FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii (Feb. 14, 2011) -- Medal of Honor recipient Pvt. Barney Hajiro was buried Feb. 14 in a service at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl), Honolulu.
Lt. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, U.S. Army Pacific commander, and about 100 others attended the burial service.
Hajiro passed away Jan. 21, at the age of 94. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient.
He was raised in Hawaii and drafted into the Army after the Pearl Harbor bombing. He volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which was composed of second generation Japanese-Americans.
Originally awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for actions in World War II, his service record was reviewed in the 1990s and upgraded to the Medal of Honor. President Bill Clinton presented the medal to Hajiro on June 21, 2000.
Social Sharing