Howard Mitsuru Urabe

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Silver Star Medal (Posthumously) to Howard Mitsuru Urabe (301014769), Sergeant, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving with Company G, 2d Battalion, 442d Regimental Combat Team, attached to the 34th Infantry Division, on 4 July 1944, near Piombino, Italy. During an attack on the key position of an enemy defense line, Sergeant Urabe crawled twenty-five yards through sparse undergrowth to reach a position in front of an enemy machine gun. Timing his movements between the burst of fire from the gun, Sergeant Urabe suddenly stood up and fired a rifle grenade into the nest, killing machine gunner and destroying the gun. When the other two members of the gun crew started to run, Sergeant Urabe killed both of them with his M-1 rifle. When another machine gunfire upon him, Sergeant Urabe fired another grenade and knocked out the second gun. Sergeant Urabe was affixing another grenade to his launcher to be prepared for further action when he was killed by a sniper’s bullet. Sergeant Urabe’s courage and skill reflects great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.