Names on things

Every day of the week, drivers on the San Diego Freeway (I-405) transition to the Glenn Anderson Freeway (I-105) and vice versa.  Tens of thousands daily.  Glenn Anderson was the politician who backed the building of the I-105 and the official name of the freeway is his.  It is commonly known as the Century Freeway.

The specific interchange where the I-105 and the I-405 meet is clearly labeled in all four directions as being the Sadao Munemori Memorial Interchange.  It mentions he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service during World War II.  The other day I was passing through another local freeway interchange named after a Medal of Honor recipient and that got me curious.  I looked up the award citations for both of these heroes, Sadao Munemori and Eugene Obregon.  Here is the citation for PFC Munemori:

He fought with great gallantry and intrepidity near Seravezza, Italy. When his unit was pinned down by grazing fire from the enemy's strong mountain defense and command of the squad devolved on him with the wounding of its regular leader, he made frontal, one-man attacks through direct fire and knocked out two machine guns with grenades. Withdrawing under murderous fire and showers of grenades from other enemy emplacements, he had nearly reached a shell crater occupied by two of his men when an unexploded grenade bounced on his helmet and rolled toward his helpless comrades. He arose into the withering fire, dived for the missile and smothered its blast with his body. By his swift, supremely heroic action Pfc. Munemori saved two of his men at the cost of his own life and did much to clear the path for his company's victorious advance.

What makes PFC Munemori's award groundbreaking is that it was the only Medal of Honor presented to a Japanese-American soldier during or immediately after World War II.  The prejudice against the Japanese-Americans was so great, in spite of the bravery and heroism of those who fought in the famous 442nd Regimental Combat Team.  Aside from PFC Munemori, 20 other Japanese-Americans who fought in the 442nd were Medal of Honor recipients.  They include the late U. S. Senator Daniel Inoyue. 

Here is the citation for PFC Obregon:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company G, Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division (Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces at Seoul, Korea, on September 26, 1950. While serving as an ammunition carrier of a machine gun squad in a Marine Rifle Company which was temporarily pinned down by hostile fire, Private First Class Obregon observed a fellow Marine fall wounded in the line of fire. Armed only with a pistol, he unhesitatingly dashed from his covered position to the side of the casualty. Firing his pistol with one hand as he ran, he grasped his comrade by the arm with his other hand and, despite the great peril to himself, dragged him to the side of the road. Still under enemy fire, he was bandaging the man's wounds when hostile troops of approximately platoon strength began advancing toward his position. Quickly seizing the wounded Marine's carbine, he placed his own body as a shield in front of him and lay there firing accurately and effectively into the hostile group until he himself was fatally wounded by enemy machine-gun fire. By his courageous fighting spirit, fortitude and loyal devotion to duty, Private First Class Obregon enabled his fellow Marines to rescue the wounded man and aided essentially in repelling the attack, thereby sustaining the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.  He gallantly gave his life for his country.

PFC Obregon was of Mexican-American descent.  He and PFC Munemori were both born here, children of immigrants.  When I hear Donald Trump, Ben Carson and others engaging in bigotry, I think of how poor our nation would be if they'd been in charge 100 years ago, when we encouraged people to come here.