Robert T. Kuroda

Staff Sergeant Robert Toshio Kuroda was a United States Army soldier who posthumously received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration, for his extraordinary heroism during World War II. Born in Hawaii, Kuroda served in the legendary 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit composed almost entirely of second-generation Japanese Americans (Nisei) which became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service.

On October 20, 1944, during intense fighting near Bruyères, France, Kuroda's platoon was pinned down by heavy enemy machine-gun fire. Taking the initiative, Kuroda single-handedly advanced through the barrage to locate and destroy an enemy machine-gun nest, killing three enemy soldiers. Even after running out of ammunition for his rifle, he advanced under fire to rescue a wounded comrade and destroyed a second machine-gun position using a submachine gun before he was mortally wounded by a sniper.

SSgt. Kuroda's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were recognized initially with a posthumous Distinguished Service Cross, which was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 2000 following a comprehensive review of the service records of Asian-American World War II veterans. His legacy remains a testament to the courage and patriotism of the Nisei soldiers who fought bravely for their country.