Patriots in History

Hiroshi Myamura

Staff Sgt. Hiroshi Myamura is shown
with President Dwight Eisenhower
upon receiving the Medal of Honor.

On the night of April 24, 1951 in Taejon-ni, Korea, Cpl. Hiroshi Miyamura manned the hilltop position as ordered.   During the night, Miyamura responded to repeated attacks by the Chinese. While yelling at his gunners to use short bursts, he engaged the enemy with his automatic fire  and grenades.  As the Chinese advance on his position with overwhelming force, Myamura ordered his soldiers who were alive to fall back.  Under heavy fire he took over a machine gun and provided cover while the soldiers fell back to a safer fighting position.  Being unable to escape, the Chinese captured Myamura as he became a POW.  He survived 27 months of brutal captivity.  During his time as POW, he was awarded the Medal Of Honor for his bravery and courage in saving the lives of his comrades (read his citation).  Unfortunately, his award was kept in a security vault  by Brigadier General Ralph Osborne and considered "top secret".  “If the Reds knew what he had done to a good number of their soldiers just before he was taken prisoner, they might have taken revenge on this young man," Osborne said. "He might not have come back."