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José Mendoza López (July 10, 1910 – May 16, 2005) was a Mexican and United States Army soldier who was awarded the United States' highest military decoration for valor in combat — the Medal of Honor — for his heroic actions during the Battle of the Bulge, in which he single-handedly repulsed a German infantry attack, killing at least 100 enemy troops.〔Medal of Honor citation.〕 ==Early years== López was raised by his mother Cándida López in Santiago Ihuitlán, Oaxaca, Mexico. As a young boy he helped his mother sell clothes that she made as a seamstress in the city. However, his time with his mother was cut short due to tuberculosis which took her life when López was only eight years old. López then relocated to Brownsville, Texas, USA, to live with his uncle's family. While living in with his uncle's family López began working various jobs to bring in income and never returned to school. As a young man, López caught the attention of a boxing promoter and for seven years he traveled the country fighting a total of 55 fights in the lightweight division with the nickname of 'Kid Mendoza'. In 1934, during a boxing match in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, he met a group of Merchant Marines and signed a contract with them. He was accepted in the union in 1936 and spent the next five years traveling the world. He was en route to California from Hawaii on December 7, 1941, when he learned about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. When he arrived in Los Angeles, the authorities believed he was Japanese and he was forced to prove otherwise. López returned to Brownsville and, in 1942, married Emilia Herrera. That same year, he received his draft card and relocated to San Antonio where he enlisted in the U.S. Army. López was first sent to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and then to Camp Roberts, California, where he received his basic training.〔(Jose M. Lopez interview )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「José M. López」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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