CITIZEN TANOUYE
Ted Tanouye Biography
(Pronounced Tah-know-oo-eh)
Ted Takayuki Tanouye was born November 14, 1919, in Torrance, CA, the
eldest of six children. Graduating from Torrance High in 1938, he was a popular
student who excelled in academics and athletics, lettering all four years in
baseball and football, and was a member of the Honor Roll, Varsity Club, Future
Farmers of America, Japanese Club, and Key Club.
After graduating from Torrance High in 1938, “Tak”, as his friends knew him,
began working in the produce section of a local grocery store (He first worked at
Ideal Ranch Market with Ray Takayama then went to work for Ray when he
opened Ray’s Friendly Market in March, 1940). It was there, on the morning of
December 7, 1941, that he learned of the air raid on Pearl Harbor. Tak, like all
Americans, reacted angrily to the surprise attack. The United States was at war,
and America would never be the same.
For Japanese Americans, however, the changes would be more dramatic and
more immediate. Calls for restrictions on Japanese Americans, fueled by longheld prejudice and unfounded suspicion about their loyalty, led to federal action.
On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order
9066, which authorized the military to designate areas “from which any or all
persons may be excluded.” As a result, the military ordered more than 110,000
Japanese Americans on the West Coast to leave their homes and relocate to
remote areas of the country, where they were incarcerated in concentration
camps.
Tak was never incarcerated because on February 20, 1942, he was inducted into
the U.S. Army. From Fort MacArthur in San Pedro to Arkansas, Wyoming and
Mississippi, he so excelled during his training, rising in rank from Private to
Technical Sergeant, that he qualified for officer training—only to be rejected, he
felt, because of his heritage. During this period, Tak’s parents and siblings were
incarcerated in Jerome, Arkansas.
In 1943 Tak joined the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit comprised almost
entirely of Japanese Americans (most of the officers were not of Japanese
descent). The “Go For Broke Regiment,” as the 442 nd was known, along with its
predecessor the 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate) went on to become the most
decorated unit—for its size and length of service—in U.S. military history. 2nd
Platoon Sergeant Tanouye, of Company K, shipped out for Europe in 1944.
The 442nd was sent to western Italy, to aid the Allies’ advance up the coast north
to Rome. On July 7, 1944—just his third day on the front line—Tak charged
through heavy fire and grenade explosions to destroy numerous machine gun
and machine pistol nests, despite suffering a debilitating wound to his left arm.
56-years later, by a special act of Congress, these heroic actions on Hill 140,
would earn him the Medal of Honor, America’s highest military award.
On September 1, 1944, Tak was wounded again, near the Arno River in Italy.
Five days later, he died. His parents learned of his death from behind barbed
wire fences in Rohwer, Arkansas where they remained until the final days of the
war.
Ted Tanouye is the only Medal of Honor recipient from Torrance. The Tanouye
family story is a remarkable example of the bravery and perseverance of those
Japanese Americans who were forced from their homes yet served their country
with honor and distinction. Their sacrifice did not end there: Their youngest son,
Yukiwo, was killed in action during the Korean War on September 7, 1951—
seven years and one day after Ted’s death. Isao Tanouye accompanied his
younger brother home, and then returned to the frontline in Korea.
“You fought not only the enemy, but you fought prejudice—and you won. Keep
up that fight, and we will continue to win to make this great republic stand for
what the Constitution says it stands for—the welfare of all of the people all of the
time.” —President Harry S. Truman, at a 1946 White House ceremony honoring
the 442nd Regimental Combat Team
“Their motto was ‘Go for Broke!’ They risked it all to win it all. They risked their
lives above and beyond the call of duty and in doing so they did more than
defend America. In the face of painful prejudice, they helped to define America at
its best.” — President William J. Clinton, at the 2000 ceremony honoring 22
WWII-era Asian American soldiers who finally received their Medals of Honor
TED TANOUYE
MEDAL of HONOR CITATION
Technical Sergeant Ted T. Tanouye distinguished himself by extraordinary
heroism in action on 7 July 1944, near Molino A Ventoabbto, Italy. Technical
Sergeant Tanouye led his platoon in an attack to capture the crest of a
strategically important hill that afforded little cover. Observing an enemy machine
gun crew placing its gun in position to his left front, Technical Sergeant Tanouye
crept forward a few yards and opened fire on the position, killing or wounding
three and causing two others to disperse. Immediately, an enemy machine pistol
opened fire on him. He returned the fire and killed or wounded three more enemy
soldiers. While advancing forward, Technical Sergeant Tanouye was subjected
to grenade bursts, which severely wounded his left arm. Sighting an enemy-held
trench, he raked the position with fire from his submachine gun and wounded
several of the enemy. Running out of ammunition, he crawled 20 yards to obtain
several clips from a comrade on his left flank. Next, sighting an enemy machine
pistol that had pinned down his men, Technical Sergeant Tanouye crawled
forward a few yards and threw a hand grenade into the position, silencing the
pistol. He then located another enemy machine gun firing down the slope of the
hill, opened fire on it, and silenced that position. Drawing fire from a machine
pistol nest located above him, he opened fire on it and wounded three of its
occupants. Finally taking his objective, Technical Sergeant Tanouye organized a
defensive position on the reverse slope of the hill before accepting first aid
treatment and evacuation. Technical Sergeant Tanouye’s extraordinary heroism
and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service
and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.