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Private First Class
Nakamura crawled 20 yards toward the hostile nest with fire from the enemy machine gun barely missing him. Reaching a point 15 yards from the position, he quickly raised himself to a kneeling position and threw four hand grenades, killing or wounding at least three of the enemy soldiers. The enemy weapon silenced, Private First Class Nakamura crawled back to his platoon, which was able to continue its advance as a result of his courageous action. Later, his company was ordered to withdraw from the crest of a hill so that a
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the enemy position, Private First Class
Nakamura quickly and accurately fired his weapon to pin down the enemy machine gunners. His platoon was then able to withdraw to safety without further casualties. Private First Class Nakamura was killed during this heroic stand. Private First Class Nakamura'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.
978:
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barrage could be placed on the ridge. On his own initiative, Private First Class
Nakamura remained in position to cover his comrades' withdrawal. While moving toward the safety of a wooded draw, his platoon became pinned down by deadly machine gun fire. Crawling to a point from which he could fire on
328:
Private First Class
William K. Nakamura distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 4 July 1944, near Castellina, Italy. During a fierce firefight, Private First Class Nakamura's platoon became pinned down by enemy machine gun fire from a concealed position. On his own initiative,
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was raised and defeated during a meeting of the student senate. Some people did not believe the resolution's sponsor had fully addressed the financial and logistical problems of installing a memorial, and some were questioning the widely held assumption that all warriors and acts of war are
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and conservative news outlets, focusing on two statements made by student senators during the meeting. One student senator, Ashley Miller, said that the UW already had many monuments to "rich, white men" (Boyington claimed partial
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283:, he single-handedly destroyed an enemy machine gun emplacement and later volunteered to cover his unit's withdrawal. He was then killed while attacking another machine gun nest which was firing on his platoon.
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290:. A 1990s review of service records for Asian Americans who received the Distinguished Service Cross during World War II led to Nakamura's award being upgraded to the Medal of Honor. In a ceremony at the
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ancestry and was not rich); another, Jill
Edwards, questioned whether the UW should memorialize a person who killed others, summarized in the minutes as saying "she didn't believe a member of the
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After its defeat, a new version of the original resolution was submitted that called for a memorial to all eight UW alumni who received the
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394:. The University of Washington Medal of Honor memorial was constructed at the south end of Memorial Way (17th Ave NE), north of
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700:, Associated Students of the University of Washington Student Senate, submitted 01/11/2006. (retrieved February 24, 2006)
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after attending the UW. On April 4, 2006, the resolution passed by a vote of 64 to 14 with several abstentions, on a
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442nd
Regimental Combat Team. This army unit was mostly made up of Japanese Americans from Hawaii and the mainland.
298:. Twenty-one other Asian Americans also received the medal during the ceremony, all but seven of them posthumously.
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856:, Resolution R-12-16, Associated Students of the University of Washington Student Senate, submitted 02/17/2006.
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At the
University of Washington in February 2006, a resolution recommending a memorial be erected to honor
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691:"A Resolution to Calling for a Tribute for Col. Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington, USMC", Resolution R-12-18
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For his actions in July 1944, he was posthumously awarded the Army's second-highest decoration, the
663:"21 Asian American World War II Vets to Get Medal of Honor" at University of Hawaii Digital History
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and lived in the
University Students Club, a fraternal association for Japanese-American students.
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on June 21, 2000, his surviving family was presented with his Medal of Honor by
President
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immigrant parents. He attended
Seattle's Washington Middle School and graduated from its
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515:"Kakushu Jji = Colorado Times May 26, 1945 â Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection"
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soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decorationâthe
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550:(University of Washington Alumni Magazine). June 2004; retrieved 2012-12-7.
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847:"A Resolution Calling a Memorial for UW Alumni awarded the Medal of Honor"
880:"New UW memorial honors alumni who hold the Congressional Medal of Honor"
398:, in the interior of a traffic circle between Parrington and Kane Halls (
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Private First Class Nakamura's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
866:"Honoring the men behind the Medals of Honor with ceremony, exhibit "
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For the judoka 1996 Summer Olympics Gold Medal recipient (1973â), see
37:
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639:"Medal of Honor Recipient Private First Class William K. Nakamura"
207:
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during World War II, starting in 1942, following the signing of
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Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
928:"University of Washington Medal of Honor Memorial Dedication"
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WWII Army Enlistment Record #39918272 (Nakamura, William K.)
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was an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce."
624:
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA),
651:"100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry" at Global Security.org
602:"Japanese American Internee Data File: William Nakamura"
347:
Medal of Honor memorial at the University of Washington
214:(in what's now known as the International District) to
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903:"UW to honor war heroes with Medal of Honor memorial"
429:). Privately funded, it was completed in time for a
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United States Army personnel killed in World War II
779:. Spokane, Washington. (New York News). p. 12.
868:, University of Washington News, 10 November 2009.
716:, February 17, 2006. (retrieved February 24, 2006)
496:List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
727:"Marines Not Welcome at University of Washington"
990:
952:"Army Secretary Lionizes 22 World War II Heroes"
710:Boyington memorial â A word from the Senate
491:List of Asian American Medal of Honor recipients
339:University of Washington Medal of Honor Memorial
1019:American military personnel of Japanese descent
529:"Medal of Honor Recipients, World War II (M-S)"
314:William Kenzo Nakamura United States Courthouse
182:, January 21, 1922 – July 4, 1944) was a
750:"Great Sioux Nation Medal of Honor Recipients"
316:in Seattle, Washington is named in his honor.
301:Nakamura, aged 22 at his death, was buried in
1054:World War II recipients of the Medal of Honor
877:
1039:United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
606:National Archives and Records Administration
433:dedication in November 2009. In addition to
267:On July 4, 1944, Nakamura was serving as a
260:Nakamura volunteered to be part of the all-
16:United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
367:automatically worthy of memorialization.
319:
894:
878:O'Donnell, Catherine (October 21, 2009).
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764:
920:
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637:Go for Broke National Education Center,
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594:
539:
537:
991:
580:"A salute to Medal of Honor recipient"
1009:Garfield High School (Seattle) alumni
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823:"Boyington memorial for UW revisited"
821:Frey, Christine (February 21, 2006).
676:Medal of Honor Recipients: 1979-2008,
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559:
820:
770:
553:
534:
527:US Army Center of Military History,
42:Private First Class William Nakamura
930:. U.S. Militaria Forum. 8 June 2011
882:. University of Washington. UW News
773:"Pappy Boiyngton is ill, destitute"
13:
738:Human Events ", February 20, 2006.
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468:facing extraordinary circumstances
248:
14:
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945:
901:Broom, Jack (November 10, 2009).
474:and change the course of destiny.
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771:Muir, Florabel (July 16, 1967).
674:Gomez-Granger, Julissa. (2008).
370:The story was picked up by some
303:Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park
89:Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park
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1049:University of Washington alumni
1029:Military personnel from Seattle
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578:Hicks, Erin (1 December 2005).
545:"Our Back Pages: Final Honors,"
679:"Nakamura, William K.," p. 15
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631:
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560:Banel, Feliks (July 3, 2019),
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470:with courage and selflessness
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273:442nd Regimental Combat Team
144:442nd Regimental Combat Team
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1044:United States Army soldiers
1024:Japanese-American internees
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288:Distinguished Service Cross
10:
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827:Seattle Post-Intelligencer
582:. University of Washington
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752:. Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
725:Flickinger, Christopher.
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224:University of Washington
104:United States of America
362:for his service during
320:Medal of Honor citation
958:William Kenzo Nakamura
681:; retrieved 2012-12-7.
665:; retrieved 2012-12-7.
653:; retrieved 2012-12-7.
641:; retrieved 2012-12-7.
628:; retrieved 2012-12-7.
531:; retrieved 2012-12-7.
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229:Nakamura's family was
172:William Kenzo Nakamura
30:William Kenzo Nakamura
562:"Death in the Family"
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122:Years of service
466:Ordinary individuals
417:47.6573°N 122.3097°W
277:Castellina Marittima
275:. On that day, near
253:Nakamura joined the
243:Executive Order 9066
220:Garfield High School
190:âfor his actions in
74:Castellina Marittima
791:"UW Senate minutes"
413: /
307:Seattle, Washington
269:private first class
134:Private First Class
93:Seattle, Washington
852:2008-05-11 at the
732:2012-02-17 at the
696:2009-01-07 at the
422:47.6573; -122.3097
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222:. He attended the
184:United States Army
116:United States Army
459:Archie Van Winkle
447:Robert Galer
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443:Bruce Crandall
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435:Greg Boyington
392:roll call vote
388:Medal of Honor
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257:in July 1943.
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455:Robert Leisy
437:, it honors
431:Veterans Day
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381:Marine Corps
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364:World War II
358:and alumnus
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296:Bill Clinton
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202:Nakamura, a
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192:World War II
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154:World War II
150:Battles/wars
68:(1944-07-04)
66:July 4, 1944
1004:1944 deaths
999:1922 births
586:15 December
566:MyNorthwest
420: /
408:122°18â˛35âłW
292:White House
993:Categories
934:October 9,
912:October 9,
886:October 9,
832:October 9,
807:2015-10-13
756:October 9,
611:2019-08-17
502:References
405:47°39â˛26âłN
396:Red Square
198:Early life
100:Allegiance
54:1922-01-21
983:Biography
714:The Daily
212:Japantown
125:1943â1944
850:Archived
730:Archived
694:Archived
485:See also
235:Minidoka
231:interned
216:Japanese
176:Japanese
110:Service/
548:Columns
353:fighter
271:in the
255:US Army
208:Seattle
969:Portal
331:mortar
160:Awards
112:branch
801:(PDF)
794:(PDF)
377:Sioux
372:blogs
281:Italy
262:Nisei
239:Idaho
204:Nisei
180:ä¸ć ĺĽé
78:Italy
72:near
936:2015
914:2015
888:2015
834:2015
758:2015
588:2020
312:The
140:Unit
130:Rank
63:Died
48:Born
960:at
356:ace
237:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
