
Kaoru Moto was born April 25, 1917, in the sugar plantation town of Sprecklesville, Hawaii. A second-generation Japanese American, or Nisei, he was a field laborer after completing grade school. Private First Class Moto enlisted in the Army in March 1941 and served in the 100th Infantry, one of four segregated units. After World War II, Moto oversaw Maui Veterans Cemetery. In the 1990s, Congress authorized a re-examination of commendations received by minority servicemen and twenty-one Asian Americans who received the Distinguished Service Cross were belatedly awarded the Medal of Honor in 2000. Moto was among them, but he died August 26, 1992, and was recognized posthumously for his actions on July 7, 1944, near Castellina, Italy. 

 *The preceding content is not intended as a comprehensive biography, but it highlights their significance as a result of military or civilian distinction, lasting achievements, or association with impactful national events.


National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

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KAORU MOTO

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