George Taro "Joe" Sakato (February 19, 1921 – December 2, 2015) was an American combat

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

who received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

, the nation's highest military award for valor.US Army Center of Military History (CMH)
"Medal of Honor Recipients, World War II (M-S)"
; retrieved 2012-12-28.

Biography

Sakato was born in

Colton, California Colton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Nicknamed "Hub City", Colton is located in the Inland Empire region of the state and is a suburb of San Bernardino, California, San Bernardino, approximately south of the cit ...

."George Sakato,"
''American Valor'' (PBS/WETA), 2003; retrieved 2012-12-28. He was a ''

Nisei is a Japanese-language term used in countries in North America and South America to specify the ethnically Japanese children born in the new country to Japanese-born immigrants (who are called ). The are considered the second generation, ...

'', which means that he was a second generation born American citizen of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese descent. He graduated from

Redlands High School Redlands High School is a high school located in Redlands, California, alongside Redlands East Valley High School and Citrus Valley High School. It is the oldest Californian public high school still functioning on its original site. History T ...

Redlands, California Redlands ( ) is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 73,168, up from 68,747 at the 2010 census. The city is located approximately west of Palm Springs and east of Lo ...

.Juedes, Joy
"Redlands resident to receive Congressional Gold Medal,"
''The San Bernardino Sun'' (San Bernardino, California). November 11, 2010; retrieved 2012-12-28. The Sakato family moved to

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

during World War II to avoid

internment Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...

World War II

Sakato joined the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

in March 1944. He volunteered to be part of the all-''Nisei''

442nd Regimental Combat Team The 442nd Infantry Regiment ( ja, 第442歩兵連隊) was an infantry regiment of the United States Army. The regiment is best known as the most decorated in U.S. military history and as a fighting unit composed almost entirely of second-gene ...

and was assigned to 3rd platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion. The US Army unit was mostly made up of Americans of Japanese descent from Hawaii and the mainland. Sakato was awarded the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

(DSC) for extraordinary heroism on October 29, 1944, in France.

Post World War II

In the 1990s, there was a review of US military service records of Americans of Asian descent who received the DSC during World War II. Sakato's award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

presented Sakato the Medal of Honor during a ceremony at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

on June 21, 2000. Twenty-one other American servicemen of World War II of Asian descent also were presented the Medal of Honor during the ceremony, but only seven were living recipients. Sakato died in the evening of December 2, 2015 in Denver, Colorado, at the age of 94.

Medal of Honor citation

Sakato's Medal of Honor recognized his heroic conduct in frontline fighting in northern France in 1944. He charged an enemy stronghold, and then took command of his

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...

and led it in defense of the position. CITATION:

Private George T. Sakato distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 29 October 1944, on hill 617 in the vicinity of Biffontaine, France. After his platoon had virtually destroyed two enemy defense lines, during which he personally killed five enemy soldiers and captured four, his unit was pinned down by heavy enemy fire. Disregarding the enemy fire, Private Sakato made a one-man rush that encouraged his platoon to charge and destroy the enemy strongpoint. While his platoon was reorganizing, he proved to be the inspiration of his squad in halting a counter-attack on the left flank during which his squad leader was killed. Taking charge of the squad, he continued his relentless tactics, using an enemy rifle and P-38 pistol to stop an organized enemy attack. During this entire action, he killed 12 and wounded two, personally captured four and assisted his platoon in taking 34 prisoners. By continuously ignoring enemy fire, and by his gallant courage and fighting spirit, he turned impending defeat into victory and helped his platoon complete its mission. Private Sakato'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.Gomez-Granger, Julissa. (2008). ''Medal of Honor Recipients: 1979-2008,'
_"Sakato,_George_T.,"_p._19_
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_See_also

*List_of_Medal_of_Honor_recipients_for_World_War_II#S.html" "title="DF_23_of_44
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/nowiki> retrieved 2012-11-26.

Biography

World War II

Post World War II

Medal of Honor citation

_See_also

See also

References

External links