Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company H, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Taejon-ni, Korea, 24 and 25 April 1951. Entered service at: Gallup, N. Mex. Birth: Gallup, N. Mex. G.O. No.: 85, 4 November 1953. Citation: Cpl. Miyamura, a member of Company H, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. On the night of 24 April, Company H was occupying a defensive position when the enemy fanatically attacked threatening to overrun the position. Cpl. Miyamura, a machine gun squad leader, aware of the imminent danger to his men unhesitatingly jumped from his shelter wielding his bayonet in close hand-to-hand combat killing approximately 10 of the enemy. Returning to his position, he administered first aid to the wounded and directed their evacuation. As another savage assault hit the line, he manned his machine gun and delivered withering fire until his ammunition was expended. He ordered the squad to withdraw while he stayed behind to render the gun inoperative. He then bayoneted his way through infiltrated enemy soldiers to a second gun emplacement and assisted in its operation. When the intensity of the attack necessitated the withdrawal of the company Cpl. Miyamura ordered his men to fall back while he remained to cover their movement. He killed more than 50 of the enemy before his ammunition was depleted and he was severely wounded. He maintained his magnificent stand despite his painful wounds, continuing to repel the attack until his position was overrun. When last seen he was fighting ferociously against an overwhelming number of enemy soldiers. Cpl. Miyamura’s indomitable heroism and consummate devotion to duty reflect the utmost glory on himself and uphold the illustrious traditions on the military service.
One reply on “Medal of Honor Citation: Hiroshi H. Miyamura”
I was able to talk by phone to Mr. Miyamura in the 1990s. My father was in the Cottonbalers and also was captured about the same 24-hour period). Mr. Miyamua was captured soon after he earned the Medal of Honor during that battle. He was a POW from that time until the armistice. Actually, not long after he became a POW, congress voted him this honor; however, it was kept secret because they were afraid that if the Chinese realized that he, an Oriental, had killed so many of Chinese troops, they may have put him to death in the POW camp where he was to be held at the Yalu. The day he was released and was first greeted by our soldiers, one of them presented him his Medal of Honor which he never expected to receive. His was one of two Cottonbalers who earned the Medal Honor, as I recall, when 20,000 Chinese attacked the Hill 412/nearby-river valley area; the Cottonbalers had about 3,000 plus and held out during that attack. Most withdrew successfully the next day with air and tank cover.