Medal of Honor Robert T. Kuroda - WWII

Kuroda’s unit entered combat in Italy in June 1944 and fought through the Rome-Arno Campaign. After months of intense fighting, the regiment was transferred to southern France in September 1944 and sent into the Vosges Mountains.

In October 1944, the 442nd was engaged in the brutal battle for Bruyères, where German forces held strong defensive positions in heavily forested terrain. On October 20, Staff Sergeant Kuroda was leading his men during an advance when they came under heavy machine-gun and sniper fire.

Kuroda moved forward alone to locate the enemy position. Once he identified the machine gun, he advanced to close range and attacked with grenades, killing several enemy soldiers. He then used his rifle to continue the assault, inflicting additional casualties until he ran out of ammunition.

Seeing an American officer killed by another enemy position, Kuroda took the officer’s submachine gun and continued the attack. He advanced through ongoing fire and destroyed the second machine-gun emplacement.

As he turned to engage additional enemy forces, Kuroda was struck and killed by a sniper. He was twenty-one years old.

For his actions, he was initially awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. In 2000, after a review of Asian American service records, his award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. His brother Ronald, a fellow 442nd veteran, received the medal on his behalf at a White House ceremony.

Kuroda is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. His legacy is also honored through Kuroda Field at Fort DeRussy and the USAV SSGT Robert T. Kuroda (LSV-7), a U.S. Army vessel named in his memory.

Staff Sergeant Robert T. Kuroda is remembered for extraordinary courage, leadership, and sacrifice in the Vosges Mountains, where he gave his life in service to his fellow soldiers and his country.   

Medal of Honor Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Staff Sergeant Robert T. Kuroda distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 20 October 1944, near Bruyeres, France. Leading his men in an advance to destroy snipers and machine gun nests, Staff Sergeant Kuroda encounted heavy fire from enemy soldiers occupying a heavily wooded slope. Unable to pinpoint the hostile machine gun, he boldly made his way through heavy fire to the crest of the ridge. Once he located the machine gun Staff Sergeant Kuroda advanced to a point within ten yards of the nest and killed three enemy gunners with grenades. He then fired clip after clip of rifle ammuntion, killing or wounding at least three of the enemy. As he expended the last of his ammuntion, he observed that an American officer had been struck by a burst of fire from a hostile machine gun located on an adjacent hill. Rushing to the officer's assistance, he found that the officer had been killed. Picking up the officer's submachine gun, Staff Sergeant Kuroda advanced through continuous fire toward a second machine gun emplacement and destroyed the position. As he turned to fire upon additional enemy soldiers, he was killed by a sniper. Staff Sergeant Kuroda's courageous actions and indomitable fighting spirit ensured the destruction of enemy resistance in the sector. Staff Sergeant Kuroda's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions ofmilitary service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.