination and hysteria of that time unfortunately had an impact on the decision to award the military's highest honor to Asian and Pacific Islanders."
Many of the Japanese Americans who served in the 442nd volunteered from internment camps, where their families had been relocated at the outbreak of war.
The 100th and 442nd fought in eight major campaigns in Italy, France and Germany, including battles at Monte Cassino, Anzio and Biffontaine.
The best-known of the 21 heroes is Inouye.
"I am deeply grateful to my nation for this extraordinary award," he said in a brief statement after learning he had been selected for the nation's highest award for valor. "The making of a man involves many mentors. If I did well, much of the credit should go to my parents, grandparents and the gallant men of my platoon. This is their medal. I will receive it on their behalf."
According to his Senate biography, Army Sgt. Inouye "slogged through nearly three bloody months of the Rome- Arno campaign with the U.S. Fifth Army and established himself as an outstanding patrol leader with the 'Go-For- Broke Regiment.'"
Inouye's unit shifted from Italy to the Vosges Mountains in France and "spent two of the bloodiest weeks of the war rescuing 'The Lost Battalion,' the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment, of the Texas National Guard, which was surrounded by German forces," according to his biography.
The Japanese American unit sustained more than 800 casualties to rescue 211 Texans. The rescue is listed in the Army annals as one of the most significant military battles of the century.
"Inouye lost 10 pounds, became a platoon leader and earned the Bronze Star Medal and a battlefield commission as a second lieutenant," the bio states.
The regiment went back to Italy, and Inouye was cited for heroism while leading his platoon against the enemy at San Terenzo on April 21, 1945. Though hit in the abdomen by a bullet that came out his back and barely missed his spine, he continued to lead the platoon and advanced alone against a machine gun nest that had pinned down his men.
"He tossed two hand grenades with devastating effect before his right arm was shattered by a German rifle grenade at close range," according to the senatorial bio. "Inouye threw his last grenade with his left hand, attacked with a submachine gun and was finally knocked down the hill by a bullet in the leg."
After 20 months in Army hospitals, Inouye returned home as a captain with a Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second highest award for military valor, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster and 12 other medals and citations.
He became Hawaii's first congressman in 1959 when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Inouye, a native of Honolulu, was re-elected to a full term in 1960 and won election to the U.S. Senate in 1962.
The 20 other veterans scheduled to receive the Medal of Honor are: - Staff Sgt. (later 2nd Lt.) Rudolph B. Davila , 7th Infantry, for actions on May 28, 1944, at Artena, Italy.
- Pvt. Barney F. Hajiro , 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions in October 1944, at Bruyeres and Biffontaine, France.
- Pvt. Mikio Hasemoto , 100th Infantry Battalion, for actions on Nov. 29, 1943, at Cerasuolo, Italy (posthumous).
- Pvt. Joe Hayashi , 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions in April 1945, at Tendola, Italy.
- Pvt. Shizuya Hayashi , 100th Infantry Battalion, for actions on Nov. 29, 1943, at Cerasuolo, Italy.
- Tech. Sgt. Yeiki Kobashigawa , 100th Infantry Battalion, for action on June 2, 1944, at Lanuvio, Italy.
- Staff Sgt. Robert T. Kuroda , 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions on Oct. 20, 1944, at Bruyeres, France (posthumous).
- Pfc. Kaoru Moto , 100th Infantry Battalion, for actions on July 7, 1944, at Castellina, Italy (posthumous).
- Pfc. Kiyoshi K. Muranaga , 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions on June 26, 1944, at Suvereto, Italy (posthumous).
- Pvt. Masato Nakae , 100th Infantry Battalion, for actions on August 19, 1944, at Pisa, Italy (posthumous).
- Pvt. Shinyei Nakamine , 100th Infantry Battalion, for actions on June 2, 1944, at La Torreto, Italy (posthumous).
- Pfc. William K. Nakamura , 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions on July 4, 1944, at Castellina, Italy (posthumous).
- Pfc. Joe M. Nishimoto , 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions on Nov. 7, 1944, at La Houssiere, France (posthumous).
- Sgt. (later Staff Sgt.) Allan M. Ohata , 100th Infantry Battalion, for actions in November 1943 at Cerasuolo, Italy.
- Tech. Sgt. Yukio Okutsu , 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions on April 7, 1945, at Mount Belvedere, Italy.
- Pfc. Frank H. Ono , 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions on July 4, 1944, at Castellina, Italy (posthumous).
- Staff Sgt. Kazuo Otani , 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions on July 15, 1944, at Pieve di S. Luce, Italy (posthumous).
- Pvt. George T. Sakato , 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions on Oct. 29, 1944, in Biffointaine, France.
- Tech. Sgt. Ted T. Tanouye , 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions on July 7, 1944, at Molina a Ventoabbto, Italy (posthumous).
- Capt. Francis B. Wai , 34th Infantry, for actions on Oct. 20, 1944, at Leyte, Philippine Islands (posthumous).
A 22nd Medal of Honor was favorably considered for another Japanese American, James Okubo, under a separate provision of the law. The decoration can't be formally approved, however, until Congress waives the statutory time restriction in his specific case, Army officials noted.
A former Army medic, Okubo was originally recommended for the Medal of Honor but his command gave him the Silver Star Medal in the mistaken belief that was the highest award allowed. Okubo was cited for extraordinary heroism in several separate actions near Biffontaine in October and November 1944 in which he saved the lives of fellow 442nd soldiers while exposing himself to intense enemy fire.
Asian Americans in the United States Armed Forces
Army Secretary Lionizes 22 World War II Heroes
By Rudi Williams
American Forces Press Service
Photos Courtesy Individual Families
WASHINGTON, July 10, 2000 Perhaps the greatest tribute 22 World War II Asian American Medal of Honor recipients can receive comes from a soldier who saw the war from the perspective of the front-line GI.
At a special Medal of Honor luncheon June 21 at the Washington Hilton Hotel, Army Secretary Louis Caldera recalled for the audience the words of wartime "The Stars and Stripes" newspaper cartoonist Bill Mauldin, who wrote admiringly after the war of the Japanese American soldiers he'd seen:
"No combat unit in the Army could exceed [them] in loyalty, hard work, courage and sacrifice. Hardly a man of them hasn't been decorated at least twice, and their casualty lists were appalling.... A lot of us in Italy used to scratch our heads and wonder how we would feel if we were wearing the uniform of a country that mistreated our families. Most of us came to the conclusion that we would be pretty damn sulky about it, and we marveled at those guys who didn't sulk ... and showed more character and guts per man than any 10 of the rest of us ... . We were proud to be wearing the same uniform."
The next day, June 22, when Caldera inducted the 22 heroes into the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes, he said, "We will never forget Pvt. Barney Hajiro, whose uphill charge against heavy fire in the forests of eastern France remains legendary even among his battle-hardened comrades.
"His was among many outstanding acts of bravery during the famous battle to rescue the 'Lost Battalion' (the Texas National Guard 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment), which had been encircled by the enemy and was in imminent danger of annihilation," Caldera said. "In that fearful engagement, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team suffered about 800 casualties to save 211 Texans four Nisei soldiers killed or wounded for each fellow soldier saved."
Hajiro was awarded the Medal of Honor for valor on Oct. 19, 22 and 29, 1944, near Bruyeres and Biffontaine, France.
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Caldera said America should never forget Tech. Sgt. James K. Okubo, a medic a noncombatant who took his duty to care for the wounded so seriously that time and again he dashed and crawled across open field to rescue injured men at the front line. He shielding them with his body from withering machine gun fire and mortar attack even as he treated them and carried them to safety.
The Medal of Honor was bestowed on Okubo for heroism on Oct. 28 and 29, and Nov. 4, 1944, with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team near Biffontaine, France. According to his citation, "Under constant barrages of enemy small arms and machine gun fire, Okubo treated 17 men on Oct. 28 and eight more on Oct. 29. On Nov. 4, Okubo ran 75 yards under grazing machine gun fire and, while exposed to hostile fire directed at him, evacuated and treated a seriously wounded crewman from a burning tank, who otherwise would have died."
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Caldera recalled the sacrifice ofPfc. Kiyoshi Muranaga, a 442nd Regimental Combat Team mortarman who held his position as his company dispersed and sought cover from enemy gunfire.
"Fully exposing his position to the enemy, he called down his own death as he dueled one-on-one, but hopelessly outmatched, with the heavier artillery of a deadly German 88 mm self-propelled gun in order to protect his comrades," Caldera said. Muranaga was killed when an 88 mm shell scored a direct hit on his position. His heroic actions took place on June 26, 1944, near Suvereto, Italy.
"And we will never forget the many others represented here today who, on distant shores, on countless battlefields, risked all they hold dear to carry out their duty," the secretary said.
The exploits of the nation's 22 newest Medal of Honor recipients are not widely known, though the heroes in their time were recognized with Distinguished Service Crosses, the second highest valor award. Now upgraded to Medal of Honor status following a military review of their records and President Clinton's approval, however, their names are indelibly etched into the annals of military and American history.
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Pvt. Mikio Hasemoto, 100th Infantry Battalion, distinguished himself on Nov. 29, 1943, near Cerasuolo, Italy. About 40 enemy soldiers armed with machine guns, machine pistols, rifles and grenades attacked the left flank of his platoon. When two enemy machine gunners advanced on him, Hasemoto, an automatic rifleman, challenged them, firing four magazines before his weapon was hit and damaged. He ran 10 yards to the rear, secured another automatic rifle and continued to fire until his weapon jammed.
Hasemoto and his squad leader had killed about 20 enemy soldiers. Hasemoto ran through a barrage of enemy machine gun fire to pick up an M-1 rifle. He and the squad leader killed 10 more enemy soldiers. With only three enemy left, the two GIs charged forward, killed one, wounded another and captured the third. The next day, Hasemoto was killed while repelling an enemy attack.
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Pvt. Shizuya Hayashi, 100th Infantry Battalion, was cited for heroism on Nov. 29, 1943, near Cerasuolo, Italy. During a flank assault on high ground held by the enemy, he rose alone in the face of grenade, rifle and machine gun fire. Firing his automatic rifle from the hip, he charged an enemy machine gun, killing seven enemy in the nest and two more as they fled. The platoon then advanced about 200 yards when an enemy anti-aircraft gun opened fire on the men. Hayashi returned fire, killing nine enemy soldiers, capturing four and forcing the others to flee.
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Tech. Sgt. Yeiki Kobashigawa , 100th Infantry Battalion, distinguished himself in action on June 2, 1944, near Lanuvio, Italy. During an attack, his platoon encountered strong enemy resistance from a series of machine guns. Observing a nest about 50 yards away, he crawled forward with one of his men, threw a grenade and then charged the enemy with his submachine gun while a fellow soldier provided covering fire. He killed one enemy soldier and captured two prisoners.
Even as Kobashigawa and his comrade took the first nest, another machine gun opened fire on them from 50 yards ahead. Directing a squad into the captured position, Kobashigawa and another soldier advanced against the second gun. After throwing grenades into the position, he provided cover fire while his comrade charged and captured four prisoners. Discovering four more machine gun nests, he led a squad in neutralizing two of them.
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Pfc. Kaoru Moto, 100th Infantry Battalion, distinguished himself on July 7, 1944, near Castellina, Italy. While serving as first scout, Moto observed a machine gun nest that was impeding his platoon. Making his way to within 10 paces of the hostile position, he killed the enemy gunner, but came under fire from the assistant gunner. Crawling to the rear of the position, Moto surprised the enemy soldier, who quickly surrendered.
Taking his prisoner with him, Moto holed up near a house and guarded it to prevent the enemy from using it as an observation post. Observing an enemy machine gun team moving into position, he opened fire and forced them to flee.
An enemy sniper in another house severely wounded Moto. Applying first aid to his wound, he eluded sniper fire and made his way to the rear for treatment. As he crossed a road, he spotted an enemy machine gun nest and opened fire, wounding two of the three soldiers occupying the position. He advanced on the nest, ordered the enemy to surrender and opened fire when he received no answer. The enemy soldiers then quickly surrendered.
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Pvt. Masato Nakae, 100th Infantry Battalion, was cited for heroism on Aug. 19, 1944, near Pisa, Italy. When his submachine gun was damaged by a shell fragment during a fierce attack, Nakae quickly picked up a wounded comrade's M-1 rifle and fired rifle grenades at the steadily advancing enemy. He also threw six grenades and forced the enemy to withdraw. Seriously wounded by shrapnel during an enemy mortar barrage, Nakae refused to surrender his position and continued firing at the advancing enemy. He inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy, breaking up the attack and causing the enemy to withdraw.
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Pvt. Shinyei Nakamine, 100th Infantry Battalion, received the Medal of Honor for valor June 2, 1944, near La Torreto, Italy. When his platoon was pinned down by intense machine gun crossfire, Nakamine crawled within 25 yards of one position and then charged it firing his submachine gun, killing three enemy soldiers and capturing two.
Later that afternoon, Nakamine discovered an enemy soldier on the right flank of his platoon's position. Crawling 25 yards, Nakamine opened fire and killed the enemy. Then, seeing a machine gun nest about 25 yards to his front, he led an automatic rifle team against it. Under covering fire, he crawled to within 25 yards of the nest and neutralized it with hand grenades, wounding one enemy soldier and capturing four. He was leading the automatic rifle team against a second nest about 100 yards to his right when he was killed by a burst of machine gun fire.
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Pfc. William K. Nakamura, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, distinguished himself in action on July 4, 1944, near Castellina, Italy. During a fierce firefight, his platoon was pinned down by enemy machine gun fire from a concealed position. Nakamura crawled about 20 yards toward the hostile nest with enemy machine gun fire barely missing him. When he was about 15 yards from the enemy's position, he quickly raised to a kneeling position and blasted the nest with a hail of hand grenades.
When his company was ordered to withdraw from the crest of a hill so that a mortar barrage could be placed on the ridge, Nakamura remained in position to cover his comrades' withdrawal.When deadly machine gun fire pinned down the company, Nakamura crawled within range of the enemy position and opened fire, pinning down the machine gunner. The unit completed its withdrawal, but Nakamura was killed during his heroic stand.
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Staff Sgt. Allan M. Ohata, 100th Infantry Battalion, was cited for heroism on Nov. 29 and 30, 1943, near Cerasuolo, Italy. Ohata, his squad leader and three other men were ordered to protect their platoon's left flank against an attacking force of 40 men, armed with machine guns, machine pistols and rifles. He posted an automatic rifleman 15 yards to his left, and together the team delivered effective fire against the enemy. The automatic rifleman called for assistance when his weapon was shot and damaged.
Disregarding his own safety, Ohata sprinted through heavy machine gun fire, reached his comrade's position, immediately sprayed 10 enemy soldiers and successfully covered the man's withdrawal to replace his damaged weapon. Ohata and the automatic rifleman held their positions and killed some 37 enemy. Then the men charged and captured the three remaining soldiers. Later, the two stopped another attacking force of 14, killing four and wounding three while the others fled. The next day, the two men again held their ground against waves of enemy soldiers and staved off all attacks.
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Staff Sgt. Kazuo Otani, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism on July 15, 1944, near Pieve Di S. Luce, Italy. Otani's platoon was attacking a hill when pinned down in a wheat field by concentrated fire from enemy machine gun and sniper fire. Realizing the danger confronting his platoon, Otani left his cover and killed a sniper who was firing with deadly effect upon his men. Then, followed by a steady stream of machine gun bullets, he dashed across the open field toward the cover of a base of a cliff. Directing his men to crawl to the safety of his position, he decoyed enemy gunners as they opened fire on the advancing GIs.
Organizing his men to guard against a possible enemy counterattack, Otani again made his way across the open field, shouting instructions to stranded men while continuing to draw enemy fire. Reaching the rear of the platoon position, he took partial cover in a shallow ditch and directed covering fire for the men who had begun to move forward.
When one of his men was seriously wounded, he ordered the rest to remain under cover. Otani crawled to the wounded soldier, who was lying on open ground in full view of the enemy. Dragging the wounded soldier to a shallow ditch, Otani was killed by machine gun fire while administering first aid to the soldier.
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Tech. Sgt. Ted T. Tanouye, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on July 7, 1944, near Molino A Ventoabbto, Italy. Tanouye led his platoon in an attack to capture the crest of a strategically important hill that afforded little cover or concealment. Noticing an enemy crew placing a machine gun to his left front, Tanouye crept forward and opened fire, killing or wounding three and causing two others to flee. An enemy soldier immediately opened fire on him with a machine pistol, but missed. Tanouye returned the fire and killed or wounded three more enemy soldiers.
While advancing forward, Tanouye's left arm was severely wounded by grenade bursts. Sighting an enemy-held trench, he raked the position with submachine gun fire and wounded several enemy troops. Running out of ammunition, he crawled about 20 yards to obtain several clips from a comrade on his left flank. He then sighted an enemy with a machine pistol who had pinned down his men. Tanouye crawled forward a few yards and threw a hand grenade into the position, silencing the pistol fire.
He then located another enemy machine gun firing down the slope of the hill, opened fire on it and silenced that position. Drawing fire from a machine pistol nest above him, he opened fire on it and wounded three of its occupants. Finally taking his objective, Tanouye organized a defensive position of the reverse slope of the hill before accepting first aid treatment and evacuation.
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Pvt. Joe Hayashi, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, was presented the Medal of Honor for gallantry on April 20 and 22, 1945, near Tendola, Italy. Ordered to attack a strongly defended hill that commanded all approaches to the village of Tendola, Hayashi led his men to a point within 75 yards of enemy positions before they were detected and fired upon. After dragging his wounded comrades to safety, he returned alone and exposed himself to small arms fire in order to direct and adjust mortar fire against hostile emplacements.
Boldly attacking the hill with the remaining men of his squad, Hayashi attained his objective and discovered that the mortars had neutralized three machine guns, killed 27 and wounded many others.
While attacking Tendola two days later, Hayashi maneuvered his squad up a steep terraced hill to within 100 yards of the enemy. Crawling under intense fire to a hostile machine gun position, he threw a grenade, killing one enemy soldier and forcing the other members of the gun crew to surrender.
Seeing four enemy machine guns firing on his platoon, he knocked out one nest with a grenade and engaged a second, killing four enemy soldiers and forcing the rest to flee. Attempting to pursue the enemy, Hayashi was mortally wounded by a burst of machine pistol fire.
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Pfc. Joe M. Nishimoto, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, was cited for heroism on Nov. 7, 1944, near La Houssiere, France. After three days of unsuccessful attempts by his company to dislodge the enemy from a strongly defended ridge, Nishimoto, as acting squad leader, crawled forward through a heavily mined and booby-trapped area. Spotting a machine gun nest, he hurled a grenade and destroyed it.
Circling to the rear of another nest, he knocked it out with point-blank submachine gun fire. Pursuing two fleeing riflemen, Nishimoto killed one and captured the other. He then drove a third crew from its position. The enemy force, their key strong points taken, withdrew from that sector.
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Tech. Sgt. Yukio Okutsu , 442nd Regimental Combat Team, distinguished himself in April 1945 on Mount Belvedere, Italy. While his platoon was halted by the crossfire of three machine guns, Okutsu crawled through heavy fire to within 30 yards of one emplacement and destroyed it with two hand grenades. Crawling and dashing from cover-to-cover, he silencing a second machine gun with a grenade and then advanced on the third through heavy small arms fire when he was stunned momentarily by glancing rifle fire off his helmet.
Okutsu recovered quickly and charged several enemy riflemen with his submachine gun, forcing them to withdraw. He then rushed a fourth gun nest from the flank and captured the weapon and its crew. His singlehanded actions enabled his platoon to resume its assault on a vital objective.
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Pfc. Frank H. Ono, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, was awarded the Medal of Honor for valor on July 4,1944, near Castellina, Italy. In attacking a heavily defended hill, Ono's squad was caught in a hail of fire from well entrenched enemy soldiers. Ono opened fire with his automatic rifle and silenced one machine gun 300 hundred yards to his front.
Advancing through incessant fire, Ono killed a sniper and, while the squad leader reorganized the platoon in the rear, defended the critical position alone. A burst of enemy machine pistol fire wrenched Ono's weapon from his grasp as enemy troops closed on him. Hurling hand grenades, he forced the enemy to retreat and defended his position until the rest of the platoon arrived.
Taking a wounded comrade's rifle, Ono again joined in the assault. He boldly ran through withering automatic, small arms and mortar fire to render first aid to his platoon leader and a seriously wounded rifleman. When the platoon was ordered to withdraw, Ono occupied virtually unprotected positions near the crest of the hill, engaging an enemy machine gun on an adjoining ridge and exchanging fire with snipers armed with machine pistols.
Disregarding his own safety, he made himself the constant target of concentrated enemy fire until the platoon reached the comparative safety of a draw. He then descended the hill in stages, firing his rifle, until he rejoined the platoon.
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Pvt. George T. Sakato, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, distinguished himself in action on Oct. 29, 1944, near Biffontaine, France. After his platoon destroyed two enemy defense lines, during which Sakato killed five enemy soldiers and captured four, the unit was pinned down by heavy enemy fire. Disregarding the enemy assault, he made a one-man rush that encouraged his platoon to charge and destroy the enemy stronghold.
His squad leader killed, Sakato took charge and continued his relentless tactics. He used an enemy rifle and pistol to stop an organized enemy attack, killing 12 enemy, wounding two, capturing four and assisting in taking 30 other prisoners. His gallantry and fighting spirit turned impending defeat into victory and helped his platoon complete its mission.
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First Lt. Daniel K. Inouye , now a U.S. senator, was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism on April 21, 1945, in the vicinity of San Terenzo, Italy. While attacking a defended ridge guarding an important road junction, Inouye directed his platoon through a hail of automatic weapons and small arms fire to capture an artillery and mortar post and brought his men to within 40 yards of the hostile force. The enemy, emplaced in bunkers and rock formations, halted the advance with crossfire from three machine guns.
Inouye boldly crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying it. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest with submachine gun fire.
Although wounded by a sniper's bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions.
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Second Lt. Rudolph B. Davila , 7th Infantry, was honored for heroism on May 28, 1944, near Artena, Italy. During the offensive that broke through the German mountain strongholds surrounding the Anzio beachhead, (then staff sergeant) Davila risked death to provide heavy weapons support for a beleaguered rifle company.
Caught on an exposed hillside by heavy fire from a well-entrenched enemy force, his machine gunners were reluctant to risk putting their guns into action.
Davila crawled 50 yards to the nearest enemy machine gun nest and opened fire on the enemy from the kneeling position, ignoring return fire that struck his tripod and passed between his legs. Ordering a gunner to take over, he crawled forward to a vantage point and directed fire with hand and arm signals until both hostile machine guns were silenced.
Bringing his three remaining machine guns into action, he drove the enemy back 200 yards. Though wounded in the leg, he dashed to a burning tank and engaged a second enemy force from its turret. Dismounting, he advanced 130 yards in short rushes, crawled 20 yards and charged into an enemy-held house and eliminated the five defenders with a hand grenade and rifle fire. Climbing to the attic, he straddled a large shell hole in the wall and opened fire on the enemy. Although the walls of the house were crumbling, he continued to fire until he had destroyed two more machine guns.
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Staff Sgt. Robert T. Kuroda, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, earned his Medal of Honor on Oct. 20, 1944, near Bruyeres, France. While leading his men in an effort to eliminate snipers and machine gun nests, Kuroda encountered heavy enemy machine gun fire from a heavily wooded slope. Unable to pinpoint the nest, he maneuvered under fire toward the crest of the ridge and located it. He then advanced to within 10 yards of the nest and killed three enemy gunners with grenades. He fired all his rifle ammunition, killing or wounding at least another three of them.
As Kuroda expended the last of his ammo, he saw an American officer felled by machine gun fire from an adjacent hill. He rushed to the officer's aid, but found the man was already dead. Picking up a submachine gun, he advanced through continuous fire to the second machine gun emplacement and destroyed it. As he turned to fire on other enemy soldiers, he was killed by a sniper.
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Capt. Francis B. Wai, 34th Infantry, was honored for valor on Oct. 20, 1944, at Leyte, the Philippines. Wai landed at Red Beach, Leyte, in the face of accurate, concentrated enemy fire from gun positions in a palm grove bounded by submerged rice paddies. Finding the first four waves leaderless, disorganized and pinned down on the open beach, he immediately assumed command.
Disregarding heavy enemy fire, he moved inland without cover through the rice paddies. The men, inspired by his cool demeanor and example, followed him. During his advance, Wai repeatedly pinpointed enemy strong points by exposing his position and drawing their fire. He was killed while leading an assault on the last Japanese pillbox in the area.
Ten of the 22 Asian American Medal of Honor recipients survived the war, though three have died in the interim. The seven living recipients honored in Washington were Davila of Vista, Calif.; Hajiro of Waipahu, Hawaii; Shizuya Hayashi of Pearl City, Hawaii; Inouye of Honolulu, Hawaii; Kobashigawa of Waianae, Hawaii; Okutsu of Hilo, Hawaii; and Sakato of Denver.
"The blessings of freedom and prosperity that we all enjoy today are your legacy," Caldera told the seven. "You are the Private Ryans not the mythical Private Ryans of the silver screen, but the real life Private Ryans or better said, the Private Hayashis and Sergeant Okutsus who saved the world from tyranny and oppression.
Read the Medal of Honor Citations for All of these World War II Heroes
Although 60,000 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders served in World War II, only two were given the Medal of Honor for bravery. Neither of them was from Hawaii.
Private First Class Sadao S. Munemori of Los Angeles, a member of the 100th Battalion, was originally awarded the Distinguished Service Cross after sacrificing his life to save two comrades by smothering a blast from a grenade with his body on April 5, 1945.
A year later, the award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor under pressure from Utah Sen. Albert Thomas, who asked if the Navy Cross or the Distinguished Service Cross -- the nation's No. 2 medal for heroism -- was the best Asian Americans could hope for. The other, Sgt. Jose Calugas, was a mess sergeant with the 88th Field Artillery, Philippine Scouts, when a gun battery was bombed and shelled and put out of commission on Bataan on Jan. 16, 1942. Calugas ran 1,000 yards across a shell-swept area and got the cannon back into operation.
By the end of World War II, the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team had earned 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, but only one Medal of Honor.
Today, that all changes.
Twenty-two Asian Americans -- 20 from the 100th/442nd -- join the elite fraternity of soldiers after President Clinton awards them the Medal of Honor.
Responding to legislation by Hawaii Sen. Daniel Akaka, the military upgraded 19 of the 52 Distinguished Service Crosses and one Silver Star won by the 100th/442nd to the Medal of Honor.
Twelve recipients are from Hawaii. Of the 22, 10 were killed in battle -- nine in Europe with the 100th/442nd and one in the Philippines with the 34th Division.
Five of today's recipients survived World War II, but they will never know that their medals were upgraded. They are:
Private First Class Kaoru Moto of Maui, who died in 1992.
Private First Class Masato "Curly" Nakae, who died in 1998.
Staff Sgt. Allan Ohata, who died in 1997.
Private First Class Frank Ono, who died in 1980.
Tech. Sgt. James K. Okubo, who died in 1967. That leaves just seven living recipients. Five are from Hawaii.
Congress late Thursday night approved legislation, authored by Akaka, that granted the Medal of Honor to Okubo.
During World War II, Okubo was recommended for the Medal of Honor, but the 442nd medic was rejected.
Instead, Okubo, a Detroit dentist who was killed in auto accident in 1967, was awarded the Silver Star.
Okubo, whose family was sent to a relocation camp at Hart Mountain in Wyoming from Bellingham, Wash., after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, used his body to protect wounded soldiers. He also saved a wounded soldier by pulling him from a burning tank in France in 1944.
To date, five Hawaii residents -- two from the Korean War and three from the Vietnam War -- have earned the Medal of Honor. All died fighting to save their comrades. They are:
Sgt. Leroy Mendonca, U.S. Army. B Company, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. Near Chich-on, Korea, July 4, 1951. Mendonca covered his platoon's withdrawal from Hill 586 until ammunition ran out. He is credited with killing 37 enemy soldiers.
Private First Class Herbert Pililau, U.S. Army. C Company, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Near Pia-ri, Korea, Sept. 17, 1951. Pililau voluntarily stayed behind to cover the withdrawal of a platoon from "Heartbreak Ridge." He is credited with killing 40 enemy soldiers.
Sgt. Emelindo Smith, U.S. Army. C Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. Vietnam, Feb. 16, 1967. During a patrol, Smith's platoon was pinned down by machine-gun fire from three sides. Wounded several times he continued to assist in rallying his soldiers. At one point he crawled into the open to fire upon a weakened point on the perimeter.
Sgt. 1st Rodney Yano, U.S. Army. Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Near Bien Bao, Vietnam, Jan. 1, 1969. As a helicopter crew chief, Yano fired upon enemy forces and then marked their position with smoke and white phosphorous grenades.
A grenade exploded in the helicopter, severely wounding him and filling the aircraft with smoke and flaming debris. Able to use only one arm, Yano managed to hurl blazing ammunition from the helicopter.
Cpl. Terry Kawamura, U.S. Army. 173rd Engineer Company, 173rd Airborne Brigade. Camp Radcliff, Vietnam, March 20, 1969. An enemy demolition team infiltrated Kawamura's camp and tossed an explosive charge into his quarters. Kawamura threw his body on the explosive charge and saved two comrades.
Until today, Hawaii had no living Medal of Honor recipients.
Among the families who will be accepting the Medal of Honor for a relative killed in combat will be the Kurodas who had four sons -- Ronald, Robert, Wallace and Joseph -- who served in World War II.
Two of them -- Ronald and Robert -- won the Distinguished Service Cross; Robert as a member of H Company, 442nd RCT, and Ronald fighting as a member of B Company, 100th Battalion.
At today's White House ceremony, Ronald, now 82, will receive the medal for his brother, Robert, who was killed Oct, 24, 1944 at Bruyeres, France, as he was taking out a second German machine gun nest after single-handedly silencing the first one with four hand grenades.
It was Robert who had set aside one-third of his Army paycheck to pay for the education of the youngest brother, Joe, who would become a colonel in the Army Reserve, an educator and serve in the state Senate for 16 years.
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