Hiroshi "Hershey" Miyamura
Miyamura as a Staff Sergeant
Nickname(s)Hershey
Born(1925-10-06)October 6, 1925
Gallup, New Mexico, U.S.
DiedNovember 29, 2022(2022-11-29) (aged 97)
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Buried
Sunset Memorial Park
Gallup, New Mexico, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1945–1953
RankStaff Sergeant
Unit
Battles/wars
Awards
Other workAutomobile mechanic and service station owner

Hiroshi "Hershey" Miyamura (Japanese: 宮村 浩, October 6, 1925 – November 29, 2022) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the United States military's highest award for valor, for his actions during the Korean War. He was one of the last two surviving Medal of Honor recipients of the Korean War, along with Ralph Puckett Jr.[1][2] While he was held as a prisoner of war, the award was classified as top secret.

Early life

Hiroshi Miyamura[3] was born in Gallup, New Mexico, to Yaichi Miyamura (June 3, 1888 – December 23, 1965) and Tori Matsukawa (December 10, 1896 – August 20, 1936), Japanese immigrant parents, making him a Nisei, a second-generation Japanese American.[4] His parents had moved there in 1923 and bought a 24-hour diner.[2] He was the fourth of nine children. His mother died when he was 11. He got the nickname "Hershey" because his 4th grade teacher could not pronounce his first name correctly.[2]

Military service

World War II

When the United States entered World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the relocation and internment of Japanese Americans due to fears that some would turn out to be traitors. However, for communities outside the sensitive coastal "military zone", this was not mandatory, and local authorities could not decide what they wanted to do. In Gallup, the Japanese-American residents were left alone.[2]

Miyamura joined the United States Army in January 1945.[5] He volunteered to be part of the all-Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion,[6] 442nd Infantry Regiment, where he trained as a machine gunner.[7] This army unit was mostly made up of Japanese-Americans from Hawaii and the mainland.[8] He was discharged from the army shortly after Japan surrendered. He later enlisted in the United States Army Reserve.

Korean War

Miyamura was recalled to active duty following the start of the Korean War, arriving in North Korea in November 1950.[2] He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 24–25, 1951, south of the Imjin River[9] near Taejon-ni (Daejeon-ni) in Yeoncheon County,[10] while serving as a corporal in the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. During a night attack by the Chinese, he saw that his squad could not hold much longer, so he ordered his men to retreat. He remained behind to cover their withdrawal, killing an estimated minimum of fifty invading Chinese forces.

Miyamura was captured immediately after the actions that led to his award. As he and other prisoners of war (POWs) were marched away, he helped his wounded friend Joe Annello keep moving, but the North Koreans threatened to shoot him if he did not leave Annello behind. Straggling POWs were routinely killed. Miyamura refused, but Annello himself convinced Miyamura to put him down. Annello survived the war and later visited Miyamura in Gallup. The POWs were forced to march 300 miles (480 km) over five weeks with little food.[2]

Miyamura's is the only Medal of Honor to be classified Top Secret.[11] As then-brigadier general Ralph Osborne explained to Miyamura and a group of reporters upon notifying them of his medal, "If the Reds knew what he had done to a good number of their soldiers just before he was taken prisoner, they might have taken revenge on this young man. He might not have come back."

Miyamura was held for 28 months. Following his release on August 20, 1953, he was informed that he had been awarded the Medal of Honor and promoted to sergeant. He was repatriated to the United States and honorably discharged from the military shortly thereafter. His medal was presented to him by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in October 1953 at the White House.[12]

Awards and decorations

Medal of Honor

Hiroshi H. Miyamura
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company H, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division
Place and date: Near Taejon-ni, Korea, April 24, and April 25, 1951
Entered service at: Gallup, N. Mex. Birth: Gallup, New Mexico
G.O. No.: 85, November 4, 1953.
Citation:

Cpl. Miyamura, a member of Company H, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. On the night of 24 April, Company H was occupying a defensive position when the enemy fanatically attacked threatening to overrun the position. Cpl. Miyamura, a machinegun squad leader, aware of the imminent danger to his men unhesitatingly jumped from his shelter wielding his bayonet in close hand-to-hand combat killing approximately 10 of the enemy. Returning to his position, he administered first aid to the wounded and directed their evacuation. As another savage assault hit the line, he manned his machinegun and delivered withering fire until his ammunition was expended. He ordered the squad to withdraw while he stayed behind to render the gun inoperative. He then bayoneted his way through infiltrated enemy soldiers to a second gun emplacement and assisted in its operation. When the intensity of the attack necessitated the withdrawal of the company Cpl. Miyamura ordered his men to fall back while he remained to cover their movement. He killed more than 50 of the enemy before his ammunition was depleted and he was severely wounded. He maintained his magnificent stand despite his painful wounds, continuing to repel the attack until his position was overrun. When last seen he was fighting ferociously against an overwhelming number of enemy soldiers. Cpl. Miyamura's indomitable heroism and consummate devotion to duty reflect the utmost glory on himself and uphold the illustrious traditions on the military service.[1]

President Dwight D. Eisenhower congratulates SSG Miyamura after having awarded him the Medal of Honor on October 27, 1953.

Commendations

Miyamura has been awarded the following:[13]

Silver star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Combat Infantryman Badge
Medal of Honor Purple Heart
Prisoner of War Medal Army Good Conduct Medal American Campaign Medal
European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal
National Defense Service Medal Korean Service Medal
w/ one silver and three bronze campaign stars		 Armed Forces Reserve Medal
South Korean Order of Military Merit
Taegeuk Cordon Medal[14]		 United Nations Korea Medal Korean War Service Medal
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation

Personal life and death

Miyamura, with his wife and granddaughter at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, 2010
Miyamura at the promotion ceremony of his granddaughter in 2019

Miyamura married Tsuruko "Terry" Tsuchimori (August 13, 1925 – December 10, 2014). He had three children and four grandchildren. One grandchild, Marisa Akimi Miyamura, graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and is an officer in the United States Air Force.[15] She married Joseph Patrick Regan in 2014.[16] He has resided in Gallup, New Mexico, since his discharge from the army, where he established a career as an automobile mechanic and service station owner.[2] Miyamura remained active in supporting fellow veterans including work with the Wounded Warrior Project. Miyamura was a Lifetime Member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1. On Memorial Day 2018, his story was portrayed during the National Memorial Day Concert on the West Lawn of the US Capitol in Washington, D.C.

In recognition of Miyamura's activities involving youth in his community, he received the 2014 Director's Community Leadership Award from the Albuquerque division of the FBI.[17]

As the 2014 Nisei Week Grand Marshal, Miyamura led the Grand Parade on August 10, 2014.[18][19]

In November 2022, it was announced that Miyamura joined the National Board of the State Funeral for War Veterans organization, which is dedicated to "convince Congress to pass legislation to grant a State Funeral for the last Medal of Honor recipients from the Korean and Vietnam Wars, as a final salute to all the men and women who served."[20]

Miyamura died in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 29, 2022, at the age of 97.[21] He was buried with full military honors at Sunset Memorial Park in Gallup.[22]

Namesakes

In his hometown, Gallup, New Mexico, an area is named Miyamura in his honor,[23] as are Hiroshi H. Miyamura High School[24] and the Miyamura Overpass, an interchange on I-40.[25][26]

In October 2023, President Biden signed a bill to designate the clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Gallup, New Mexico, as the Hiroshi "Hershey" Miyamura VA Clinic.[27][28]

See also

Further reading

  • Okamoto, Vincent H. (2012). Forged in fire : the saga of Hershey and Joe (First ed.). Los Angeles: Nikkei Writers Guild. ISBN 978-0982142189.

References

  1. 1 2 "Medal of Honor Recipients, Korean War". US Army Center of Military History. Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mozingo, Joe (July 3, 2017). "Hiroshi Miyamura and his hometown had a lot in common. They believed in America". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ↑ "Hiroshi Hershey Miyamura". U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  4. ↑ Japanese American Veterans Association, "The Nisei Legend of the Korean War"; retrieved 2012-12-24.
  5. ↑ U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), WWII Army Enlistment Record #39868194 (Miyamura, Hiroshi); retrieved 2012-12-24.
  6. ↑ Go for Broke National Education Center, "About Us, Veterans Honor Guard" Archived 2012-10-28 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-12-24.
  7. ↑ Lange, Katie (May 14, 2017). "Korean War POW Earns Medal of Honor for Saving His Unit". DoDLive. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  8. ↑ "100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry" at Global Security.org; retrieved 2012-12-24.
  9. ↑ "Miyamura, Hiroshi" (Vimeo). vimeo.com. Medal of Honor Foundation. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  10. ↑ "대한민국 지켜낸 영웅들의 공로 기억합니다" (in Korean). 28 July 2014. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  11. ↑ "Hiroshi "Hershey" Miyamura". Medal of Honor Valor Trail. American Battlefield Trust and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  12. ↑ Eric S. Bartelt (24 April 2001). "Secret Hero Recounts his Unforgettable Korean War". American Forces Press Service. US Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  13. ↑ "Hiroshi H. Miyamura". Veteranws Memorial Court Alliance. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  14. ↑ "5845 International" (PDF). The Watch on the Rhino (Vol. 96) (No. 3). December 2014. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
  15. ↑ Petitt, Karen (May 20, 2010). "Korean War Medal of Honor recipient visits Scott AFB". United States Air Force. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Marriages for Sept. 7, 2014". Shreveport Times. September 6, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Albuquerque". FBI. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  18. ↑ "INTRODUCING THE 2014 NISEI WEEK GRAND MARSHAL AND PARADE MARSHAL". Rafu Shimpo. August 7, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Celebrating Past and Future at Nisei Week – Little Tokyo Festivities Include a Parade, Ramen Festival and Traditional Dancing". LADTNEWS. August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  20. ↑ "State Funeral for War Veterans Announces 3rd Medal of Honor Recipient Joining Board of Directors: Hiroshi H. Miyamura". Fox 40 News. EIN Presswire. Nov 10, 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  21. ↑ "Medal of Honor Recipients Announce Passing of Medal of Honor Recipient Hiroshi "Hershey" Miyamura". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  22. ↑ Porter, Gabrielle (2022-12-10). "'A warrior has fallen': Medal of Honor recipient Hiroshi 'Hershey' Miyamura is laid to rest in Gallup". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  23. ↑ City of Gallup Growth Management Master Plan, "IV. Land Use Element" (August 2009), p. IV-23 [PDF 23 of 60]; retrieved 2012-12-24.
  24. ↑ Gallup-McKinley County Schools, "High Schools" Archived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine; Hiroshi H. Miyamura High School website Archived 2012-03-06 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-12-24.
  25. ↑ New Mexico Department of Transportation, Initial Evaluation of Alternatives, Allison Road Corridor and Interstate 40 Interchange Study, NMDOT Project Number SP-GA-5459(201)/SP-GA-5459(202), CN C7G801/C7G802 September 2010; "Table 4-6: I-40 Total Crashes by Mile Post," p. 4-32 [PDF 51 of 210]; retrieved 2012-12-24.
  26. ↑ City of Gallup, p. IV-45 [PDF 45 of 60]; retrieved 2012-12-24.
  27. ↑ "A bill to designate the clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Gallup, New Mexico, as the Hiroshi "Hershey" Miyamura VA Clinic. (S. 475)". GovTrack.us. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  28. ↑ The White House (2023-10-02), P20231002AS-1665, retrieved 2023-10-16

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