|
 Not
a lot of people can maintain composure when the aircraft they’re in
starts to lose control. But that’s something this Medal of Honor
recipient did, despite being severely wounded while it was
happening.
Rodney Yano was born on the Big Island of Hawaii
nearly two years to the day after the U.S. entered World War II. His
grandparents had emigrated to the U.S. from Japan well before that.
According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, he’s one
of 33 Asian-Americans to receive the Medal of Honor.
Yano
joined the Army in 1961 before graduating from high school. He rose
to the rank of staff sergeant and was on his second tour of Vietnam
when he became an air crewman with the 11th Air Cavalry Regiment.
On Jan. 1, 1969, Yano was the acting crew chief and one
of two door gunners on his company’s command-and-control
helicopter as it fought an enemy entrenched in the dense
Vietnamese jungle near Bien Hao.
The chopper was
taking direct fire from below, but Yano managed to use his
machine gun to suppress the enemy’s assault. He was also
able to toss grenades that emitted white phosphorous smoke
at their positions so his troop commander could accurately
fire artillery at their entrenchments.
Unfortunately, one of those grenades exploded too early, covering
Yano in the burning chemical and causing severe burns. Fragments of
the grenade also caught supplies in the helicopter on fire,
including ammunition, which detonated. White smoke filled the
chopper, and the pilots weren’t able to see to maintain control of
the aircraft. The situation wasn’t looking good.
But Yano
wasn’t ready to go down with the ship, as they say. The initial
grenade explosion partially blinded him and left him with the use of
only one arm, but he jumped into action anyway, kicking and throwing
the blazing ammunition from the helicopter until the flaming pieces
were gone and the smoke filtered out.
One man
on the helicopter was killed, and Yano didn’t survive his many
injuries. But his courage and concern for his comrades’ survival
kept the chopper from going down, averting more loss of life.
For that, Yano was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant
first class. On April 7, 1970, his parents received the Medal of
Honor for his actions from President Richard Nixon.
In his
honor, the cargo carrier USNS Yano was named for him, as well as a
helicopter maintenance facility at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and a
library at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
By Katie Lange
D0D News
Copyright 2017
Rodney Yano's Medal
of Honor Citation |
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