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The 19th Luftwaffe Division was assembled in France in March of 1943 from Air Force personnel with little or no ground combat experience. They had trained until early June before transferring to Italy. Though inexperienced, the Luftwaffe had used their leverage to pick the cream of the German draft pool and their ground combat arm included highly intelligent recruits. They adapted quickly and used the terrain here masterfully, stopping the two battalions spearheading the assault. Not ti be denied, at noon the Nisei unleashed the 100th Battalion who exploited a gap in the defenses to occupy Belvedere and the high ground surrounding it. This action earned the 100th Battalion a Presidential Citation. The 443nd's Third Battalion managed to clear Suvereto by 1500 hours/ In their after action report the Nisei misidentified the Luftwaffe personnel as SS troops. In this action, Private Kiyoshi K. Muranaga exhibited the highest courage under fire. Despite being ordered to fall back due to heavy fire and advancing troops, Private Muranaga waved off the rest of his crew and volunteered to man his mortar alone. He continued to serve the weapon, dueling head-to-head with a dreaded "88". He paid with his life, but his tenacity and accuracy convinced the German artillerists to limber their gun and find easier prey. For his sacrifice, Private Muranaga posthumously earned the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest US medal for bravery. In the year 2000, after asking the Army to review allegations of racism in the awarding of medals in World War II, President Bill Clinton upgraded 21 Nisei DSC's to the medal of Honor, including Private Muranaga's decoration.
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