Kaoru Moto Kaoru Moto ( April 25 , 1917 – August 26 , 1992 ) was a United States Army soldier . He was posthumously awarded the United States military ' s highest decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his actions in World War II . Early life . Moto was born in Hawaii to Japan ese immigrant parents . He is a " Nisei " , which means that he is a second generation Japanese - American . Soldier . Ten months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , he joined the US Army in March 1941 . Moto volunteered to be part of the all - " Nisei " 100th Infantry Battalion . This army unit was mostly made up of Japanese Americans from Hawaii and the mainland . On July 7 , 1944 , Moto was serving as a private first class in the 100th Infantry Battalion . On that day , near Castellina , Italy , he single - handedly silenced two enemy machine gun positions while acting as a scout , and then destroyed a third despite being seriously wounded . For his actions in battle , he was awarded the Army ' s second - highest decoration , the Distinguished Service Cross . Moto left the Army while still a private first class . He died at age 75 and was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu , Hawaii . A 1990s review of service records for Asian Americans who received the Distinguished Service Cross during World War II led to Moto ' s award being upgraded to the Medal of Honor . In a ceremony at the White House on June 21 , 2000 , his surviving family was presented with his Medal of Honor by President Bill Clinton . Twenty - one other Asian Americans also received the medal during the ceremony , all but seven of them posthumously . Medal of Honor recipient . Moto ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : Private First Class Kaoru Moto distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 7 July 1944 , near Castellina , Italy . While serving as first scout , Private First Class Moto observed a machine gun nest that was hindering his platoon ' s progress . On his own initiative , he made his way to a point ten paces from the hostile position , and killed the enemy machine gunner . Immediately , the enemy assistant gunner opened fire in the direction of Private First Class Moto . Crawling to the rear of the position , Private First Class Moto surprised the enemy soldier , who quickly surrendered . Taking his prisoner with him , Private First Class Moto took a position a few yards from a house to prevent the enemy from using the building as an observation post . While guarding the house and his prisoner , he observed an enemy machine gun team moving into position . He engaged them , and with deadly fire forced the enemy to withdraw . An enemy sniper located in another house fired at Private First Class Moto , severely wounding him . Applying first aid to his wound , he changed position to elude the sniper fire and to advance . Finally relieved of his position , he made his way to the rear for treatment . Crossing a road , he spotted an enemy machine gun nest . Opening fire , he wounded two of the three soldiers occupying the position . Not satisfied with this accomplishment , he then crawled forward to a better position and ordered the enemy soldier to surrender . Receiving no answer , Private First Class Moto fired at the position , and the soldiers surrendered . Private First Class Moto ' 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 .