May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and all month we will be sharing the stories of notable Asian American and Pacific Islander American Soldiers. Today, we introduce you to Medal of Honor Recipient SSG Hiroshi Miyamura. Miyamura was born in Gallup, New Mexico, in 1925 to Japanese immigrant parents. Although he volunteered to fight in World War II, he was initially denied because of his Japanese ancestry; by the time the policy excluding Japanese Americans from service was lifted and Miyamura was allowed to serve, World War II was over. It was Miyamura's actions during the Korean War that would earn him the Medal of Honor. On the night of April 24, 1951, Miyamura was a machine gun squad leader stationed near Taejon-ni, Korea. When his company was attacked and was in danger of being overrun, Miyamura jumped from his shelter and engaged in close hand-to-hand combat using his bayonet, killing 10 enemy soldiers. After helping to administer first aid and evacuate the wounded and remaining Soldiers, Miyamura manned his machine gun and fought back against another attack. Ordering his men to withdraw, he continued to open fire on enemy troops until his ammunition was gone. He then bayoneted his way to a second machine gun to continue protecting the withdrawing Soldiers. Despite being severely wounded, Miyamura killed more than 50 of the enemy before his ammunition was depleted. He was subsequently captured by Chinese troops and held as a prisoner of war for more than two years. Miyamura was notified upon his release in August 1953 that he had been awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions that night, a fact that was classified in order to protect him while he was still being held prisoner. On Oct. 27, 1953, Miyamura was finally presented with his Medal of Honor by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in a ceremony at the White House. Miyamura currently lives in Arizona and continues to tell his story. He recently attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas, in March 2022. #SoldierForLife #USArmySFL #SFLStories #MilitaryHistory #asianamericanpacificislandermonth https://www.instagram.com/p/CdLQhe9Llr9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
