Rodney Yano, Medal of Honor hero in Vietnam who saved 12

Jan 22 , 2026

Rodney Yano, Medal of Honor hero in Vietnam who saved 12

Rodney Yano’s hands shook but never faltered as flames licked his Ammunition Carrier. Smoke choked the air. Explosions thundered. His squad was pinned down, death inches away. Two grenades, tossed against steel, ignited the world around him. He could have run. But Yano wasn’t built for running. He grabbed the weapons of death and hurled them away—toward his brothers, and away from his brothers—while burning alive.

The Boy from Hawaii, Hardened in Faith

Rodney Yano came from Wahiawa, Hawaii—a quiet place filled with aloha spirit and the echoes of sacrifice. Born in 1943, a Japanese-American son of World War II veterans, Yano grew up knowing the cost of service. Honor wasn't just a word in his house; it was a law.

He entered the Army in 1963, carrying with him a quiet strength filtered through Buddhist and Christian values. “Greater love hath no man than this," the scriptures say, and Yano lived by that scripture—with a warrior’s resolve and a servant’s heart.

This wasn’t about glory. It was about purpose—to protect his comrades, to stand as a shield between life and death.

Firestorm at Ap Tan Hoa

August 21, 1969. The 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division swept through Vietnam’s central highlands near Ap Tan Hoa. The enemy was everywhere, concealed by thick jungle and ruthless intent.

Staff Sergeant Yano was riding shotgun on an M113 armored personnel carrier—an ACAV bristling with chaos. Suddenly, a grenade exploded inside the vehicle, igniting the ammo and fuel. Flames erupted. The vehicle became a blazing coffin.

Yano, wounded and suffering severe burns, forced himself to act. He grabbed two burning grenades—live, deadly grenades—and threw them out through the hatch. Not once, but twice, he risked detonation.

Men behind him owed their lives to those moments. When he finally fell, he had saved twelve comrades from a fiery death.

Medal of Honor: Valor Beyond the Call

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, Yano's official citation reads:

"Staff Sergeant Yano distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry... at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty when his armored personnel carrier was struck by a grenade and set afire... He repeatedly exposed himself to the danger of explosion to protect his crew, reflecting the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Army."¹

Leaders called him a “quiet hero,” the kind who never sought praise but commanded respect by sacrifice. Fellow soldiers remembered him as “the man with ice water in his veins”—calm under mortal fire.

The Echoes of Sacrifice

Rodney Yano’s story is not an episode lost in history—it’s a timeless testament written in blood. In the crucible of war, where chaos reigns, courage is measured in seconds and decisions that mean life or death.

His sacrifice reminds every soldier who straps on gear that protection of your brother is the ultimate mission. His life speaks a language of redemption—not through vengeance, but through peace bought with fire.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6

Rodney Yano died young, but he burned brighter than most have the chance. A warrior who embraced the fate of death to save others, his scars are not just on his body—they live on in every combat veteran who understands the weight of sacrifice.

His story demands we never forget that honor is forged in the hellfire of battle, and true valor is love poured out on the battlefield.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients (Vietnam War), Rodney Yano Citation 2. National Archives, 25th Infantry Division Unit History, August 1969 3. Department of Defense, “Vietnam Medal of Honor Stories” Compilation