Medal of Honor: Edward N. Kaneshiro – Vietnam War – December 1, 1966

Name: Edward N. Kaneshiro

Rank: Staff Sergeant

Branch: U.S. Army

War: Vietnam War

Unit: Troop C, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division

Date of Action: December 1, 1966

Location: Near Phu Huu 2, Kim Son Valley, Republic of Vietnam

Summary of Action

By late 1966, the Kim Son Valley had become one of the most dangerous operating areas for the 1st Cavalry Division. Dense jungle, concealed enemy positions, and well-prepared North Vietnamese defenses made every reconnaissance mission a gamble.

On December 1, Troop C, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry was conducting operations near the village of Phu Huu 2. Unknown to the Americans, the village had been transformed into a fortified North Vietnamese stronghold. Hidden beneath the terrain was an elaborate network of bunkers and interconnected trenches manned by a numerically superior enemy force waiting in ambush.

Two infantry squads moved into the center of the village while Staff Sergeant Edward N. Kaneshiro led his squad through more open terrain on the eastern side.

The North Vietnamese patiently waited for the Americans to move into position before unleashing devastating machine gun and small-arms fire.

The initial burst killed the platoon leader and the point man almost immediately. Four additional soldiers were wounded, and the surviving Americans were pinned down in the open by enemy fire from concealed bunkers and trench positions.

Hearing the sudden eruption of gunfire, Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro immediately moved his squad toward the embattled soldiers.

Quickly assessing the situation, he realized that unless the enemy machine gun position was destroyed, the trapped squads would not survive.

Without hesitation, he ordered his own men into covered positions before beginning a one-man assault against the North Vietnamese trench system.

Crawling forward alone under enemy fire, Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro reached the parapet of the trench line and began throwing hand grenades into the bunkers. His very first grenade passed directly through the firing aperture of the enemy machine gun bunker, killing the gunner responsible for pinning down the American squads.

With five grenades remaining and carrying only his rifle, Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro made a decision that would save the lives of his fellow soldiers.

He jumped directly into the enemy trench.

For approximately thirty-five meters, he fought his way through the trench line completely alone. Moving from position to position, he engaged enemy soldiers at close range with rifle fire and grenades. One enemy group was destroyed with accurate rifle fire while two additional groups were eliminated by hand grenades.

By the time Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro reached the end of the trench system, the North Vietnamese ambush had been shattered.

The surviving American soldiers, who moments earlier had been pinned helplessly under enemy fire, were now able to stand, recover their wounded and dead, and reorganize their position.

His single-handed assault provided the time and opportunity necessary for the platoon to conduct an orderly withdrawal from the village rather than suffer catastrophic losses.

Staff Sergeant Edward N. Kaneshiro's actions that day demonstrated extraordinary courage and battlefield leadership. Armed with only six grenades and his rifle, he deliberately charged a fortified enemy trench system occupied by a superior force and personally destroyed the positions threatening his comrades.

Originally recognized with the Distinguished Service Cross, his heroism was finally upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 2021, more than fifty-four years after the battle.

His actions remain one of the most remarkable examples of individual valor during the Vietnam War—a lone soldier charging into an enemy trench to save the lives of his fellow Americans.

Medal of Honor Citation

EDWARD N. KANESHIRO

Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, United States Army.

Unit: Troop C, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division.

Place and date: Near Phu Huu 2, Kim Son Valley, Republic of Vietnam, December 1, 1966.

Citation:

Staff Sergeant Edward N. Kaneshiro distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an Infantry Squad Leader with Troop C, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division near Phu Huu 2, Kim Son Valley, Republic of Vietnam, on 1 December 1966.

Not knowing that the village was heavily fortified with a fully bunkered and concealed trench system and garrisoned by North Vietnamese troops in vastly superior force, two squads of the platoon had deployed to its center, while Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro and his squad scouted the more open terrain to the east of the village.

Sensing the opportunity to ambush the Infantry squads, the entrenched enemy force erupted with machine gun and small arms fire against the two squads at the center of the village, killing the platoon leader and the point man, wounding four others, then successfully suppressing the surviving soldiers.

Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro moved with his men to the sounds of the fire. Swiftly reading the situation, seeing that the fire from the trench had to be stopped if anyone was to survive, he first deployed his men to cover, then crawled forward to attack the enemy force alone.

He began by throwing grenades from the parapet while flattened to the ground, successfully throwing the first grenade through the aperture of the bunker, eliminating the machine gunner who had opened the action.

With five grenades remaining and his rifle to sustain his assault, Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro jumped into the trench to sweep its length where it fronted the two pinned squads. Over the distance of about 35 meters, he worked the ditch alone, destroying one enemy group with rifle fire and two others with grenades.

By the end of his sweep, the able-bodied survivors of the two squads were again standing and preparing to move the dead and wounded. Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro's actions enabled the orderly extrication and reorganization of the platoon which ultimately led to a successful withdrawal from the village.

Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro's conspicuous gallantry and uncommon heroism under fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.