Hiroshi Miyamura Facts for Kids

Hiroshi Myamura

In this Japanese name, the family name is Miyamura.

Hiroshi H. Miyamura (born October 6, 1925) is an American soldier. He is also known as Hershey Miyamura. He earned the Medal of Honor for his brave actions during the Korean War. This is the highest award a soldier can receive in the United States.

Early Life
Military Service
Namesake
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Early Life

Hiroshi Miyamura was born in Gallup, New Mexico. His parents were immigrants from Japan. He is a Nisei, which means he is a second-generation Japanese-American. This means his parents were born in Japan, but he was born in America.

Military Service

Miyamura joined the U.S. Army in January 1945. He volunteered for the 100th Infantry Battalion. This special army unit was made up mostly of Nisei soldiers. These were Japanese Americans from Hawaii and the mainland U.S.

After World War II ended, Miyamura joined the U.S. Army Reserve. He was called back to active duty for the Korean War. During this war, he was captured by enemy forces. He was held as a prisoner of war for 28 months.

Miyamura received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 24–25, 1951. This happened near Taejon-ni, Korea. He fought bravely against many enemy soldiers. His actions saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers. President Dwight D. Eisenhower presented him with the medal in October 1953.

Namesake

An area in Gallup, New Mexico, is named after Miyamura. The Hiroshi H. Miyamura High School is named in his honor. An I-40 highway interchange is also named after him. It is called the Miyamura Overpass.