Shinyei Nakamine facts for kids
- In this Japanese name, the family name is Nakamine.
Shinyei Nakamine (born January 21, 1920 – died June 2, 1944) was a brave soldier in the United States Army. He was given the Medal of Honor for his amazing actions during World War II. This is the highest award for bravery a soldier can receive in the U.S. military.
Early Life
Shinyei Nakamine was born in Hawaii. His parents had moved there from Japan. He was a Nisei, which means he was a second-generation Japanese-American. This means he was born in America, but his parents were from Japan.
A Soldier's Story
In November 1941, Nakamine joined the U.S. Army. This was just one month before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Nakamine chose to join the 100th Infantry Battalion. This special army unit was made up almost entirely of Nisei soldiers. Most of these soldiers were Japanese Americans from Hawaii and the U.S. mainland.
For his brave actions in June 1944, Nakamine first received the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). This was the Army's second-highest award for courage.
Years later, in the 1990s, the military looked again at the records of Asian Americans who received the DSC during World War II. They decided that Nakamine's award should be made even higher. It was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
On June 21, 2000, a special ceremony was held at the White House. President Bill Clinton presented the Medal of Honor to Nakamine's family. Twenty-one other Asian Americans also received the medal that day. Only seven of them were still alive to accept it themselves.
Related Pages
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
- List of Asian American Medal of Honor recipients
- Posthumous recognition
Images for kids
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The Medal of Honor, America's highest military award.
