| Rodney J. T. Yano | |
|---|---|
| Rodney Yano |
|
| Born | December 13, 1943 Kealakekua Kona, Hawaii |
| Died | January 1, 1969 (aged 25) near Bien Hao, Republic of Vietnam |
| Place of burial | National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Rank | Sergeant First Class |
| Unit | 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Rodney Jamus Takahashi Yano (December 13, 1943 – January 1, 1969) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.
Contents |
Yano joined the Army from Honolulu, Hawaii, and by January 1, 1969 was serving as a Sergeant First Class in the Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. On that day, near Bien Hoa in the Republic of Vietnam, Yano was acting as a helicopter crewmember when a white phosphorus grenade exploded inside the aircraft. Despite being mortally wounded in the blast, Yano proceeded to throw the remaining ammunition off the helicopter, as flaming fragments of the grenade were causing it to detonate.
Yano, aged 25 at his death, was buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Yano Fitness Center at Camp Zama, Japan is named in his honor.
Sergeant First Class Yano's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
Sfc. Yano distinguished himself while serving with the Air Cavalry Troop. Sfc. Yano was performing the duties of crew chief aboard the troop's command-and-control helicopter during action against enemy forces entrenched in dense jungle. From an exposed position in the face of intense small arms and antiaircraft fire he delivered suppressive fire upon the enemy forces and marked their positions with smoke and white phosphorus grenades, thus enabling his troop commander to direct accurate and effective artillery fire against the hostile emplacements. A grenade, exploding prematurely, covered him with burning phosphorus, and left him severely wounded. Flaming fragments within the helicopter caused supplies and ammunition to detonate. Dense white smoke filled the aircraft, obscuring the pilot's vision and causing him to lose control. Although having the use of only 1 arm and being partially blinded by the initial explosion, Sfc. Yano completely disregarded his welfare and began hurling blazing ammunition from the helicopter. In so doing he inflicted additional wounds upon himself, yet he persisted until the danger was past. Sfc. Yano's indomitable courage and profound concern for his comrades averted loss of life and additional injury to the rest of the crew. By his conspicuous gallantry at the cost of his life, in the highest traditions of the military service, Sfc. Yano has reflected great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.