SIX JAVA VETERANS RECEIVE BRONZE STAR MEDAL  TWO ALSO RECEIVE LEGION OF MERIT

(All photos were taken by Nelson Penalosa).   

 Six JAVA veterans and next of kin, representing the 442^nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), received the Bronze Star Medals and Legion of Merit in a formal military ceremony at the JAVA Annual Meeting luncheon at the Harvest Moon Restaurant at Falls Church, Virginia on January 17, 2009 before some 100 members and friends.  The awardees were:

 Hanako “Hankie” Hirose for Staff Sergeant Goro Hirose, 442^nd RCT
Technical Sergeant Ranger Grant J. Hirabayashi, MIS
Bina Kiyonaga for 1^st Lieutenant Joseph Y. Kiyonaga, 442^nd RCT
Technical Specialist 4 Yeiichi Kelly Kuwayama, 442^nd RCT* 
Etsu Mineta Masaoka for Technical Specialist 4 Mike M. Masaoka, 442^nd RCT* 
Dr Ray Murakami for Staff Sergeant Hideyuki Noguchi, 442^nd RCT.

       *Also received the Legion of Merit.

 Prior to the presentation of the awards Lynn Heirakuji, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Army and the personal representative of the Secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, commended JAVA for keeping “the story of the Nisei who served in WW II alive.”  

 MG Antonio Taguba, USA (Ret), assisted by three JAVA veterans in uniform, officiated over the awards ceremony.  Each certificate was read, followed by the medal presentation and a photo that included members of the family and President Nakamoto, Vice Admiral Harry Harris, USN, DAS Lynn Heirakuji, and Major General Taguba.  The presentation ended with the playing of the 442^nd fight song by the Camp Dance Quintet of California and the US military services medley played by the US Army Band, “Pershing’s Own.”  The music was arranged by Gary Johnson, who has enjoyed a 30 year career with the US Army Band.