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Oak Cluster Medal "The Bronze Star Medal is awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement or service, with Oak Leaf Clusters added to recognize subsequent achievements by the same person. About 4,000 Bronze Stars and 1,200 Oak Leaf Clusters were awarded the soldiers of the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team. ""JACK K. WAKAMATSU, First Sergeant, Inf., Company ""F"", 442d Regimental Combat Team, for heroic achievement on 26 June 1944 in Italy. During his company's movement to better defensive positions, Sergeant Wakamatsu directed by radio the withdrawal of three platoons and several litter cases. After repeated efforts to contact several missing elements had failed, Sergeant Wakamatsu, exposing himself to enemy observation on a high knoll which afforded good radio transmission, finally succeeded in contacting them. He then directed their rearward movement, despite concentrated sniper fire, until they safely reached the company lines."" ""JACK K. WAKAMATSU, First Sergeant, Inf., Company ""F"", 442d Regimental Combat Team, for heroic achievement on 20 October 1944 in the vicinity of Bruyeres, France. Arriving upon the scene of a sudden enemy machine gun attack upon a ration carrying party, Sergeant Wakamatsu ordered his four companions to cover him while he crawled to a tree in the vicinity. From this position he engaged the enemy machine gun with rifle grenades. Though wounded in the hand by counterfire he continued to launch grenades at the machine gun until it was abandoned. He then advanced upon the position and from that point continued to harass the retreating enemy until the wounded members of the ration carrying party were evacuated.""" Metal. L 0.9, W 0.5 cm Manzanar National Historic Site, MANZ 5187 |