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MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT
PRIVATE JOE HAYASHI
Unit: Company K, 442nd Regimental Combat Team,
U.S. Army
Place of heroic deed: Tendola, Italy
Date of heroic deed: April 1945
*Awarded posthumously
CITATION
Private Joe Hayashi distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism
in action on 20 and 22 April 1945, near Tendola, Italy. On 20
April 1945, ordered to attack a strongly defended hill that commanded
all approaches to the village of Tendola, Private Hayashi skillfully
led his men to a point within 75 yards of enemy positions before
they were detected and fired upon. After dragging his wounded
comrades to safety, he returned alone and exposed himself to small
arms fire in order to direct and adjust mortar fire against hostile
emplacements. Boldly attacking the hill with the remaining men
of his squad, he attained his objective and discovered that the
mortars had neutralized three machine guns, killed 27 men, and
wounded many others. On 22 April 1945, attacking the village of
Tendola, Private Hayashi maneuvered his squad up a steep, terraced
hill to within 100 yards of the enemy. Crawling under intense
fire to a hostile machine gun position, he threw a grenade, killing
one enemy soldier and forcing the other members of the gun crew
to surrender. Seeing four enemy machine guns delivering deadly
fire upon other elements of his platoon, he threw another grenade,
destroying a machine gun nest. He then crawled to the right flank
of another machine gun position where he killed four enemy soldiers
and forced the others to flee. Attempting to pursue the enemy,
he was mortally wounded by a burst of machine pistol fire. The
dauntless courage and exemplary leadership of Private Hayashi
enabled his company to attain its objective. Private Hayashi’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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