GALLUP, N.M. — Three scholarships in the name of Korean War Medal of Honor recipient Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura were given on April 29 as part of the ninth annual Senior Recognition Night at Hiroshi Miyamura High School in Gallup, N.M.
Lillian Lewis will attend Arizona State University with a goal to become a forensic analyst representing both the city and Indian reservation sides of the criminal justice system. She is part Navajo, Apache and Mexican, but considers herself part of the Dine tribe. She was community service officer for the class.
Angeline Diongson plans to attend New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology or the University of Portland, with a major in biomedical science and minor in environmental science or psychology. She is a member of the National Honor Society. At the age of 7 she moved to the U.S. from the Philippines.
Jenelle Torres received a full scholarship from the University of New Mexico through their Bachelor and Medical Degree Program with a certified seat in their medical school. She is president of the National Honor Society and Senior of the Year. Her parents emigrated from the Philippines.
Miyamura High School offers students an opportunity to take vocational skills classes in addition to college preparatory courses. These technical classes include carpentry, plumbing, welding, culinary arts, telecommunications and broadcast news media.
Miyamura received the Medal of Honor while serving in the Korean War as a machine gun squad leader with Company H, 7th Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division at Taejon-Ni. When overrun by Chinese Communist forces, he ordered his men to retreat while he held off the enemy with a machine gun, bayonet and his own hands. More then 50 of the enemy were killed before Miyamura was wounded and captured.
After spending 28 months as a prisoner of war, he was released on Aug. 23, 1953 at the Freedom Village in Panmunjon, South Korea.
Contributions to the scholarship fund can be sent to Hiroshi Miyamura Scholarship, c/o Miyamura High School, 680 S. Boardman Ave., Gallup, NM 87301.