On this day, 81 years ago, on July 4, 1944, Private First Class Frank H. Ono, age 21, was serving with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, near Castellina Marittima, Italy. During an assault on a heavily defended enemy hill position, his platoon came under intense machine gun, mortar, and sniper fire. As the unit advanced, Ono moved forward through the fire and used his automatic rifle to neutralize a hostile machine gun 300 yards to the right front. He also located and eliminated a sniper threatening the advance.
While his squad leader was occupied reorganizing the platoon, Ono positioned himself in an exposed location and continued to fire on enemy forces advancing to outflank the American line. His weapon was eventually struck and disabled by enemy fire.
Unable to fire, Ono grabbed hand grenades and continued to fight, hurling the grenades to repel the enemy soldiers attempting to overrun his position. He then obtained a rifle from a wounded comrade and continued to resist the enemy, killing two additional soldiers.
Under heavy fire, he administered first aid to his wounded platoon leader and another soldier. When the platoon received the order to withdraw, Ono volunteered to cover their retreat.
He moved to a fully exposed position near the crest of the hill and engaged enemy positions with rifle fire. He remained behind as the rest of the platoon withdrew down the slope, drawing concentrated fire to himself.
He continued to fire on the enemy in short intervals, moving in stages down the hill, covering the withdrawal of his unit. He was the last man to leave the battlefield.
His actions throughout the engagement were instrumental in saving the lives of many men in his platoon and preventing the unit from being overrun by enemy forces.
Frank H. Ono was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His family received the medal in a White House ceremony on June 21, 2000. He died on May 6, 1980, at the age of 56 and is buried at Highland Cemetery in North Judson, Indiana.
On this day, 81 years ago—July 4, 1944—a young Japanese American soldier named Private First Class Frank H. Ono found himself locked in one of the most desperate battles of his life. Just 21 years old and serving with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, PFC Ono would distinguish himself in a way that generations would remember as an example of extraordinary heroism and self-sacrifice.
The 442nd: American Heroes Under a Cloud
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team, made up almost entirely of Nisei—second-generation Japanese Americans—fought not only against Nazi Germany but also against suspicion and prejudice back home. Many had families interned in camps across the United States even as they volunteered for front-line combat. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the 442nd would earn its place in history as the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in American military history.
The Hill at Castellina Marittima
On July 4, 1944, the 2nd Battalion found itself near Castellina Marittima, Italy, coming up against the steep, rocky slopes of a hill bristling with well-camouflaged German machine gun and sniper positions. The enemy held the heights, protected by tangled barbed wire, minefields, and pre-sighted mortar emplacements. The push to take the hill would be brutal, one fraught with terrible danger.
As the platoon advanced into the hailstorm of bullets and shrapnel, the reality of the battlefield became clear. Machine guns stitched the air, mortars sent their deadly cargo downward, and snipers waited for any exposed head or hand. Every inch of ground would be paid for in sweat, blood, and unyielding resolve.
Ono’s Courage Under Fire
Amid the confusion and chaos, Frank H. Ono distinguished himself beyond expectation. According to eyewitness accounts and later Medal of Honor citations, as the platoon’s forward momentum stalled under withering fire, Ono broke from cover and dashed forward alone. Carrying his automatic rifle, he raced across open ground that seemed swept by invisible scythes.
To his right front, about 300 yards away, a German machine gun nest spat death at the Americans. Realizing the only way forward was to silence that gun, Ono took careful aim and unleashed a withering burst. Despite drawing enemy attention—and fire—he succeeded in neutralizing the crew, enabling his comrades to continue their advance.
But the danger was far from over. There was movement among the shattered rocks above: a sniper, picking off any soldier attempting to move on the exposed slope. Scanning the terrain, Ono located the hidden marksman. Once again, he risked exposure and fired—this time eliminating the threat with precision.
Guardian Angel on the Battlefield
What followed was perhaps even more remarkable. Rather than seek shelter, Ono remained exposed, delivering accurate suppressive fire that pinned down further enemy troops and shielded his platoon’s advance. As the platoon consolidated their hard-won gains, Ono kept his eyes on the enemy, watching for movement, waiting to protect his fellow soldiers should a new threat appear.
Later, as the company’s advance brought them under new and deadly fire, he once more maneuvered forward, placing himself between the enemy and his comrades, making himself a living shield for the wounded.
His unwavering resolve and fearlessness inspired those around him. In those desperate moments, Frank H. Ono was more than a rifleman—he was a guardian angel, his courage buying his brothers-in-arms the precious seconds they needed to survive.
Sacrifice and Legacy
Ono survived that furious battle, but his actions did not go unrecognized. For his “extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty,” he was originally awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second-highest honor. Nearly six decades later, following a review of service records for Asian American soldiers in WWII who may have been denied recognition due to prejudice, Ono was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bill Clinton in 2000.
Of the moment, President Clinton said: “No nation can ever fully repay the debt it owes to its heroes, but it is never too late to recognize our heroes—and to correct the record.”
The True Spirit of Independence Day
It is fitting, perhaps, that Frank H. Ono’s gallantry occurred on America’s Independence Day. In the face of both foreign aggression and homegrown discrimination, the Nisei soldiers of the 442nd fought for a country that had not always fought for them. Their valor redefined the meaning of patriotism and gave new weight to the ideals of freedom and equality enshrined in the Fourth of July.
Ono’s heroism on that rocky hillside near Castellina Marittima is a reminder that, on the most important days in American history, it has so often been the unheralded and the underestimated who stood tallest when it mattered most.
Remembering Frank H. Ono
As we reflect on Independence Day, let us remember Private First Class Frank H. Ono—the young man who charged through fire, faced down snipers, and refused to let fear or hatred dictate his actions. His life and legacy are woven firmly into the fabric of American history.
Today, as freedom’s fireworks light the sky, we honor the grit and sacrifice of young men like Ono—who, 81 years ago this very day, fought not just for victory, but for a better, more inclusive nation.
