The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1953-08-29
Winner Of CMH
To be Guest at JACL
ConcIave in 80

Los ANGELES, Calf, Aug. %
JACL)-Sgt. and Mrs Hiroshi Mi
yamura of Gallup, New Mexico,
have been invited to attend the 18th
Biennial JACL National Convention
as guests of honor, it was announc-
ed here today.
Sgt. Miyamura, now EN- route
home following his release as a
POW in the Korean war. was con-
ferred the nations highest military
honor, the Congressional Medal of
Honor, last week. He is the only
living Nisei awarded the CMH.
The Miyamuras are longtime
members of the Albuquerque chap
ter of the JACL.
In telegram to Mrs. Miyamura
at their home in Gallup, George J.
Inagaki, National JACL President,
and DIR. Roy NJ. Nishikawa, conven-
ton chairman, said that at the
convention, I'VE hope to extend the
grateful homage of all Americans
and particularly those of japanese
ancestry. His heroism resulting in
the winning of the Congressional
Medal of Honor reflects great Gre
dit upon all Japanese Americans
The cOnention will be held over
the Labor Day holidays, Sept. to
6, 1854 at the Statler hotel in Los
Angeles.
LOS ANGELES, Calf, Aug. %
CRafu Shimpo Dispatch)- His
friends in Gallup, New Mexico, call
him Hershey, this shy young man
who won the nations highest award
the Congressional Medal of Ho
nor-for heroism in the Korean
war.
They gave him that nickname be-
cause his Japanese name was HirO-
shi, and girls thought he was as
sweet as Chocolate.
And when news wires bu2zed and
radio commentators made the an
nouncement that Sgt. Hiroshi Miya-
mura, who was freed at Panmunjon
under the armistice POW truce
pact, had won the coveted medal, 3
of his married sisters in Los Ange-
les held a happy reunion re-
counting all the things their bro
Their must have done and have gone
through before being released from
the Communists.
Mrs (Michiko) Paul Yoshida at
201 N. Matthews was overwhelmed
when she heard the news over the
radio. Mrs. (Susie) Hideo Tamika-
wa of Downey. and Mrs. (Shigeko)
Mari Sasaki of Long Beach joined
their East Los Angeles sister in
sharing the wonderful happenings
'T1l bet the whole town of Gal
Iup will be out to greet our broth
err" chirped Mrs. Yoshida who kept
her sisters busy scanning the news
papers and clipping them for pos
terity.
The son of Yaichi Miyamura Of
Gallup was captured by the Reds in
April of 1851. He served with the
442nd Regimental Combat Team as
a mop up" reservist and sent over
seas Just after the last shots were
being fired in Italy.
He returned unscathed but his en-
counter with the North Korean re-
suited in a slight injury to his right
leg and later being captured by the
Reds following a vicious battle in
which he himself killed 30 enemies
The only living Nisei winner OF
the Congressional Medal of Honor
in any war received his education at
Gallup high school. In l943, he VO-
lunteered but was too young to be
sent overseas.
He sought to fight overseas again
but his ailing rupture caused Uncle
Sam to keep him behind. When he
reached Italy in his third try in
l945, the war was just about over
After his discharge, he attended
an electrical engineering school IN
Milwaukee when the Army recalled
him to duty as shooting started IN
Korea. He was shipped in Septem-
Der Of 1850.
The Miyamura family was in con-
slant worry for three long years
when they learned he was listed a.
mong the prisoners Of war.
Things are now bright as ever
His father. Yaichi Miyamura whf
operates a little lunch counter IL
Gallup, catering to mostly Indians
is in constant touch with his Lo'
Angeles daughters.
"He thinks HirOshi will be hOm
,..., ,ar-. conn hut we think it'lI b