Letter tribute to an American Hero - nicely nuanced

An echo tribute published in The Dallas Morning News. 

An overdue recognition with a patriotic and sensitive point of view.

Another hero among us- from Dallas

This letter to the editor was written in response to "An American hero may be next door — Or at the service station, like Hiroshi 'Hershey' Miyamura,", a report by Mike Tharp

LETTER- In February 1955, I returned to Gallup, New Mexico, after two years of military duty in Japan. 

I returned to my job with the federal government. One day, I met Eddie Shibata, owner of Tom's Variety Store, in downtown Gallup and a Japanese American. For several years, I stopped at least once a week to buy a newspaper or magazine. We became good friends.

I learned that Shibata had fought in Italy with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. I continually asked him about his exploits. I asked him how rough it was. He replied "a lot especially when we had to knock out the German pillboxes on top of mountains. They rained bullets down on us. We lost many soldiers."

I asked him why he joined the Army and he replied, "because it was my duty as an American." He said he joined in early 1942 right after Pearl Harbor was bombed. Shibata seemed to be more interested in my stories of Japan where I had made many Japanese friends. His wife Keiko told me that Shibata was wounded but returned to duty after healing. She added sometimes he had bad dreams.

Several others of Japanese descent from Gallup were also in the Army. It's also the home of Hiroshi "Hershey" Miyamura, a Medal of Honor winner.

Carlos J. Romero, Dallas