John Toshio Narimatsu, son of Shunzo and Kazu (Kitahata) Narimatsu, was born in Dinuba, California on February 23, 1919. He was the oldest of four siblings--John Narimatsu, Mary Mukai, Rosie Yamamoto, and Tom Narimatsu. John attended elementary school in Orange Cove and was a graduate from the Reedley Joint Union High School. In August 1942, John and his family were evacuated with other local people of Japanese ancestry. They were incarcerated at the Poston, Arizona concentration camp, in block 306. In 1944, John volunteered for the U.S. Army and served in the European Theatre with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 3rd Battalion L Company. During the Vosges Mountain-St. Die Campaign near Epinal, France, he was killed in action by sniper fire on November 1, 1944.
Posthumously awarded:
Purple Heart
Bronze Star Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge
Iterred at the Smith Mountain Cemetery, in Dinuba, California
(Photo credit: Dianne Kiyomoto)
