Ken Harbaugh tells the stories of service members who have distinguished themselves through an act of valor. These stories feature recipients from the Civil War to present day, including a few who were originally overlooked for the medal.
A member of the all-Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Technical Sgt. Tanouye led his men through enemy machine gun and small arms fire to seize the vital Hill 140. Tanouye securing Hill 140 on the German main line of resistance allowed the Allies to advance. Tanouye was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2000.
Welcome to the Medal of Honor podcast, brought to you in partnership with the National Medal of Honor Museum. I’m Ken Harbaugh. In each episode, we’ll learn about a different service member who has distinguished him or herself through an act of valor.
Technical Sergeant Ted “Tak” Tanouye was born on November 14th, 1919 in Torrance California. His parents were Japanese immigrants and worked as farmers. He was the eldest of six children and graduated from Torrance High School. Tanouye played varsity baseball and football, and practiced kendo, a martial art.
After graduating, Tanouye worked at a grocery store, before opening his own in 1941 at 21 years old. Four months later, he registered for the draft.
On February 20th, 1942, Tanouye enlisted in the U.S. Army along with his best friend Akira Shimatsu. The day before, Executive Order 9066 was issued, which authorized the internment of all Japanese Americans on the west coast, including Tanouye’s family. Tanouye’s father, Nikuma, was arrested on baseless charges, and detained for two months, while the rest of the family was interned in Jerome, Arkansas.
In the Army, Tanouye was assigned to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, known by the motto “Go for Broke”, which was composed almost entirely of second-generation Japanese Americans. He initially served as a cook.
In 1944, Tanouye and the 442nd deployed to Italy to bolster the Allies’ Italian Campaign. On July 7th, of that year, Technical Sergeant Tanouye and his company were tasked with seizing an entrenched German position on Hill 140, held by an enemy battalion. The fight for Hill 140 had already bogged down the 34th Infantry Division, and destroyed two companies from the 442nd. Leading his platoon to seize the crest, Tanouye spotted an enemy machine gun emplacement, killing three and causing the rest of the crew to abandon their position. The enemy engaged him with small arms fire and grenades at close range, and Tanouye killed three more despite several shrapnel wounds to his left arm. He then killed a German soldier who had pinned down his men with machine pistol fire, then neutralized another enemy machine gun crew and machine pistol nest. Refusing treatment for his wounds, Tanouye organized the defense of the objective before finally being medically evacuated. Nine days later, his best friend, Staff Sergeant Shimatsu, was killed while carrying wounded off the battlefield.
Two months later on September 1st, Tanouye, his company, and a group of Italian partisans were clearing a minefield. When Tanouye was inspecting one of the mines, a soldier accidentally hit the tripwire, severely injuring Tanouye. As he was carried off in a litter, Tanouye yelled “Go for Broke” to his men. On September 6th, he succumbed to his wounds in a hospital.
On June 21st, 2000, Tanouye was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Hill 140. One of his younger brothers, Isao, accepted the award at Hill 140 on his behalf. Tanouye’s other awards include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster, and the World War II Victory Medal. He was also posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010.
Tanouye and Shimatsu were originally buried in Italy, but in 1948, were reinterred next to one another in a joint funeral in Los Angeles.
The Medal of Honor Podcast is a production of Evergreen Podcasts.
Nathan Corson is our producer and engineer, León Pescador is our script writer, Declan Rohrs is our script editor and recording engineer, and I’m Ken Harbaugh.
We are proud to support the National Medal of Honor Museum. To learn more, and to support their mission, got to mohmuseum.org. Thanks for listening.
