Hiroshi Miyamura was a US Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor, the US military’s highest honor for valor, for his actions during the Korean War.
Along with Ralph Puckett Jr., he was one of the last two surviving Medal of Honor recipients from the Korean War. The award was classified as a top secret while he was a prisoner of war.
Hiroshi Miyamura, a US Medal of Honor recipient and Korean War veteran, died at the age of 97.
The son of Japanese immigrants, Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura, who received the American Medal of Honor for delaying an onslaught so that an American squad could leave during the Korean War, has passed away. Miyamura passed away on Tuesday at his Phoenix residence, according to a statement from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
He was 97. Both the governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, and the vice president of the Navajo Nation, Myron Lizer, referred to Miyamura as a hero and said that many people will miss him and be eternally grateful for his service.
Hiroshi Miyamura Wife, Children and Grand Children
Hiroshi Miyamura was married for 66 years until the death of his wife Terry in 2014. On November 29, 2022, Miyamura passed away. He is survived by his three children and four grandchildren, one of whom, Marisa, is a United States Air Force officer.
Hiroshi Miyamura was born on November 29, 2022 (at the age of 97) in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. He holds an American Nationality and he belongs to white ethnic group. His Zodiac sign is Sagittarius.
About Hiroshi Miyamura Parents
Yaichi Miyamura and Tori Matsukawa raised Hiroshi Miyamura in Gallup, New Mexico. His parents were Japanese immigrants, making him a Nisei, or second-generation Japanese American.
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In 1923, his parents relocated there and opened a 24-hour cafe. He was the fourth kid out of nine. His mother died when he was 11 years old.
Receiving ‘Medal of Honor’ and Early War
President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the evacuation and internment of Japanese Americans when the United States joined World War II out of concern that some may turn out to be traitors. In January 1945, Miyamura enlisted in the American military. He volunteered to join the 442nd Infantry Regiment’s all-Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion, where he received machine gunner training. The majority of the Japanese Americans that made up this army unit were from the mainland and Hawaii.
Shortly after Japan’s surrender, he was released from the army. Later, he joined the American Army Reserve. After the Korean War began, Miyamura was ordered back to active service and arrived in North Korea in November 1950.
Hiroshi received the Medal of Honor for his efforts on April 24 and 25, 1951, while serving as a corporal in the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, south of the Imjin River close to Taejon-ni (Daejeon-ni) in Yeoncheon County. He saw that his unit could not hold out for much longer during a Chinese night onslaught, so he gave the order to withdraw. Miyamura stayed behind to cover their retreat, killing at least fifty of the Chinese invaders. lasted 28 months in custody.
He was informed that he had received the Medal of Honor and been promoted to sergeant after his release on August 20, 1953. Soon after, he was returned to the country of his birth and given an honorable discharge from the military. President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave him his medal at the White House in October 1953.
