Tag: Medal of Honor

Korean War Medal of Honor recipient Rudy Hernandez has unfortunately passed away at the age of 82 last week:

Cpl. Rudy Hernandez cheated death on the battlefields of Korea 62 years ago. But the Medal of Honor recipient and Fayetteville resident couldn’t live forever. The 82-year-old Hernandez died early Saturday at Womack Army Medical Center, according to friends.  [Fayetteville Observer]

Here is a summary from the article of Corporal Hernandez’s actions that day during the Korean War that led to him being recognized with a Medal of Honor after originally being pronounced dead at the scene of his combat actions:

Cpl. Hernandez was awarded the Medal of Honor in April 1952 by President Harry S. Truman in a ceremony held in the White House Rose Garden.

Following the award, Cpl. Hernandez became a counselor to wounded veterans of Korean and Vietnam wars, working for the Veterans Administration.

That work, as much as his actions in Korea, has become his lasting legacy, and in August, Fort Bragg’s Warrior Transition Battalion Complex was rededicated in his name.

It was just after 2 a.m. on May 31, 1951 when Cpl. Hernandez felt the warm trickle of blood from a shrapnel wound on his head.

Cpl. Hernandez and other soldiers of Company G, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team were holed up in foxholes near the Korean town of Wontong-mi, during a North Korean assault.

From their hole, Cpl. Hernandez and another soldier watched as the enemy approached and the night erupted in artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire.

As the rest of his platoon retreated after nearly exhausting their ammunition, Cpl. Hernandez and his foxhole mate held their position and kept firing.

When he finally did leave his position, it wasn’t for retreat. Instead, Cpl. Hernandez charged the enemy armed only with a grenade and a rifle with a fixed bayonet.

His bravery single-handedly stopped the enemy advance and spurred his fellow soldiers to a counterattack.

According to the Medal of Honor citation, “The indomitable fighting spirit, outstanding courage and tenacious devotion to duty clearly demonstrated by Corporal Hernandez reflect the highest credit on himself, the infantry, and the United States Army.”

The morning after the attack, Cpl. Hernandez was pronounced dead after being found lying among the bodies of six North Korean soldiers who had been bayoneted to death.

When a soldier saw a slight movement of Cpl. Hernandez’s hand, medics began frantically trying to save his life.

A month later, Cpl. Hernandez would wake up in a South Korean hospital.

Eight weeks later, he was sent to a hospital in San Francisco where doctors replaced part of his skull.

Cpl. Hernandez couldn’t talk for months following his injuries and had to relearn to walk. Part of his body remained paralyzed for the rest of his life.  [Fayetteville Observer]

You can read more at the link.

The Washington Post has an interesting article that looks into an Inspector General investigation on why a US Army Special Forces sergeant was denied the Medal of Honor.  In the article it explains the bureaucracy a Medal of Honor packet goes through, but the reason the sergeant was denied the award was quite interesting:

Joe Kasper, a spokesman for Hunter, said that the comments of members on the decorations board show “enormous amounts of personal prejudice” in how valor awards are approved.

“In essence what he’s saying is, ‘If this was a private, it would rate the Medal of Honor, but because we expect our NCOs to do valorous things, it doesn’t,’” Kasper said. “That person should be looking at the actions alone.”  [Washington Post]

You can read the rest at the link.

Basic Information

• Name: Benjamin Wilson
• Born: June 2, 1922
• Died: March 1, 1988
• Buried: Honolulu, Hawaii
• Korean War Service: Company I, 3d Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division
• Recognized with the Medal of Honor in 1954

Introduction

In Vashon, Washington on June 22, 1922 one of the greatest combat heroes of the Korean War was born, Benjamin Wilson.  This unassuming man who grew up in an unassuming town would go on to be known as a one-man Army for his combat actions during the Korean War.  His career in the US military began when he enlisted into the Army in 1940 after dropping out of high school his senior year. After basic training he was stationed on the Hawaiian island of Oahu at Schofield Barracks as an artilleryman in the 13th Field Artillery Regiment.  He was woken on the morning of December 7, 1941 by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  The following year in 1942 he went through Officer Candidate School (OCS) and was selected as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Infantry.

After World War II ended in 1945 Wilson resigned his commission and returned home to Vashon, Washington to work in a lumber mill.  After returning home for a few months, Wilson decided that the Army wasn’t all that bad compared to working in the lumber mill.  However, due to the post-World War II draw down the Army had no need for more lieutenants so Wilson enlisted as a private.  Wilson quickly rose through the enlisted ranks and by the time the Korean War broke out in 1950 he had achieved the rank of Master Sergeant.

Combat Actions During the Korean War

In 1951 Wilson was the 1st Sergeant for Company I, 3d Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division when they were deployed to Korea. On June 4, 1951, I Company was ordered to take the largest hill overlooking the Hwachon Reservoir.  This mountain was known as “Hell Hill” for reasons that I Company would soon find out.  The following day 1SG Wilson led a charge up the hill against a numerically superior and entrenched enemy force.  As the soldiers of I Company made their way up the hill they came under withering hostile fire.  With his men penned down 1SG Wilson charged the machine gun by firing his rifle and throwing hand grenades.  His assault killed four enemy soldiers manning the machine gun bunker.  With the bunker cleared the I Company soldiers moved further up the mountain where 1SG Wilson then led his men on a bayonet attack against the next line of entrenched Chinese soldiers.  The attack killed an estimated 27 enemy soldiers.

After the successful bayonet charge the enemy launched a counter attack against Wilson’s men. With the threat of being overrun becoming imminent, 1SG Wilson launched a one-person charge against the attacking Chinese soldiers.  He killed seven enemy soldiers and wounded two others which caused the remaining soldiers to retreat to a position further up the mountain.  1SG Wilson then organized his men for one last push to seize the summit of the mountain.  They got within 15 yards of their objective when the enemy fire became to intense and they were forced to withdraw.  During this final attack 1SG Wilson was wounded and was taken down the hill on a stretcher.  About half way down the mountain the medics put the stretcher down to rest.  With the battle continuing to rage on the hill above him 1SG Wilson got off the stretcher and began to limp his way back up the mountain to provide cover fire for his withdrawing unit.  During this time 1SG Wilson killed three more Chinese soldiers with his rifle before he resulted to hand-to-hand combat where he lost his rifle and had to instead kill four more enemy with his entrenching tool.  As he continued to make his way down the hill providing cover fire for his unit, 1SG Wilson was wounded yet again, but continued to lay cover fire for his unit until they got off of the hill.  His actions on this day caused his command to recommend 1SG Wilson for the Medal of Honor.

However, 1SG Wilson’s combat exploits were far from over.  A few days later on June 9, 1951, I Company was given orders to attack another enemy hill complex near the village of Nodong-ni. During the previous battle the I Company Commander was wounded and 1SG Wilson now found himself leading the company.  Despite being previously wounded himself 1SG Wilson led his men on the assault up the hill.  They eventually came under heavy machine gun fire.  With his men penned down 1SG Wilson conducted another lone charge against the enemy.  His charge killed four enemy soldiers in a bunker which allowed his men to advance up the hill.  The enemy then launched a counterattack against the positions that I Company had just occupied.  During this attack 1SG Wilson left the safety of the bunker to engage the enemy at close range.  He killed five more enemy troops with small arms fire and hand grenades which caused the remainder of the enemy to withdraw.  However, his one man assault ended up causing the wounds that he had stitched up from the previous battle to reopen.  The bleeding forced him to be medically evacuated to a hospital for treatment. Since he had already been recommended for a Medal of Honor his command this time recommended 1SG Wilson for the second highest combat medal the Distinguished Service Cross.

Here is the Medal of Honor Citation for Benjamin Wilson:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Benjamin F. Wilson, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company I, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, in action against enemy aggressor forces at Hwach’on-Myon, Korea, on 5 June 1951. Company I was committed to attack and secure commanding terrain stubbornly defended by a numerically superior hostile force emplaced in well-fortified positions. When the spearheading element was pinned down by withering hostile fire, First Lieutenant Wilson dashed forward and, firing his rifle and throwing grenades, neutralized the position denying the advance and killed four enemy soldiers manning submachine guns. After the assault platoon moved up, occupied the position, and a base of fire was established, he led a bayonet attack which reduced the objective and killed approximately 27 hostile soldiers.

While friendly forces were consolidating the newly won gain, the enemy launched a counterattack and First Lieutenant Wilson, realizing the imminent threat of being overrun, made a determined lone-man charge, killing seven and wounding two of the enemy, and routing the remainder in disorder. After the position was organized, he led an assault carrying to approximately 15 yards of the final objective, when enemy fire halted the advance. He ordered the platoon to withdraw and, although painfully wounded in this action, remained to provide covering fire. During an ensuing counterattack, the commanding officer and 1st Platoon leader became casualties. Unhesitatingly, First Lieutenant Wilson charged the enemy ranks and fought valiantly, killing three enemy soldiers with his rifle before it was wrested from his hands, and annihilating four others with his entrenching tool. His courageous delaying action enabled his comrades to reorganize and effect an orderly withdrawal. While directing evacuation of the wounded, he suffered a second wound, but elected to remain on the position until assured that all of the men had reached safety. First Lieutenant Wilson’s sustained valor and intrepid actions reflect utmost credit upon himself and uphold the honored traditions of the military service.

General Orders: Department of the Army, General Orders No. 69 (September 23, 1954)

Here is his Distinguished Service Cross citation:

The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Master Sergeant Benjamin F. Wilson, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Company I, 3d Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Master Sergeant Wilson distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Nodong-ni, Korea, on 9 June 1951. On that date, Sergeant Wilson’s company was advancing against heavily fortified enemy hill positions when a sudden and heavy volume of small-arms and automatic-weapons fire forced the men to seek cover. Sergeant Wilson, realizing the need for immediate and aggressive action so that the men could extricate themselves from their untenable positions, charged forward against the enemy emplacements single-handedly, firing his rifle rapidly and pitching grenades. Completely exposed to the concentrated fire of the enemy, he nevertheless succeeded in killing four of the enemy and in neutralizing a hostile bunker. His heroic actions so inspired his men that they renewed their assault and secured the objective. Immediately, the enemy launched a fierce counterattack against the newly gained positions and Sergeant Wilson once more left his position and engaged them at extremely close range. He personally killed five of the attacking enemy and laid down such a devastating volume of fire that the remainder were forced to withdraw after suffering heavy losses.

General Orders: Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 694 (September 12, 1951)

Later that year after he recovered from his wounds 1SG Wilson was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on November 15, 1951.  Three years later the then 1st Lieutenant Wilson would finally be recognized with the Medal of Honor by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 7, 1954 on Lowry Air Force Base.  Though he was recommended for the Medal of Honor when he was a First Sergeant his Medal of Honor citation had him at his current rank of 1st Lieutenant.

Life After the Korean War

Benjamin Wilson at the time of his Medal of Honor ceremony was serving as the as assistant inspector general at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.  A little over a year later in November 1955 he was promoted to Captain. In 1956 he attended advanced infantry schooling before receiving orders to Germany. Wilson would finish up his military career in his home state of Washington when he was assigned to Ft. Lewis in 1958.  He was put in charge of planning for maneuver operations at the Yakima Training Center.  Wilson would retire at Ft. Lewis on October 30, 1960 as a Major.  For those who have served on Ft. Lewis they may have seen that the North Fort fitness center is named after Benjamin Wilson.

After retiring from the Army Wilson would work as an insurance agent.  After finding the work to be not very fulfilling, Wilson then landed a job with the Veteran’s Administration in Seattle.  Working with disabled vets was something that Wilson enjoyed.  He would later move to Los Angeles to work at the VA center there.  In 1982 he moved to Hawaii and lived on a 49-foot sailboat named the Ginseng.  He continued to work for the VA in Hawaii before retiring in 1986.  He would die two years later in 1988 and was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.

Further Reading:

• President Dwight D. Eisenhower awards the Medal of Honor to First Lieutenant Benjamin F. Wilson, Historylink.org
• Benjamin Wilson, Home of Heroes
• A One-Man Army – Major Benjamin F. Wilson, U.S. Army (1921-1988), Hawaii Reporter

Note: You can read more of the ROK Drop featured series Heroes of the Korean War at the below link:

Camp Walker became the first location in Korea to establish a monument in honor of Korean War Medal of Honor recipient Captain Emil Kapaun:

A chaplain who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for refusing to abandon troops during combat finally has been recognized with a monument in the country where he died more than six decades ago.

The dark gray granite stone, erected by U.S. Army Garrison Daegu in front of the Camp Walker chapel, includes an image of Capt. Emil Kapaun supporting an injured soldier and the inscription, “He paid the ultimate sacrifice and consecrated the soul of Korea.” The monument, about four feet tall, was unveiled Dec. 19.

It’s the first memorial on the Korean peninsula for Kapaun, who died in a prisoner of war camp in May 1951 after being captured at Unsan the previous November. Although U.S. forces were surrounded and ordered to evacuate, the Roman Catholic priest stayed behind to comfort the wounded, despite the certainty of capture, and made rounds even as hand-to-hand combat broke out between U.S. and Chinese troops.

“We need inspiration and motivation to continue to serve the country,” deputy garrison chaplain Maj. Moon Kim said of Kapaun’s legacy. “People get easily discouraged or demotivated. But we see those forefathers who have gone before us and died, and they inspire us.”

The chaplain, a native of Pilsen, Kan., was awarded the Medal of Honor in April 2013.  [Stars & Stripes]

You can read more at the link.

Basic Information

• Name: Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano
• Born: Maui, Hawaii
• Battlefield: Battle of Chup’a-ri
• Date of Death: September 1, 1951
• Medal of Honor Ceremony: May 3, 2011

Private First Class Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano via Army.mil.

Introduction

The Korean War saw people from many countries come to the peninsula and fight and die to protect the Republic of Korea from communist aggression.  Some of those people who came to Korea to fight were Americans from the Hawaiian Islands.  In downtown Honolulu the Hawaii Korean War Memorial can be seen that lists the names of all 456 residents of Hawaii who died fighting in the Korean War.  The memorial is about a 100 feet in length, 6 feet high and made of polished granite and black lava rock.  On each of the rock squares is the name of each Hawaii resident that died during the war.

Early Life

One of the names on these blocks is Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano from the Hawaiian Island of Maui.  Kaho’ohanohano was born in 1930 to a family with 5 other brothers and a sister.  This large family lived in a two bedroom house in the village of Wailuku in Maui.  Anthony graduated in 1949 from St. Anthony High School where he played both football and basketball and was known as the “humble giant”.  After high school he like all of his other 5 brothers joined the military; three of his other brothers joined the active Army, one other brother served in the Marines, and the last brother served in the National Guard.  Anthony initially enlisted in the Hawaii National Guard, but later joined the active Army on February 5, 1951 to fight in the Korean War.

Picture of Kaho’ohanohano as a high school football player via Wikipedia.

Korean War Service

Anthony Kaho’ohanohano was later that year deployed to South Korea where UN forces were battling communist aggression against the Republic of Korea.  By 1951 the war had changed dramatically from what appeared was going to be a rout of the North Korean military by the UN forces after the successful Incheon Landing Operation.  With the North Korean forces largely defeated the Chinese military secretly infiltrated across the Yalu River into North Korea where they launched a massive surprise attack against the UN forces.  The effectiveness of the Chinese surprise attack caused a full scale UN forces retreat back across the 38th parallel into South Korea.  The retreat was only halted in February 1951 when soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division and their attached French Battalion under the command of two Heroes of the Korean War, Colonel Paul Freeman and Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Monclar stopped the Chinese advance at the Battle of Chipyong-ni.

The Chinese would attempt to regain their battle field momentum when they launched the “Chinese Spring Offensive” in April 1951.  However, United Nations units such as the British Gloucestershire Regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James P. Carne, the Philippines Expeditionary Force To Korea (PEFTOK) commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Dionisio Ojeda, and the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry commanded by Lieutenant Colonel J.R. Stone were able to stop the Chinese advance.  After the failed “Chinese Spring Offensive” the Korean War had largely turned into a stalemate near the 38th parallel where the opposing Army’s battled over hilltops that gave each side increased leverage during the Armistice Negotiations that had begun July 10, 1951 at Kaesong.

This is the war that Private First Class Anthony Kaho’ohanohano found himself entering in 1951when he was assigned to Company H, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.  In August, 1951 the 7th Infantry Division was deployed along the frontlines in the area north of Hwacheon which is an extremely mountainous region in the central area of the Korean peninsula.

This mountainous area made the control of high points extremely important in order to call for indirect fire and to better control the few roads in the area.  The 7th Infantry Division launched an operation on August 26, 1951 that would come to be known as the Battle of Chup’a-ri.  The small village  of Chup’a-ri was located in one of the main valleys in the area and the 7th Infantry was attempting to seize five key hills to the east of the village that would allow them to better control the valley and the  road that ran through it.  Additionally the control of these hills would put the UN forces in a better position tactically to reclaim the Kumsong River located two miles north of Chup’a-ri.

Map of the Chupa-ri area via the Korean War Project.

The 17th Infantry Regiment of the 7th Division that PFC Kaho’ohanohano was assigned to was tasked to secure three of these hills.  On August 26th the regiment began combat operations to secure Hill 461 that overlooked the valley and its access road, Hill 682 that was a mile to the east of 461, and Hill 851, which was one more mile east of 682.  For the next five days the regiment battled the Chinese 81st Division for control of these hills.  PFC Kaho’ohanohano’s company was part of the 2nd Battalion which was tasked to assault Hill 682.  By this point in the war, Anthony had found himself as the leader of a machine gun squad within his company.  On August 31, the unit was able to secure the hill, but the Chinese launched a massive counterattack against the 2nd battalion.  The fighting was ferocious with the Chinese blowing whistles to signal the next human wave attack against the American positions.  The overwhelming Chinese attacks eventually caused the 2nd Battalion soldiers to begin to withdraw off of Hill 682 the next day.

3D view of Hill 682 via the Korean War Project.

During the initial Chinese assault Kaho’ohanohano was wounded in the shoulder, but continued to fight on.  When his company began their withdrawal PFC Kaho’ohanohano ordered his squad to take up better positions lower down the hill while he provided covering fire for them.  Kaho’ohanohano gathered a satchel of grenades and extra ammunition to use against the on coming enemy.  His last words were reported to be “I’ve got your back” as he headed back to a position to hold off the Chinese attack.  The extra ammunition would not be enough though as Anthony eventually ran out of ammo and had to turn to his entrenching tool to fight off the enemy until he was killed.  He had fired so many rounds from his rifle that it had actually melted and was found bent.  Seeing his final stand against the Chinese, Kaho’ohanohano’s comrades charged back up the hill and defeated the Chinese onslaught.  When his unit re-secured the hill they found 11 dead Chinese bodies around Kaho’ohanohano’s position and two more found dead inside his position apparently killed by blunt force trauma to the head from Kaho’ohanohano’s entrenching tool.

By September 4th, the 7th Infantry Division had captured all 5 hills in the vicinity of Chup’a-ri, but PFC Kaho’ohanohano was far from being the only person killed during the battle.  In just his unit 17 other soldiers died defending Hill 682.  In total the 7th Infantry Division lost 175 soldiers with 594 more wounded in the Battle of Chup’a-ri.  What did the lives of all the soldiers gain the UN forces?  Well if you look at a map of South Korea it ultimately helped the UN forces consolidate about 10 square miles worth of territory.  Think how many more lives the Chinese lost trying to defend that territory?  Life was definitely cheap back then.

Kaho’ohanohano for his actions received the Army’s second highest decoration for combat, the Distinguished Service Cross in 1952.  However, his family believed that he deserved the nation’s highest honor, the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the Battle of Chup’a-ri.  Considering that another soldier in his battalion Corporal William F. Lyell was awarded the Medal of Honor for doing nearly the same thing as Kaho’ohanohano did during the battle, it would seem his family had a strong case.  However, it would take 60 years before the Kaho’ohanohano family would see Anthony be recognized with the Medal of Honor.  US Senator from Hawaii Daniel Akaka requested in 2004 that the Pentagon review Kaho’ohanohano Distinguished Service Cross documentation to see if it should be upgraded to a Medal of Honor.  Senator Akaka has long been an advocate for veterans from  Hawaii.  In 2000, he was able to get 22 veterans of Asian and Pacific ancestry to include 20 of them from the famed 442 Regimental Combat Team the Medal of Honor for combat actions during World War II.  Many advocates for these veterans believed that these minorities may have been overlooked for the Medal of Honor by commanders that were prejudice against minorities.

President Obama presents George Kaho`ohanohano, the nephew of Army Pfc. Anthony T. Kaho`ohanohano, a posthumous Medal of Honor during a White House ceremony.

The President of the United States Barack Obama, who was born in Hawaii himself, must have agreed as he upgraded Kaho’ohanohano’s Distinguished Service Cross to the Medal of Honor.  On May 3rd, 2011 at a White House ceremony President Obama presented PFC Kaho’ohanohano’s family with the Medal of Honor.

George Kaho’ohanohano, a retired Maui Police Department captain, also said it was a relief that their hard work had come to fruition. He added that he had a “lump” in his throat when he received the medal from Obama.

“When I looked at the family when I got it from the president, I saw couple of the family members crying; I saw a couple of family members with a broad smile. It was a wide range of what the family was going through,” he said.  [Maui News]

Here is Private First Class Anthony Kaho’ohanohano’s Medal of Honor citation:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to (Posthumously) to Private First Class Anthony T. Kahoohanohano (ASN: RA-29040479), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Company H, 2d Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Private First Class Kahoohanohano distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Chup’a-ri, Korea, on 1 September 1951. On that date, Private Kahoohanohano was in charge of a machine-gun squad supporting the defensive positions of Company F when a numerically superior enemy force launched a fierce attack. Because of the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, it was necessary for the friendly troops to execute a limited withdrawal. As the men fell back, he ordered his squad to take up more tenable positions and provide covering fire for the friendly force. Then, although painfully wounded in the shoulder during the initial enemy assault, he gathered a supply of grenades and ammunition and returned to his original position to face the enemy alone. As the hostile troops concentrated their strength against his emplacement in an effort to overrun it, Private Kahoohanohano fought fiercely and courageously, delivering deadly accurate fire into the ranks of the onrushing enemy. When his ammunition was depleted, he engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat until he was killed. His heroic stand so inspired his comrades that they launched a counterattack that completely repulse the enemy. Coming upon Private Kahoohanohano’s position, the friendly troops found eleven enemy soldiers lying dead before it and two in the emplacement itself, beaten to death with an entrenching shovel.

Pfc. Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano [KA ho OH hano hano]
– Killed in Action Sept. 1, 1951 in Chupa-ri, Korea
– Age: 21 years, 2 months
– Unit: Company H, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division
– Years of Service: 3 years, 3 months, prior service with Hawaii National Guard. Enlisted with the U.S. Army Feb. 5, 1951
– Awards: Purple Heart (posthumously), Army Good Conduct Medal (posthumously), National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star, United Nations Service Medal, Republic of Korean-Korean War Service Medal, The Republic of Korea’s Wharang Distinguished Military Service Medal with Silver Star (posthumously), Combat Infantryman Badge, Republic of Korea-Presidential Unit Citation

Anthony Kaho’ohanohano’s headstone via Army.mil.

Anthony Kaho’ohanohano is buried at the Makawao Veterans Cemetery on the slopes of Maui’s gigantic volcano called Haleakala.  In February 2012 the US military replaced his headstone to signify that he is a Medal of Honor recipient.  This replacing the headstone was the ultimate closure for Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano’s family who had fought for so long to see that he received the recognition he deserved as a Hero of the Korean War.

Note: You can read more of the ROK Drop featured series Heroes of the Korean War at the below link: