WW2 Fallen - Minoru Nakayama + JFK Assassination Tie-In

Sgt. Nakayama served in the Cannon Company, 442nd Infantry Regiment with these soldiers.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/435934438904209833/

Minoru Nakayama could have been 100 years old today. 

He was born on February 27, 1917 in California. His parents were both born in Japan. His father was a house gardener. Minoru had an older brother and sister. He had three younger brothers and a younger sister. By 1940 he had completed all four years of high school and was still living with his parents while working as a gas station attendant.

Minoru enlisted in the army on July 9, 1941, before the war began. After the war started his family was sent to an internment camp in Topaz, Utah. Minoru rose to the rank of tech sergeant in the storied all Japanese-American 442nd Infantry Regiment. cannon company. He would have provided artillery support with either 105mm howitzers or 155mm howitzers.

He was wounded in July 1944, but stayed with his unit. Casualties in the cannon company were lower than the losses in the rifle companies, but there were still seven cannon company soldiers who died during the war including Sgt. Nakayama who died of wounds on April 16, 1945, just three weeks before the war ended in Europe. This was during the regiment's last major offensive to crack the Gothic Line in Italy.

His remains were returned to be buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery.

Thank you Minoru for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Minoru.


Kennedy Assassination Tie-In

WW2 Navy vet John Connally rides with President Kennedy the day Kennedy was killed.
http://usstracer.info/nov1963.html

Unlike Sgt. Nakayama, Navy officer John Connally survived the war and went on to a distinguished government service. This is the same Texas Governor John Connally who was seriously wounded in the presidential convertible with President Kennedy by the same bullet that shot Kennedy. Connally was born on February 27, 1917, just as Minoru Nakayama. Connally served in the US Navy during World War 2. Early in the war he was an aide to Admiral James V. Forrestal and he also worked on the invasion of North Africa planning for General Dwight Eisenhower. He transferred to the South Pacific were he served on carriers and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. After serving as governor of Texas, Connally went on to serve as Secretary of the Treasury for Richard Nixon. He died in 1993. 


On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

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