Isawo Tabata

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Isawo Tabata (37356137), Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving with Company M, 3d Battalion, 442d Regimental Combat Team, attached to the 36th Infantry Division, on 2 November 1944, in France. When the communications line between his mortar squad and the forward observation point was continually being disrupted by enemy artillery barrages, Sergeant Tabata, with utter disregard for his personal safety, voluntarily went out to repair the damages. During the course of a single day he made as many as six trips in order to keep the communication system intact. On one occasion, while repairing the wire during an enemy barrage, he was seriously wounded by a shell fragment. Knowing that his mortar squad would not be able to obtain accurate fire without the aid of the forward observer he valiantly completed repairing the line.