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| PFC Joe Nishimoto earned the Medal of Honor with the 442nd Infantry Regiment in the Vosges Mountains. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10899879/joe-m_-nishimoto |
Joe Maori Nishimoto never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on February 21, 1919 in Fresno, California. His parents Giichi and Kiyo were both born in Japan. His father worked as a fruit farmer. Joe had two older brothers and one younger sister. He completed four years of high school and worked as a sales clerk. After the war started President Roosevelt ordered all Japanese Americans on the west coast to be sent to internment camps. Joe's family was sent to the Jerome War Relocation Center in Arkansas. The internment camp grew to over 8,000 occupants in 1943. His brother-in-law was able to get him moved to Columbus, Ohio.
Joe and his brother-in-law both enlisted in the army on October 4, 1943. They were assigned to the all Nisei 442nd Infantry Regiment and served in the same squad in Company G, 2nd Battalion. The 442nd had been taken heavy casualties since it became a fighting unit in Italy in June 1944. It got the reputation as a unit that would achieve its assignment, no mater the cost. It was sent to southern France in September and by October it was sent to the cold, rainy, foggy, and muddy Vosges Mountains.
Despite days of hard fighting and a well earned respite from the front line, The 442nd was called on to rescue 275 men cut off by the Germans. It took the Nisei soldiers five days and 800 casualties to save the 211 men still holding out. The commanding divisional general was nearly relieved for allowing the whole Lost Battalion fiasco to happen in the first place.
A week later, the depleted 442nd IR was still on the line with the assignment to take Saint-Die. In PFC Nishimoto's sector, his men had been halted by mines, booby traps and multiple machine-gun nests. On November 7 PFC Nishimoto decided to single-handedly turn things around. He knocked out one enemy stronghold after another. This action would result in him being posthumously award the Distinguished Service Cross.
PFC Nishimoto was killed in action a week later on November 14, 1944. Two days after that, the 442nd IR was finally pulled off the line. The 2nd Battalion was down to 316 riflemen, when at full strength it should have been around 800.
His grave is at Washington Colonial Cemetery in Fresno, California.
In the year 2000 a commission decided to right a World War 2 era prejudice where worthy Japanese-Americans were denied the Medal of Honor. PFC Nashimoto was one of those chosen to have their DSC changed to a Medal of Honor. His citation reads as follows:
After three days of unsuccessful attempts by his company to dislodge the enemy from a strongly defended ridge, Private First Class Nishimoto, as acting squad leader, boldly crawled forward through a heavily mined and booby-trapped area. Spotting a machine gun nest, he hurled a grenade and destroyed the emplacement. Then, circling to the rear of another machine gun position, he fired his submachine gun at point-blank range, killing one gunner and wounding another. Pursuing two enemy riflemen, Private First Class Nishimoto killed one, while the other hastily retreated. Continuing his determined assault, he drove another machine gun crew from its position. The enemy, with their key strong points taken, were forced to withdraw from this sector.
Private First Class Nishimoto's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.
Thank you PFC Nishimoto for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Joe.
Last year on this date I profiled tank destroyer crewman Floyd Tolman. You can read about Floyd here.
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!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
Last year on this date I profiled tank destroyer crewman Floyd Tolman. You can read about Floyd here.
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!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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