Shizuya Hayashi, United States Army: Distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 29 November 1943, near Cerasulo, Italy. During a flank assault on high ground held by the enemy, Private Hayashi rose alone in the face of grenade, rifle, and machine gun fire. Firing his automatic rifle from the hip, he charged and overtook an enemy machine gun position, killing seven men in the nest and two more as they fled. After his platoon advanced 200 yards from this point, an enemy antiaircraft gun opened fire on the men. Private Hayashi returned fire at the hostile position, killing nine of the enemy, taking four prisoners, and forcing the remainder of the force to withdraw from the hill. Private Hayashi’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.

Six months after Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941, Hayashi, who was serving at the time in the 65th Engineers in Hawaii, was sent to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin where the 100th Battalion was formed with some 1,400 Japanese-American soldiers. In September, 1943 the unit landed in Salerno, Italy and during the next two months suffered such staggering losses that it earned the nickname “Purple Heart Battalion”. The day before the unit was scheduled to go into action at Anzio, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his action on 29 November which is noted in the above citation. On June 21, 2000 his DSC was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony presided over by President Bill Clinton.

Hayashi died in Hawaii on March 12, 2008 and is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery Of The Pacific. His Legion of Valor membership was sponsored by Pete Quick, DSC.