On the recordDecember 15, 2022
I am truly honored to join my friend and colleague Senator Lujan to recognize the life of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and Gallup's own staff sergeant, Hiroshi ``Hershey'' Miyamura, who passed away this past November. The State of New Mexico ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of one of our State's and, really, one of our entire Nation's greatest heroes. A second-generation Japanese American, Hershey Miyamura first volunteered for the U.S. Army near the end of World War II. He did so at a time when many of his fellow Japanese Americans--and that includes his future wife--were detained in American internment camps. He served in the storied 442nd Infantry Regiment, which was composed of soldiers with Japanese ancestry and became one of the most decorated units in U.S. military history. Following the start of the Korean war in 1950, the Army recalled Miyamura, who had remained in the Army Reserves, into Active Duty. The Korean war is often labeled the ``Forgotten War,'' and it is true that far too many Americans have forgotten the incredible sacrifices that were made by American servicemembers who fought alongside Korean as well as United Nations allies. More than 36,000 American servicemembers and more than 7,200 members of the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army gave their lives to defend a free and democratic South Korea.…
