Hawaii Medal of Honor Recipients

17 Medals of Honor are Accredited to Hawaii

Fifteen Americans received Medals of Honor for action on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Only FIVE of these heroes survived their moment of valor. Today, only one of them is still with us.
A review of Asian/Pacific Islanders who received Distinguished Service Crosses during WWII led to upgrades to the Medal of Honor. In June, 2000 President Clinton awarded 22 Medals of Honor for such WWII service, 12 of which were awarded to native Hawaiians.
Honolulu's Francis Wai is the ONLY Chinese-American to receive the Medal of Honor in US History.

Click on the green button to read the story of Francis Wai and the other Hawaiian Medal of Honor recipients.

The FLAG that flew over Pearl Harbor that fateful "Day of Infamy" on December 7, 1941 was preserved and flown again. On August 14, 1945, the day the Japanese accepted the surrender terms ending World War II, the Pearl Harbor FLAG flew over the White House in Washington, DC. Click on the green button below to read the story of this historic flag.

"For Conspicuous Gallantry and Intrepidity in Action At the Risk of Life Above and Beyond the Call of Duty"

RECIPIENT'S NAME		Branch	PLACE OF BIRTH	MOH ACCREDITED TO:
World War II
L	Hajiro, Barney F.	Army	Punene, Maui, HI	Honolulu, HI
	**Hasemoto, Mikio	Army	Honolulu, HI	Schofield Barracks, HI
	Hayashi, Shizuya	Army	Waiakea, Oahu, HI	Schofield Barracks, HI
L	Inouye, Daniel K.	Army	Honolulu, HI	Honolulu, HI
	Kobashigawa, Yeiki	Army	Hilo, HI	Honolulu, HI
	**Kuroda, Robert	Army	Aiea, Oahu, HI	Honolulu, HI
	**Moto, Kaoru	Army	Spreckelsville, Maui, HI	Spreckelsville, Maui, HI
	**Nakae, Masato	Army	Lihue, Kauiai, HI	Honolulu, HI
	**Nakamine, Shinyei	Army	Waianae, Oahu, HI	Honolulu, HI
	**Ohata, Allan M.	Army	Honolulu, HI	Honolulu, HI
	Okutsu, Yukio	Army	Koloa, Kauai, HI	Koloa, Kauai, HI
	**Wai, Francis B.	Army	Honolulu, HI	Honolulu, HI
Korean War
**Mendonca, Leroy A.		Army	Honolulu, HI	Honolulu, HI
**Pililaau, Herbert K		Army	Waianae, HI	Oahu, HI
Vietnam
**Kawamura, Terry Teruo		Army	Wahiawa, HI	Oahu, HI
**Smith, Elmelindo Rodriques		Army	Honolulu, HI	Honolulu, HI
**Yano, Rodney James Tadashi		Army	Kealakekua Kona, HI	Honolulu, HI
The following Medal of Honor Recipients were BORN in Hawaii but enlisted in military service in New York, to which his award is accredited. By virtue of his birth, he is still among our "Home Town Heroes".
RECIPIENT'S NAME		Branch	PLACE OF BIRTH	MOH ACCREDITED TO:
Smith, James		Navy	Hawaii	New York, NY
Versace, Humbert Roque		Army	Honolulu	Norfolk, VA

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