American Valor Quarterly Issue 1 - Winter 2007 | Page 16

Hiroshi was called to active duty in January, 1944. He trained in us climb those hills in North Korea. You have never seen
Florida and was sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, where he learned hills like the hills in North Korea.
of the formation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
Pell: I have been. I served there a little after you did, and
Miyamura: I was assigned to Company D of the 100th know what it is like.
Battalion, which was a heavy weapons company. We went
through basic training, at Ft. Meade, Maryland, and before Let’s go to the action that brought you the Medal of Honor,
we were to board the ship, we were given a physical and a and your recollections of that night.
full field inspection. During the
physical, I was told by a lieutenant
Miyamura: I had just come back
colonel that I had a hernia. I didn’t
a few weeks earlier from R&R in
even know what a hernia was at
Japan. We were above the 38 th
parallel at the time, and were told
that time, but he asked me if it
bothered me and I said no. Still,
to withdraw to the south of the
Inchon River. I was told to dig in
they sent me back to Camp Shelby
to get fixed up.
at the top of a mountain, which
was really about the only orders I
By the time I finished my
received from my platoon sergeant.
Once we dug in and supplied with
convalescence, another group had
just finished its basic training, so I
ammo, I never saw him again.
joined them. I sailed out of
Norfolk, Virginia, and five days
On the night of April 24, 1951,
before we landed in Italy, where
the Chinese hit our position. They
the regiment was fighting at that
had started a spring offensive
time, we heard over the ship’s
earlier that month. At the time
loudspeakers that the war in
they hit my position, it was about
Europe was over. Rumors began
midnight, and pitch dark. We were
to fly that the ship was going to
told that we might get hit anytime.
turn around and head to the Pacific
They more or less announced their
Theater, but we landed in Naples, Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura, who before his heroics in advance because they were
Italy, and caught up with the the Korean War, was a veteran of the 442nd Regimental blowing on bugles and making as
Combat Team in World War II.
regiment, where we were told we
much noise as possible. I know that
was a psychological thing, but it
would undergo training before
heading to the Pacific. Before we really got into heavy does set you on edge, especially when you don’t really know
training, the war in the Pacific had ended, so all we did was what direction they are coming from. Eventually, they started
pull occupation duty. I was very fortunate to come home coming up on my position, and got behind my position—
with the colors, and to parade down Constitution Avenue that’s when I realized my men were in danger. I gave them
the orders to withdraw, and said to them that I would cover
in front of President Truman.
their withdrawal as long as I could as they made their way
Corporal Miyamura was discharged in June, 1946, signed up for back to our command post. I just kept firing, and don’t
three years in the Army Reserves, and attended engineering school in really know what happened much after that, except that
Milwaukee. In 1949, he signed on for three more years in the reserves, white phosphorous bombs were dropping around me, so I
not knowing what they might bring. He soon found out when the decided to make my way down the mountain.
Korean War began.
Facing an overwhelming Communist Chinese enemy, Hiroshi
Miyamura: In August, 1950, I was told to report to Ft. Miyamura fought them off as best as he could while his men withdrew.
Hood, Texas, for a nine-week refresher course, but all we He killed more than 50 of the enemy before being severely wounded
did every day was march with a full field pack. I later learned and captured, spending 28 months as a prisoner of war. He describes
why we did so much marching—that was training to help how the capture took place and then what followed:

American Valor Quarterly - Winter, 2007/08 - 16