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Medal of Honor's roster of wartime valor

USA Today

These are the World War II winners of the Distinguished Service Cross who were upgraded to the Medal of Honor by President Clinton. In some instances, a more detailed summary of actions was not available. Members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team or 100th Infantry Battalion are noted.

Staff Sgt. Rudolph Davila, 84, of Vista, Calif. In the Army’s breakout from a beachhead in Anzio, Italy, in 1943, he single-handedly saved 130 riflemen from German machine-gun fire by silencing several gun positions.

Pvt. Barney Hajiro, 82, of Waipahu. Charging uphill in eastern France in 1944, he destroyed two German machine-gun nests and killed two snipers. 442nd.

Pvt. Mikio Hasemoto, Hawaii-born, killed in action Dec. 1, 1943, at Cerasuolo, Italy. 100th.

Pvt. Joe Hayashi, of Pasadena, Calif., killed in action April 22, 1945. He led attacks that took strategic hills near Tendola, Italy. 442nd.

Pvt. Shizuya Hayashi, 82, of Pearl City. In a charge with his automatic rifle near Cerasuolo, Italy, in 1943, he killed nearly 20 Germans and took four prisoners. 100th.

2nd Lt. Daniel Inouye, 75, now a U.S. senator. In April 1945 he destroyed three German machine-gun positions, staying on the field to direct his troops after his right arm was shattered by an enemy grenade. 442nd.

Tech. Sgt. Yeiki Kobashigawa, 82, of Waianae. Near Lanuvio, Italy, on June 2, 1944, he and a companion destroyed two German machine-gun defense emplacements. 100th.

Staff Sgt. Robert Kuroda, medal awarded posthumously for actions on Oct. 20, 1944, at Bruyeres, France. 442nd.

Pfc. Kaoru Moto, of Makawao, Maui, who died in 1992. Alone, he wiped out a machine-gun nest and later crawled 100 yards under fire to capture prisoners. 100th.

Pfc. Kiyoshi Muranaga, killed in action June 26, 1944. His mortar fire forced the Germans to withdraw an 88mm howitzer threatening his platoon. A shell from the German gun killed him. 442nd.

Pvt. Masato Nakae, Hawaii. He died in 1998. When his submachine gun was damaged, he picked a wounded comrade’s rifle to hold off the advancing enemy with rifle grenades. Also throwing hand grenades, he forced an enemy retreat. 100th.

Pvt. Shinyei Nakamine, of Waianae. Killed in action June 2, 1944, at age 24, while attacking machine-gun nests. 100th.

Pfc. William Nakamura, killed by a sniper on July 4, 1944, at Castellina, Italy, during a bitter firefight in which he pinned down German gunmen to allow his platoon to withdraw. 442nd.

Pfc. Joe Nishimoto, of Fresno, Calif., killed in action eight days after the heroism at La Houssiere, France, for which he is honored. Fiercely attacking alone, he forced enemy withdrawal and broke a three-day stalemate. 442nd.

Sgt. Alan Ohata, of Hawaii. He died in 1977. Eight days off the ship to Europe, he and a companion advanced through fire and killed at least 51 attacking Germans.100th.

Tech. Sgt. Yukio Okutsu, Hilo. He destroyed two machine-gun nests and captured a third at Mount Belvedere, Italy, in April 1945. A bullet bounced off his helmet. 442nd.

Pfc. Frank Ono, who died in 1980. On July 4, 1944, in Castellina, Italy, he silenced a machine gun, killed a sniper, defended a position with hand grenades and helped rescue his wounded platoon leader. 442nd.

Sgt. Kazuo Otani, of Rivers, Ariz., killed in action July 15, 1944, near Pieve di Santa Luce, Italy. For multiple acts of bravery after his platoon was pinned down in an open field. 442nd.

Pvt. George Sakato, 79, of Denver. When his squad was pinned down at Biffointaine, France, in October 1944, he led a charge that destroyed a stronghold. 442nd.

Tech. Sgt. Ted Tanouye, killed in action two months after July 1944 heroism in Italy. He led men to capture a hill, refused aid for a wound, then led a long-odds night attack to break a two-day German resistance. 442nd.

Capt. Francis Wai, posthumously, for actions at Leyte, the Philippines, Oct. 20, 1944.


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