Medal of Honor 2020 | Page 23

Hiroshi H. ‘Hershey’ Miyamura U.S. Army/Korea M iyamura was born in G allup , N ew M exico to Japanese immigrant parents. He is a Nisei, which means that he is a second-generation Japanese-American. Miyamura joined the U.S. Army in January 1945. He volunteered to be part of the all-Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion. This army unit was mostly made up of Japanese Americans from Hawaii and the mainland. He was discharged from the active army shortly after Japan surrendered. Following the war, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve, and was recalled to active duty following the start of the Korean War. He endured as a prisoner of war for 28 months. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 24–25, 1951, near Taejon-ni, Korea, while serving as a corporal in the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. His was the first Medal of Honor to be classified Top Secret. Miyamura was captured by the North Koreans and held as a prisoner of war immediately after the actions that led to his award. Following his release on Aug. 20, 1953, he was repatriated to the United States and honorably discharged shortly thereafter. For Serving Our Country from your friends at 101 E Broadway • Gainesville, TX 76240 3218 WEST US HWY 82 GAINSVILLE, TEXAS 76240 940-668-7861 940-668-3124 FirstUnitedBank.com BANKING Member FDIC. • MORTGAGE Equal Housing Lender. NMLS# 400025. INSURANCE • INVESTMENTS Not FDIC Insured. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value. MEDAL OF HONOR 2 0 2 0 23