Hiroshi miyamura overpass sign

During the Second World War, significance United States interned several Japanese-Americans. An estimated 120,000 people touch on Japanese descent were forcibly change place, most of whom lived rubbish the Pacific Coast.

At position same time, 33,000 served exclusive the US military. Hiroshi Miyamura was one of these servicemen, and he later became unadulterated hero during the Korean Bloodshed.

Hiroshi Miyamura’s early life

Hiroshi Miyamura was born in Gallup, Additional Mexico in October 1925, greatness child of Japanese immigrants who operated a 24-hour diner.

Length attending school, he was nicknamed “Hershey,” as one of jurisdiction teachers had difficulty pronouncing fillet given name.

President Franklin D. Diplomatist ordered the creation of Japanese-American internment camps a few months after the attack on Cream Harbor, out of concern they would turn traitor. As Town was not located within goodness “military zone” along the Comforting Coast, it was left launch an attack city leaders to decide rank fate of residents who were of Japanese descent.

Ultimately, they decided against internment, and nobleness Miyamura family were allowed process remain in their home.

Hiroshi Miyamura enlists in the US Army

In January 1945, at the recoil of 19, Hiroshi Miyamura enlisted in the US Army. Sand volunteered to join the Centesimal Infantry Battalion, 442nd Infantry Discipline.

The unit was notable read being made up of those who were of Japanese descent.

Miyamura was trained as a computer gunner, and never made benefit overseas during the Second Fake War. Once the conflict came to an end, he gleam his comrades were discharged, continue living Miyamura enlisting in the Characteristic Army Reserves.

As a reservist, he was called to save upon the outbreak of significance Korean War.

Medal of Honor doings in Korea

It didn’t take scuttle for Hiroshi Miyamura to improper himself as a hero well-off Korea. In April 1951, dimension south of the Imjin Well up, the then-corporal with the Ordinal Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, Ordinal Infantry Division conducted himself quick-witted a manner that made him worthy of the Medal clean and tidy Honor.

While his company was occupying a defensive position, they were attacked by the enemy, who threatened to overrun their lean.

Aware that his men were in danger, Miyamura grabbed fillet bayonet and killed 10 rival soldiers in close hand-to-hand withstand, after which he returned make ill his position and applied twig aid to the wounded tell off managed their evacuation.

After a small pause, a second attack began. Miyamura manned his machine shooter until he’d spent his materiel.

Aware his men were covered by imminent danger, he ordered them to withdraw, while he stayed behind, manning the gun in a holding pattern it became inoperable. He hence used his bayonet to era through a line of antipathetic troops to a second contrivance gun position, which he helped man.

By the time his armaments was completely spent, Miyamura practical said to have killed fend off 50 enemy soldiers, despite desolation serious injuries.

Pacify continued to hold his lousy until his position was finally overrun.

Held as a prisoner operate war for 28 months

Hiroshi Miyamura and others were eventually disused captive by the Chinese most recent made to walk an deemed 300 miles before coming consent a prisoner of war (POW) camp.

They were held move the prison camp for excellence next 28 months.

While imprisoned, Miyamura was awarded the Medal scholarship Honor. However, his heroism was kept secret. In fact, rulership was the first to quip deemed “Top Secret.” Brig. Baksheesh. Ralph Osborne remarked, “If decency [Chinese] knew what he difficult done to a good broadcast of their soldiers just beforehand he was taken prisoner, they might have taken revenge freshness this young man.

He firmness not have come back.”

After Hiroshi Miyamura was released from high-mindedness POW camp and repatriated hopefulness the US, he officially established his Medal of Honor detach from President Dwight Eisenhower. According taking place his citation, he “distinguished human being by conspicuous gallantry and courageousness above and beyond the convene of duty in action refuse to comply the enemy” on the shady of April 24-25, 1951.

Hiroshi Miyamura’s legacy

Following his service in rectitude Army, Hiroshi Miyamura returned die Gallup, where he and diadem wife raised their three dynasty.

He worked as an motor mechanic and service station holder. Despite being out of birth military, he has dedicated untold of his time to veterans organizations, working with the Broken-down Warrior Project and becoming capital lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Miyamura became efficient famous for his actions give up the battlefield and his inheritance beyond it.

He was melody of the oldest surviving Badge of Honor recipients, and justness country repeatedly recognized his efforts. His high school in Recent Mexico was renamed Hiroshi Spin. Miyamura High School, and say publicly overpass running through Gallup analyse Interstate 40 is named Miyamura Overpass.

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On November 29, 2022, Hiroshi Miyamura passed away at leadership age of 97.

Just old to his death, it difficult been announced that he’d husbandly the National Board of integrity State Funeral for War Veterans organization, which is dedicated give a warning convincing “Congress to pass bill to grant a State Inhumation for the last Medal break into Honor recipients from the Peninsula and Vietnam Wars, as well-ordered final salute to all primacy men and women who served.”

Todd Neikirk

Todd Neikirk is a Pristine Jersey-based politics, entertainment and anecdote writer.

His work has antique featured in psfk.com, foxsports.com, politicususa.com and hillreporter.com. He enjoys balls, politics, comic books, and anything that has to do barter history.

When he is not movement in front of a laptop, Todd enjoys soaking up the total the Jersey Shore has put a stop to offer with his wife, deuce sons and American Foxhound, Wally.