The First Hispanic Medal of Honor Recipient of WWII Died Fighting the Japanese in Alaska

In 1935, Gen. Billy Mitchell told Congress that Alaska was the most strategically important territory on the planet, and whoever controlled Alaska would control the world. Apparently, Imperial Japan agreed with him, because months after attacking Pearl Harbor, it invaded Alaska's Aleutian Islands.

The United States would take almost a year to land troops in the islands. The two weeks of fighting that followed led to a number of notable World War II events, including the only time the two sides fought in snow.

It also led to the heroic death of Pvt. Joseph P. Martinez, the first Hispanic to receive the Medal of Honor during World War II and the first Medal of Honor awarded for actions in North America since 1898.

On June 6, 1942, just seven months after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that pulled the United States into World War II, almost 3,000 Japanese troops landed on Kiska, an island in Alaska's Aleutian chain. The next day, they captured the nearby island of Attu unopposed.

Though the islands were seemingly remote, the United States worried they would be turned into strategic airfields to attack the American mainland. Something had to be done about it. It would take the Americans a year, but 15,000 soldiers from the U.S. Army's 7th Infantry Division landed on Attu on May 11, 1943.

In that time, the Japanese fortified their defensive positions and made the American landing as hard as they possibly could. Arctic weather conditions compounded the U.S. forces' attempts to crush the Japanese defenders.

Martinez was among the 15,000 sent to recapture Attu. Born in New Mexico and raised in Colorado, Martinez was drafted into the Army two months after the Japanese invasion of Attu. He and Kilo Company landed at Holtz Bay on May 11, 1943, and began clearing Japanese foxholes and machine-gun nests along the ridges that circled the bay.

The Americans twice attempted to take a critical mountain pass dubbed "Fish Hook" by the soldiers. Both assaults were repelled on two separate days. During the final assault on May 26, Kilo Company found itself pinned down by the Japanese. Martinez picked up his Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) and went to work in the driving snow.

Martinez cleared one enemy foxhole after another, first with his BAR, then with an M1 Garand when he ran out of BAR ammunition. He destroyed five machine-gun nests, climbing 150 feet and clearing a path for the rest of Kilo Company to follow. It allowed the Americans to take the Fish Hook pass and for Martinez to get more BAR ammo.

He climbed on top of a 15-foot cliff that overlooked a Japanese trench system, set up the BAR and began to clean up the enemy soldiers hidden in the trench. As he engaged the enemy-held position, a single enemy gunshot rang out.

The shot hit Martinez in the head. With his body so exposed to enemy small-arms fire and grenades, the men of Kilo Company were unable to reach him until the next day. By then, he had succumbed to his wound.

Japanese forces had left the area in the night. Three days later, the Japanese, knowing there was no force coming to their aid, launched one final banzai charge that broke through the American lines. Surprised by the attack, even rear-echelon soldiers fought the Japanese in hand-to-hand combat.

After 19 days of fighting, the Japanese gave up the Aleutians, with 549 Americans killed, more than 2,300 Japanese dead and only 28 prisoners. Band of Japanese troops were said to operate in the islands through the end of the war.

Martinez was buried at his childhood hometown of Ault, Colorado, with full military honors. The Martinez family was presented with his Medal of Honor on Nov. 11, 1943.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

Want to Learn More About Military Life?

Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox.