KOBASHIGAWA, YEIKI
Technical Sergeant Yeiki Kobashigawa distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 2 June 1944, in the vicinity of Lanuvio, Italy. During an attack, Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa's platoon encountered strong enemy resistance from a series of machine guns providing supporting fire. Observing a machine gun nest 50 yards from his position, Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa crawled forward with one of his men, threw a grenade and then charged the enemy with his submachine gun while a fellow soldier provided covering fire. He killed one enemy soldier and captured two prisoners. Meanwhile, Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa and his comrade were fired upon by another machine gun 50 yards ahead. Directing a squad to advance to his first position, Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa again moved forward with a fellow soldier to subdue the second machine gun nest. After throwing grenades into the position, Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa provided close supporting fire while a fellow soldier charged, capturing four prisoners. On the alert for other machine gun nests, Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa discovered four more, and skillfully led a squad in neutralizing two of them. Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa'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.
I rather suspect I would have liked Sergeant (later Lieutenant) Kobashigawa. One of the 22 Asian-Americans who had wartime decorations reviewed and upgraded, he took a measured view of things as his son relates his father's telephone chat with the Secretary of the Army whenspeaking to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin after his father's passing:
His father told the then Secretary of the Army, "It's so long ago, just send it in the mail," Merle Kobashigawa said.
Kobashigawa was a member of the storied 100th Infantry battalion, of the famous 442nd Infantry Regiment, the Nisei unit which was assigned to 34th Infantry Division, the Red Bulls, in the Italian Campaign during WWII. The 100th has the distinction of being the only combat arms unit left in the Army Reserve. After the first Gulf War all the combat units (vice combat support and combat service support) in the Reserve were dis-established as a part of the post-Cold War reorganization of the Army. The only exception was the 100th, due to it's unique and medal-bedecked history - which Yeiki Kobashigawa helped write.
But Kobashigawa was not alone in writing that history. On that day, in the same general fight, Private Shinyei Yakamine was doing his bit to make the 100th's reputation shine - though he, too, was recognized belatedly, as a part of the 22 men whose awards were upgraded in 2000. Private Yakamine never knew of the controversy, as he was killed in another fight shortly after the one that earned him the Medal of Honor.
*NAKAMINE, SHINYEI
Private Shinyei Nakamine distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 2 June 1944, near La Torreto, Italy. During an attack, Private Nakamine's platoon became pinned down by intense machine gun crossfire from a small knoll 200 yards to the front. On his own initiative, Private Nakamine crawled toward one of the hostile weapons. Reaching a point 25 yards from the enemy, he charged the machine gun nest, firing his submachine gun, and killed three enemy soldiers and captured two. Later that afternoon, Private Nakamine discovered an enemy soldier on the right flank of his platoon's position. Crawling 25 yards from his position, Private Nakamine opened fire and killed the soldier. Then, seeing a machine gun nest to his front approximately 75 yards away, he returned to his platoon and led an automatic rifle team toward the enemy. Under covering fire from his team, Private Nakamine crawled to a point 25 yards from the nest and threw hand grenades at the enemy soldiers, wounding one and capturing four. Spotting another machine gun nest 100 yards to his right flank, he led the automatic rifle team toward the hostile position but was killed by a burst of machine gun fire. Private Nakamine'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.
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