Background
Ono was born in Colorado. His father was an immigrant from Japan while his mother was from Ireland.
Ono was born in Colorado. His father was an immigrant from Japan while his mother was from Ireland.
He was a Nisei, which means that he was a second generation Japanese-American. Ono joined the United States Army in September 1943. He volunteered to be part of the all-Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
This army unit was mostly made up of Japanese Americans from Hawaii and the mainland.
He then braved intense hostile fire to aid two wounded comrades and, when it became necessary to retreat, voluntarily covered his unit"s withdrawal. Ono left the Army while still a private first class.
He died at age 56 and was buried in Highland Cemetery, North Judson, Indiana. Private First Class.
During a battle on July 4, 1944, near Castellina Marittima, Italy, Ono advanced ahead of his unit and single-handedly defended his position against an enemy counter-attack. In attacking a heavily defended hill, Private First Class Ono"s squad was caught in a hail of formidable fire from the well-entrenched enemy. Advancing through incessant fire, he killed a sniper with another burst of fire, and while his squad leader reorganized the rest of the platoon in the rear, he alone defended the critical position.