Edward N. Kaneshiro

  Photograph taken by Clayton Morris. SSG Edward N. Kaneshiro after receiving the Silver Star, 1966.

***On July 5, 2022, President Biden will present Edward N. Kaneshiro the Medal of Honor to replace the On July 5, 2022, Edward was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor to replace the Distinguished Service Cross.

Citation: The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Edward Noboru Kaneshiro (RA10113707), Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Troop C, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 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, at the cost of his life, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. Department of the Army, General Orders No. 46 (October 26, 1967) Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii.

SSG Edward Noboru Kaneshiro was from Honolulu, Hawaii. He was assigned to Charlie Troop 1/9th Cavalry on July 18,1966. SSG Kaneshiro was Killed In Action on March 6, 1967.

Prior to the Awarding of the Medal of Honor, SSG Kaneshiro earned the:

Silver Star

Purple Heart

Combat Infantryman’s Badge

National Defense Service Medal

Vietnam Campaign Medal

Vietnam Service Medal

Vietnam Cross of Gallantry

Army Good Conduct Medal.

If any family member or friend reads this blog, please contact me as I am looking for pictures and personal stories about this brave man.