McKinley Education Foundation

16 Tumbleweed Lane

Gamerco, NM 87317

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

President:

TBD, G Herrera
(acting)

Treasurer:

Gerry Herrera

Secretary:

Bev Crowe

Directors:

Bill Bright

Phyllis Casuse

Mary Cullen

Patti Herrera

Debi Kraus

Hiroshi "Hershey" Miyamura Scholarship Fund

The McKinley Education Foundation voted in 2010 to become the administrator of the Miyamura scholarship funds being donated to a separate fund account that would be used solely for scholarship awards to graduating high school seniors at GMCS district's Hiroshi Miyamura High School (HMHS). The money was donate by veterans, veteran organizations, friends, businesses, relatives, and private individuals in honor of Hershey Miyamura (Congressional Medal of Honor recipient for his actions during the Korean War).

Hershey was born and raised in Gallup, he is a 1943 Gallup High School graduate. His parents were Japanese immigrants that moved to the United States and came to the Gallup New Mexico area in early 1922. During World War II, Hershey volunteered and joined the US Army where he trained and served with the 100th Infantry Battalion in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (all Americans of Japanese descent that were segregated into a single Army Combat unit). By the time his troop ship made it to Europe the war had ended, Hershey served as part of the US military occupation forces in Italy.

To give you a little history about the Miyamura family – Yaichi and his wife Tori and daughter (Hershey's parents and oldest sister) immigrated (Yaichi was returning) to the United States in the 1922 from Japan to Gallup, NM where Hershey (middle child) and his 4 other sisters and one brother were born and raised. At the age of 12, Hershey’s mother passed away due to an illness. His father remained steadfast to hold all seven children together in a single parent family. When Hershey graduated high school he joined the US Army as part of the World War II effort. He was placed into the highly decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team infantry regiment of American soldiers of Japanese ancestry as a replacement troop. When he reached the European combat theatre the war just ended, however, he remained mobilized as part of the occupation force in Europe. After his tour of duty ended, he return to Gallup, got married (Terry Tsuchimori, 1948) and remained connected to the military as part of the reserves. When the Korean Conflict escalated he was called back to active duty and sent to Korea. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 24–25, 1951, near Taejon-ni, Korea, while serving as a corporal in the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. His was the first Medal of Honor to be classified Top Secret. Hershey was captured by the North Koreans and held as a prisoner of war for 28 months. On August 20, 1953, he was repatriated to the United States and honorably discharged from the military shortly thereafter. His medal was presented to him by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in October 1953 at the White House (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshi_H._Miyamura). He returned to Gallup, owned/operated the Exxon service station (West End past the airport) for twenty-five years and retired in April 1984. He was the last sibling of the Miyamura family that resided in New Mexico. In the spring of 2021 Hershey moved to Arizona with his daughter and son-in-law.

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On behalf of the MEF board members we would like to thank all those that served our country during war or in peace time. We owe a debt of gratitude and appreciate everyone that served in the US military.