James J. Kawamura
Home Town: Hawaii
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 89 (October 1, 1950) | General Orders No. 89 (October 1, 1950)
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to James J. Kawamura (RA29040786), Private First Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Company E, 2d Battalion, 5th Regimental Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. Private First Class Kawamura distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces near Chindong-ni, Korea, on 7 August 1950. On that date, a force of some forty well-armed enemy penetrated the area of the platoon of which he was a member and the order was given to withdraw to a more defensible position. However, Private Kawamura, armed with an automatic rifle, remained in place firing into the onrushing enemy. As they dispersed in the face of the withering fire, he shouted to them in Japanese and fired when they revealed their positions by answering. By his gallant stand, he inflicted at least twenty-five casualties on the fanatic forces, causing them to withdraw in such haste that they abandoned a machine-gun, and permitted his platoon to reoccupy the hill.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 89 (October 1, 1950)
