Sadao Munemori

Sadao Munemori was a United States Army soldier who served with distinction during World War II. Born in Los Angeles to Japanese immigrant parents, he became a member of the famed 100th Infantry Battalion, a unit composed almost entirely of Japanese Americans. His regiment was integrated into the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which became one of the most highly decorated units in United States military history for its size and length of service.

On April 5, 1945, during the Gothic Line offensive at Seravezza, Italy, Private First Class Munemori's squad was pinned down by intense German machine-gun fire. He single-handedly attacked and destroyed two enemy machine-gun nests with hand grenades. As he crawled back to his squad's trench, an enemy grenade bounced off his helmet and rolled into the shell crater where two of his comrades were seeking shelter.

Without hesitation, Munemori threw himself onto the grenade, absorbing the full blast of the explosion with his own body. He was killed instantly, but his self-sacrificing action saved the lives of his fellow soldiers. For his extraordinary heroism and supreme sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, becoming the only Japanese American to be awarded the nation's highest military decoration during the World War II era or immediately thereafter.