William Nakamura facts for kids
- In this Japanese name, the family name is Nakamura.
William Kenzo Nakamura (January 21, 1922-July 4, 1944) was a United States Army soldier. He received the Medal of Honor because of his actions in World War II.
Early life
Nakamura was born in Seattle to Japanese immigrant parents. He is a Nisei, which means that he is a second generation Japanese-American.
His family was interned in Minidoka in Idaho during World War II.
Soldier
Nakamura joined the US Army in July 1943.
Nakamura volunteered to be part of the all-Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This army unit was mostly made up of Japanese Americans from Hawaii and the mainland.
For his actions in July 1944, Nakamura was awarded the Army's second-highest decoration, the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). In the 1990s, there was a review of service records of Asian Americans who received the DSC during World War II. Nakamura's award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. In a ceremony at the White House on June 21, 2000, his family was presented with his medal by President Bill Clinton. Twenty-one other Asian Americans also received the medal during the ceremony, but only seven of them were still alive.
Nakesake
Nakamura is the namesake of the William Kenzo Nakamura United States Courthouse in Seattle.
Related pages
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
- List of Asian American Medal of Honor recipients
- Posthumous recognition
Images for kids
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Medal of Honor memorial at the University of Washington
