Edward Noboru Kaneshiro
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army

On 1 December 1966, Staff Sergeant Edward Noboru Kaneshiro was serving with Company C, 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, in South Vietnam.

On that day, SSG Kaneshiro was a squad leader in an Infantry Platoon during a search and destroy mission at Phu Huu 2, Kimson Valley, Republic of Vietnam. Not knowing that the Village was heavily fortified and garrisoned by North Vietnamese troops in vastly superior force, 2 squads of the platoon had deployed to its center, while SSG Kaneshiro and his squad scouted the more open terrain eastward. A fully-bunkered and concealed trench system ran the length of the village on the west side. From that site, machinegun and rifle fire hit the 2 squads at center, killing the platoon leader, the point man, wounding four others, then flattening and immobilizing the survivors. SSG Kaneshiro moved with his men to the sounds of the fire. Seeing that the fire from the big trench had to be stopped if anyone was to survive, SSG Kaneshiro first deployed his men to cover, then crawled forward to attack it alone. While prone, he began tossing grenades from the parapet and his first round entered the aperture of the bunker, killing the gunner. With 5 grenades and his M-16 to sustain his assault, SSG Kaneshiro jumped into the trench to sweep its length, where it fronted the two pinned-down squads. Over the distance of about 35 meters, he worked the ditch alone, destroying 1 enemy group with M-16 fire and 2 others with grenades. By the end of his sweep, the able-bodied survivors of the 2 squads were standing and preparing to move the dead and wounded. SSG Kaneshiro's assault enabled the orderly extrication and reorganization of the platoon that was the beginning of a larger action that was successful for his unit. SSG Kaneshiro's extraordinary heroism earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross. On July 5, 2022, Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro's Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in a ceremony at the White House.

On 6 March 1967, SSG Kaneshiro was killed in action in a firefight against enemy forces.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Medal of Honor
Silver Star Medal
Purple Heart
Army Good Conduct Medal with Bronze Knot
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge

Distinguished Service Cross Citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Staff Sergeant Edward Noboru Kaneshiro (ASN: RA-10113707), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company C, 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 1 December 1966 while serving as a squad leader in an Infantry Platoon during a search and destroy mission at Phu Huu 2, Kimson Valley, Republic of Vietnam. Not knowing that the Village was heavily fortified and garrisoned by North Vietnamese troops in vastly superior force, two squads of the platoon had deployed to its center, while Sergeant Kaneshiro and squad scouted the more open terrain eastward. A fully bunkered and wholly concealed trench system ran the length of the village on the west side. From that source, machinegun and rifle fire suddenly came against the two squads at center, killing the platoon leader, the point man, wounding four others, then flattening and immobilizing the survivors. Sergeant Kaneshiro moved with his men to the sounds of the fire. Swiftly reading the situation, seeing the fire from the big trench had to be stopped if anyone was to survive, Sergeant Kaneshiro first deployed his men to cover, then crawled forward to attack it alone. He began by grenading from the parapet, while flattened, and his first round, entering the aperture of the bunker, silenced the machinegun and killed the gunner that had opened action. That done, with five grenades and his M-16 to sustain his assault, 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 M-16 fire and two others with grenade fires. 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. Sergeant Kaneshiro's assault enabled the orderly extrication and reorganization of the platoon which was the beginning of a larger action, and final success for the arms of the United States. Sergeant Kaneshiro's conspicuous gallantry and uncommon heroism under fire are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

General Orders: Department of the Army, General Orders No. 46 (October 26, 1967)

Honors

The name Edward N Kaneshiro is located on Panel 16E Line 28 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Burial

Staff Sergeant Edward Noboru Kaneshiro is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Honolulu County, HI, in Plot: W, 262.

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