World War II Honoree

Haluto Moriguchi

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

San Francisco, California

Honored By

Katherine Baishiki

Relationship

Sister

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS. ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY, SERVICE NUMBER 39 929 903, AT FORT DOUGLAS, UTAH ON MAY 29, 1944. HE BEGAN BASIC TRAINING AT CAMP SHELBY, MISSISSIPPI JUNE 1944 DURING WHICH TIME HE WAS AWARDED THREE EXPERT MEDALS CARBINE, RIFLE AND BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLE (BAR). IN EARLY NOVEMBER 1944 HE WAS SENT OVERSEAS TO MENTON, FRANCE AS A REPLACEMENT IN THE 100TH BATTALION, 442ND REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM, COMPANY C WHERE THEY PATROLLED THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF FRANCE FOR GERMAN TROOPS FROM NORTHERN ITALY. HIS UNIT SHIPPED OUT TO ITALY LATE MARCH 1945. HE WAS A RUNNER FOR THE COMPANY COMMANDER LIEUTENANT WALTER JOHNSTON AND SERVED WITH COMPANY C HEADQUARTERS. IN THE PO VALLEY CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN ITALY, THE GOAL OF THE 100TH BATTALION, 442ND REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM WAS TO CRACK THE IMPREGNABLE GERMAN GOTHIC LINE: HILLS FLORIDA, GEORGIA, OHIO 1, 2, 3, MOUNT CERRETA, MOUNT FOLGORITO, MOUNT CARCHIO AND OTHERS NORTH. ON APRIL 3, THE 100TH BATTALION ASSEMBLED IN VALLECCHIA. THEN ON THE EVENING OF APRIL 4, THEY PARTIALLY RELIEVED THE 371ST INFANTRY ON FLORIDA HILL AND PREPARED FOR THEIR ATTACK ON GEORGIA HILL AT 0500 HOUR APRIL 5. IT WAS DURING THIS ATTACK ON GEORGIA HILL THAT HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION BY MORTAR FRAGMENTS ON APRIL 5, 1945 WHEN A MORTAR SHELL FELL BETWEEN LIEUTENANT JOHNSTON AND HIM. POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, DISTINGUISHED UNIT BADGE, THE AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDALS, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL AND THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL.