
07/15/2025
U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Kazuo Otani of Visalia, California, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on July 15, 1944, near Pieve di Santa Luce, Italy.
Otani was born to Japanese immigrant parents and was a Nisei, which means he was a second-generation Japanese-American. His family was interned at the Gila River War Relocation Center in Arizona during World War II.
He joined the Army in February 1942 and volunteered to be a part of the all-Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team, mostly made up of Japanese-Americans from Hawaii and the mainland. On July 15, 1944, Otani was serving as a staff sergeant in Company G near Pieve di Santa Luce, Italy, when his platoon became pinned down by an enemy machine gun and snipers. After killing one sniper, he shouted directions to his platoon and repeatedly exposed himself to the hostile fire, creating a distraction that allowed some of his men to reach cover. He then crawled to a wounded soldier lying in an exposed position and began rendering medical aid but was killed by enemy fire in the process.
Otani posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 15, 1944. He was one of the 22 Asian American soldiers who received their medals in 2000. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. He is buried in Veterans Liberty Cemetery in Fresno, California.