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Technical Sergeant Ted Tanouye Memorial
Honoring Medal of Honor Receipent (posthumous) 2000
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Location: Torrance High School, Torrance CA
Dedicated: July 7, 2004
Masonry Supplier: Sepulveda Building Materials
Architect: Dirk Ryke
General and Masonry Contractor: Mitch Merrell, Redondo Beach CA
Stone: Rocky Mountain Honey Ledge
Landscaping: Guy Poulin & Family
Plaque Designer: Greg George, Kemp Monument Company
Ted T. Tanouye - Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army
Born: November 14, 1919 at Torrance, CA
Torrance High School Class of 1938
Entered Service: Fort MacArthur, CA
Date/Place of Action: July 7, 1944 - Molina A. Ventoabbto, Italy
Unit: Company K, 442d Infantry
Presentation: Presented To His Family At the White House By President William J. Clinton on June 21, 2000
Date of Death: September 6, 1944
On June 21, 2000, President Bill Clinton upgraded twenty-two World War II Asian American heroes' decorations to the Medal of Honor. President William J. Clinton presented the Medal of Honor to Technical Sergeant Tanouye's family at the White House. Upon discovering that among these heroes was a Torrance High School Alumni, the high school's Alumni Association took it upon itself to honor this valiant son, Ted Tanouye. With the formation of the Ted Tanouye Memorial Foundation, a private non-profit organization, in 2003 the effort grew to a community project raising thousands of dollars needed to construct the Memorial that is located at Torrance High School.
Technical Sergeant Tanouye distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on July 7, 1944, near Molino A Ventoabbto, Italy, while serving with the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team. During this period, Tanouye's parents and siblings were incarcerated in concentration camps in Arkansas. Sgt. Tanouye led his platoon in an attack to capture the crest of a strategically important hill that afforded little cover. Observing an enemy machine gun crew placing its gun in position to his left front, Technical Sgt. Tanouye crept forward a few yards and opened fire on the position, killing or wounding three and causing two others to disperse. Immediately, an enemy machine pistol opened fire on him. He returned the fire and killed or wounded three more enemy soldiers. While advancing forward, Technical Sgt. Tanouye was subjected to grenade bursts, which severely wounded his left arm. Sighting an enemy-held trench, he raked the position with fire from his submachine gun and wounded several of the enemy. Running out of ammunition, he crawled 20 yards to obtain several clips form a comrade on his left flank. Sighting an enemy machine pistol that had pinned down his men, Tanouye crawled forward a few yards and threw a hand grenade into the position, silencing the pistol. He then located another enemy machine gun firing down the slope of the hill, opened fire, and silenced that position. Drawing fire from a machine pistol nest located above him, he opened fire on it and wounded three of its occupants. Finally taking his objective, Tanouye organized a defensive position on the reverse slope of the hill before accepting first aid treatment and evacuation.
Technical Sergeant Tanouye's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.
On September 1, 1944, Tanouye was wounded near the Arno River in Italy. Five days later, he died. His family learned of his death behind the barbed wire fences of the camp.
The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest award for military valor.
On July 7, 2004 the Memorial was dedicated on the 60th anniversary of Technical Sergeant Tanouye's heroic actions. The Memorial serves as a tribute not only to Tanouye, but also to all of our military personnel, both past and present, who hold high our country's torch of freedom.
The Memorial project's second and third phases are to include the documentary "Citizen Tanouye", the distribution of education materials to local high schools and the community; and the final phase is the expansion of the memorial to include Tanouye's image, biographical information and the history of his role in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
The Memorial Foundation welcomes individual and corporate donations to complete this phase.
TTMF
22426 Palos Verdes Boulevard
Torrance, CA 90505
The Ted Tanouye Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Checks may be made out to “TTMF.”
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