The Germans owned the nameless Italian hill near Molino A Ventoabbto on July 7, 1944. The U.S. Army called it Hill 140, for its elevation. Someone at the rear decided to take it, so Tech. Sgt. Ted Tanouye started creeping toward an enemy machine-gun position.

With a burst of gunfire, the platoon leader silenced the enemy. More Germans opened fire. Again Tanouye squeezed the trigger of his submachine gun until they stopped. He kept moving, even as grenade fragments severely wounded his left arm, and took out another enemy position.

Out of ammunition, he crawled 20 yards to grab fresh ammo from a buddy, just in time. Other platoon buddies were under attack; Tanouye ended that with a hand grenade.

Downslope, a machine-gun nest pinned down his platoon. Tanouye turned, opened fire, his aim deadly.

But the Germans were not done. One last position, gunfire from above, one final burst from Tanouye's gun. The hill was taken.

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com.