Akio Nishikawa

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Silver Star Medal (Posthumously) to Akio Nishikawa (30104867), Private, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as a Medical Aidman with the 442d Infantry Regiment, attached to the 34th Infantry Division, on 11 July 1944 in the vicinity of Pgio Casale, Italy. When one of his comrades was wounded on the forward slope of a bald hill, Private Nishikawa ran for a distance of a hundred yards through concentrated 88-mm. artillery and mortar shellings to render first aid. Although advised by others in the platoon to wait until the enemy ceased shelling, he paid no heed to their warnings and proceeded to rescue the man with the words “Gotta go!” Finally reaching the wounded man, he proceeded to administer first-aid. It was while so engaged that he was mortally wounded by a shell fragment from an 88-mm. shell. The outstanding devotion to his comrades and his gallantry in the face of enemy fire has won for him the profound admiration and respect of the men of his company.