Royce Eiko Higa in uniform. Photo: Higa Family.
Royce Eiko Higa, June 1, 2019, Hawaii Convention Center.
Sergeant Royce Eiko Higa was assigned to A “Able” Battery, 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team. As a light artillery cannoneer, Higa served courageously and gallantly in the Northern Apennines; (France) Rhineland-Vosges and Rhineland-Maritime Alps; and Central Europe (Alsace-Lorraine) Campaigns. Royce Higa and the 522nd FAB were later separated from their parent 442nd RCT and in Southern Germany known to have rescued and liberated many imprisoned Jewish people from a Dachau sub-camp, and yet others on their "death march." For his honorable service, SGT Higa received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars (AKA: Campaign or Battle stars); World War II Victory Medal; Expert Badge with Rifle and Heavy Machine-gun Bars; and the Honorable Service Lapel Button-World War II. Mr. Higa, 100 years old, lives in Honolulu, Hawaii.