SM 9 — HIROSHI H. MIYAMURA, IN HONOR

SENATEA MEMORIAL 9HONORING 56THMEDAL LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEWMEXICOHONOR -RECIPIENT FIRSTHIROSHI SESSIONH. 2023 INTRODUCED BY George K.

Muñoz 6 8 10 A MEMORIAL HONORING MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT HIROSHI H.

145 WHEREAS, Gallup native Hiroshi H.

Miyamura, a hero remembered for his bravery, self-sacrifice, humility, love of God, love of family and love of country, died on November 29, e t 17 2022;

and w l n d 18 WHEREAS, Mr.

Miyamura was born on October 6, 1925 in = = 19 a l Gallup, New Mexico, to Yaichi Miyamura and Tori Matsukawa;

and i a e r 20 WHEREAS, his parents, who were Japanese immigrants, owned a t m m 21 and managed a twenty-four-hour diner;

and d r e 22 WHEREAS, Mr.

Miyamura was nicknamed "Hershey" because one c e s k 23 of his teachers could not pronounce his name correctly;

and e a n b 24 WHEREAS, when the United States entered World War II, Mr.

u [ Miyamura joined the United States army in January 1945;

and .223936.1 WHEREAS, Mr.

Miyamura volunteered to be part of the all- Nisei one hundredth battalion as a member of the famed four- hundred-forty-second regimental combat team, otherwise known as the "purple heart battalion";

Miyamura was dischargedborn fromon theOctober United6, States1925 armyin shortlyGallup, afterNew JapanMexico, surrenderedto andYaichi laterMiyamura enlistedand inTori theMatsukawa; United States army reserve;

and WHEREAS, his parents, who were Japanese immigrants, owned and managed a twenty-four-hour diner;

Miyamura was nicknamed "Hershey" because one of his teachers could not pronounce his name correctly;

and WHEREAS, when the United States entered World War II, Mr.

Miyamura joined the United States army in January 1945;

and WHEREAS, Mr.

Miyamura volunteered to be part of the all-Nisei one hundredth battalion as a member of the famed four-hundred-forty-second regimental combat team, otherwise known as the "purple heart battalion";

and WHEREAS, Mr.

Miyamura was discharged from the United States army shortly after Japan surrendered and later SM 9 Page 1 enlisted in the United States army reserve;

and WHEREAS, Mr.

Miyamura, aware of the imminent danger, engaged in close hand-to-hand combat against the enemy, e t 17 returned to his position and administered first aid to the w l n d 18 wounded;

and = = 19 a l WHEREAS, Mr.

Miyamura saw that his squad could not hold i a e r 20 out much longer and ordered his men to retreat while he stayed a t m m 21 behind until his machine gun was rendered inoperative and he d r e 22 was severely wounded;

and c e s k 23 WHEREAS, despite his wounds, Mr.

Miyamura killed fifty e a n b 24 enemy soldiers as he continued to repel the attack until his u [ position was overrun;

and .223936.1 - 2 - WHEREAS, Mr.

and SM 9 Page 2 WHEREAS, Mr.

Miyamura was released in August 1953, and he returned to the United States, where the medal of honor was e t 17 presented to him by President Dwight D.

Eisenhower on October w l n d 18 27, 1953;

and = = 19 a l WHEREAS, during his military service, Mr.

Miyamura also i a e r 20 received the meritorious service medal and the purple heart;

a t m m 21 and d r e 22 WHEREAS, upon returning to Gallup after his discharge from c e s k 23 the United States army, Mr.

Miyamura married Tsuroko "Terry" e a n b 24 Tsuchimori and established a career as an auto mechanic and u [ service station owner;

and .223936.1 - 3 - WHEREAS, during his life, Mr.

and SM 9 Page 3 WHEREAS, the Miyamura overpass at an interchange on interstate forty in Gallup is named in his honor;

and e t 17 WHEREAS, in November 2022, just weeks before his passing, w l n d 18 Mr.

Miyamura was named to the national board of the state = = 19 a l funerals for war veterans organization, whose mission is to i a e r 20 "convince Congress to pass legislation to grant a state funeral a t m m 21 for the last medal of honor recipients from the Korean and d r e 22 Vietnam wars, as a final salute to all the men and women who c e s k 23 served";