Hiroshi ``hershey'' Miyamura Va Clinic
Floor Speech
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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise to express my support for S. 475, a bill to designate the clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Gallup, New Mexico, as the Hiroshi ``Hershey'' Miyamura VA Clinic.
This bill honors a great American from the Greatest Generation. I thank Senator Heinrich for sponsoring this bill and Representative Leger Fernandez for offering the House companion.
Born in Gallup, New Mexico, the son of immigrants, Mr. Miyamura joined the Army in 1944. He was assigned to the now-storied 442nd Regimental Combat Team, although he arrived too late in Europe to see much action. However, his military service did not end with World War II.
He enlisted in the Army Reserves after the war and was called into Active Duty with the outbreak of the Korean war. He became a squad leader in the 3rd Infantry Division.
On the night of April 24, 1951, Corporal Miyamura's unit of machine gunners and riflemen came under attack. He killed 10 enemy soldiers with his bayonet. He then blasted away with his machine gun, a rifle, and grenades and wielded his bayonet again to allow his men to retreat.
He killed more than 50 of the enemy before his ammunition was depleted and he was severely wounded. He was captured and held for 28 months as a prisoner of war until he was released in 1953 after the armistice.
For his conduct, then-Corporal Miyamura was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity. He was awarded the medal in secret in 1951 while he was a POW, but it was finally presented in public in 1953.
Achieving the rank of staff sergeant, Mr. Miyamura returned to New Mexico. His dedication and patriotism continued after he returned from South Korea to share his experiences in the war.
He also served as an integral part of the lives of veterans and others in his community. Mr. Miyamura once said:
Until I saw that flag--the Star-Spangled Banner waving in the breeze--did I know. I've learned what it represents. That alone is what makes you feel so humble. So many of these fellas who deserve it never came home to any recognition. There are so many Americans who don't know what the medal represents or what any soldier or servicewoman or -man does for this country, and I believe one of these days--I hope one of these days--they will learn of the sacrifices that a lot of the men and women have made for this country.
Madam Speaker, let this legislation be an opportunity to let our fellow Americans know about the service and sacrifice that came before.
Madam Speaker, I support this important piece of legislation, and I ask my colleagues to do the same.
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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez), my very good friend who serves on the House Rules Committee and House Committee on Natural Resources.
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Takano and the chair for allowing me to speak today in support of S. 475, which Senator Heinrich and I introduced. It would designate the Veterans Affairs clinic in Gallup, New Mexico, as the Hiroshi ``Hershey'' Miyamura VA Clinic.
Corporal Hiroshi, or ``Hershey'' as those in New Mexico called him early on, was born in 1925 to Japanese immigrants in Gallup, New Mexico. Beautiful Gallup, New Mexico, is in my district and it is surrounded by beautiful mountains, mesas, the Navajo Nation, the Zuni Pueblo, and others. It is a tremendously, achingly beautiful place, but from Gallup, he answered the call to serve not just once, but twice in his life--first in World War II and then in the Korean war.
He wanted to fight for his country in World War II but was ineligible because of his ancestry until 1945. He then served in the 442nd Infantry Regiment, a unit entirely composed of Japanese Americans because we must remember that at the time that he was answering the call to service, we were suffering in the United States a period of hatred and xenophobia toward Japanese Americans, which makes his answer to the call of service even more extraordinary and for which we are even more grateful.
In 1951, Corporal Miyamura held off enemy soldiers that threatened his machine gun squad. He faced them in hand-to-hand combat. He single- handedly held the line giving his squad time to reach safety. Corporal Miyamura would spend the next 28 months as a prisoner of war.
Corporal Miyamura was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service, only learning of his achievement upon his release in 1953. I thank Mr. Takano for sharing those most moving words, Madam Speaker, that he spoke upon receiving that medal. He was the second to last living Korean war Medal of Honor recipient. Now, his passing in November 2022 reminds us of the sacrifices our veterans make to defend our beautiful Nation.
The Gallup community is extremely proud to have been Corporal Miyamura's home where he returned. The Veterans Affairs Clinic in Gallup provides essential care to veterans and their dependents. It is one of our rural CBOCs that provides essential care, so our veterans don't have to spend 2 to 3 hours on the road to get the care that we have promised our veterans.
I have visited that clinic. I visited with the veterans in Gallup, and they have asked me about the status of this designation. I am going to be really happy when we pass this, hopefully this week, to tell them we have done it.
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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from New Mexico.
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. We will name this clinic after him so that he can keep watch over his brothers and sisters in arms as their guardian angel. We will remember him, Gallup will miss him, a Nation will miss him, but most of all, we will continue to honor him.
Madam Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring Corporal Miyamura and vote for Senate bill 475.
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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing S. 475, a bill to designate the clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Gallup, New Mexico, as the Hiroshi ``Hershey'' Miyamura VA Clinic.
Let me just add that I had three great uncles who served in the 442nd, a storied Regimental Combat Team. It is always a poignant story about their service, and I thank the chairman for offering his support in the commemoration of their service to our country.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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