Frank H. Ono

Frank Harry Ono was born in Delta, Colorado, on June 5, 1923. The son of a Japanese immigrant father and an Irish-American mother, Ono was a Nisei — a second-generation Japanese-American. During the Second World War he volunteered for service with the U.S. Army and joined the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a Japanese-American unit that fought with extraordinary distinction in Europe.

On July 4, 1944, near Castellina, Italy, Private First Class Ono’s squad was pinned down while attacking a heavily defended hill. Acting with remarkable initiative, he advanced under heavy fire, silenced an enemy machine gun, killed a sniper, and held a critical forward position almost alone while his platoon reorganized. When his weapon was knocked from his hands by enemy fire, he continued the fight with hand grenades, forcing the enemy back.

Ono then picked up a wounded comrade’s rifle and rejoined the assault. He moved through intense automatic, small-arms, and mortar fire to give aid to two wounded men, including his platoon leader. When the platoon was ordered to withdraw, Ono volunteered to cover the retreat. From exposed positions near the crest of the hill, he deliberately drew enemy fire onto himself until the rest of the platoon reached safety. He then withdrew in stages, firing as he went.

For this action he was originally awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Decades later, a review of Asian-American soldiers who had received the DSC during World War II led to his award being upgraded to the Medal of Honor. His Medal of Honor was presented posthumously to his family by President Bill Clinton on June 21, 2000.