Sadao Munemori
| Sadao "Spud" Munemori | |
|---|---|
 ;  |
|
| Born | August 17, 1922 Los Angeles, California |
| Died | April 5, 1945 (aged 22) Killed in action at Seravezza, Italy |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942 - 1945 |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Unit | US Army 100th Infantry Battalion |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Sadao "Spud" Munemori (Japanese: 宗森貞雄 Munemori Sadao, born August 17, 1922 – April 5, 1945) was a posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor, after he sacrificed his life to save those of his fellow soldiers at Seravezza, Italy during the closing stages of World War II. Munemori was a private first class in the United States Army, in Company A, 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team.[1]
Munemori was born in Los Angeles, California. Shortly after he volunteered for the U.S. Army in February 1942,[2] Munemori's parents and siblings were incarcerated at the Manzanar concentration camp for Japanese Americans.[3]
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[edit] Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 100th Infantry Battalion, 442d Combat Team. Place and date: Near Seravezza, Italy, 5 April 1945. Entered service at: Los Angeles, Calif Birth: Los Angeles, Calif. G.O. No.. 24, 7 March 1946.
"He fought with great gallantry and intrepidity near Seravezza, Italy. When his unit was pinned down by grazing fire from the enemy's strong mountain defense and command of the squad devolved on him with the wounding of its regular leader, he made frontal, one-man attacks through direct fire and knocked out two machine guns with grenades. Withdrawing under murderous fire and showers of grenades from other enemy emplacements, he had nearly reached a shell crater occupied by two of his men when an unexploded grenade bounced on his helmet and rolled toward his helpless comrades. He arose into the withering fire, dived for the missile and smothered its blast with his body. By his swift, supremely heroic action Pfc. Munemori saved two of his men at the cost of his own life and did much to clear the path for his company's victorious advance."[1]
[edit] Namesakes
- The interchange between the I-105 and I-405 freeways in Los Angeles is labeled the "Sadao S. Munemori Memorial Interchange."[4]
- USAT Private Sadao S. Munemori is a reserved name in the U.S. Army, and was used as the name of a troop ship, USNS Private Sadao S. Munemori (T-AP-190), between October 31, 1947 and the 1970s.[5]
- Munemori Hall, a building located on the grounds of the Captain Nelson M. Holderman U.S. Army Reserve Center in West Los Angeles, California, is named in his honor.[6][7]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Munemori, Sadao S.". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. 2011. http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/2904/munemori-sadao-s.php. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
- ^ "World War II Army Enlistment Records, created 6/1/2002 - 9/30/2002, documenting the period ca. 1938 - 1946. - Record Group 64". U.S. National Archives. 2002. http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&tf=F&q=sadao+munemori&bc=&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=7559539. Retrieved Decemer 26, 2011.
- ^ Tamashiro, Ben H. (March 15, 1985). "The Congressional Medal of Honor: Sadao Munemori". The Hawaii Herald. http://nisei.hawaii.edu/object/io_1149130450078.html. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
- ^ "California 1993-94 Senate Concurrent Resolution 41". September 9, 1994. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/93-94/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/scr_41_bill_940909_chaptered. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
- ^ "Army Facility Memorializes WW II Hero". Los Angeles Times. June 13, 1993. http://articles.latimes.com/1993-06-13/news/we-2648_1_training-facility. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
- ^ McKinney, Delores (December 4, 2008). "Sketching The Westside". http://westsidetoday.com/m2-488/sketching-the-westside.html. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
