Anthony Thomas Kahoʻohanohano (July 22, 1930 – September 1, 1951) was an American soldier who was killed in action on September 1, 1951, during the Korean War. He became a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor.
A native of Maui, Hawaii, Kahoʻohanohano was the son of a police officer and one of seven siblings, 6 brothers and 1 sister.[1][2] He lived in Wailuku and played football and basketball at St. Anthony's School for Boys (now known as St. Anthony High School) before graduating in 1949.[2][3] All six of the Kahoʻohanohano brothers served in the U.S. military: Anthony and three others in the active duty Army, one in the Marine Corps, and one in the National Guard.[2]
Korean War serviceedit
US Armyedit
Distinguished Service Crossedit
By September 1, 1951, he was serving in Korea as a private first class with Company H, 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. On that day, near Chup'a-ri, he was in charge of a machine gun squad tasked with supporting another company. When a numerically superior enemy force launched an attack, he and his squad withdrew to a more defensible position. Although wounded in the shoulder, Kahoʻohanohano ordered his men to hold their ground while he gathered ammunition and returned to their original post. From that position, he single-handedly held off the enemy advance, fighting hand to hand with an entrenching tool after running out of ammunition, until he was killed. An American counter-attack later retook the position and found thirteen dead Chinese soldiers around Kahoʻohanohano's body.[4] For these actions, he was posthumously awarded the U.S. Army's second-highest military decoration, the Distinguished Service Cross.
The medal was presented to his parents in 1952 on Maui.[1]
Medal of Honor recommendationedit
In the late 1990s, Kahoʻohanohano's brother, Abel Kahoʻohanohano, Sr., began an effort to have the Distinguished Service Cross upgraded. Abel's son George took up the cause after his father's death. After an unsuccessful Medal of Honor nomination in 2001 by Representative Patsy Mink, which was rejected by the Army, the family enlisted the help of Senator Daniel Akaka. Akaka nominated Kahoʻohanohano for the medal again, and in March 2009 was informed by Secretary of the ArmyPete Geren that, after "careful, personal consideration", the request had been approved.[2] A provision making the upgrade official was included in the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647), signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 28, 2009.
The Medal of Honor was formally presented to the Kahoʻohanohano family at a White House ceremony on May 2, 2011.[5]
Kahoʻohanohano's official Distinguished Service Cross citation reads:
The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS (Posthumously) to
PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ANTHONY T. KAHOOHANOHANO, RA-29040479 UNITED STATES ARMY
CITATION:
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.[4][n 1]
Medal of Honoredit
His Medal of Honor citation reads:
The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ANTHONY T. KAHO'OHANOHANO UNITED STATES ARMY
CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Private First Class Anthony T. KAHO'OHANOHANO, Company H, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above the call of duty in action against the enemy in the vicinity of Chupa-ri, Korea, on 1 September 1951. On that date, Private First Class KAHO'OHANOHANO was in charge of a machine-gun squad supporting the defensive positioning of Company F when a numerically superior enemy force launched a fierce attack. Because of the enemy's overwhelming numbers, friendly troops were forced to execute a limited withdrawal. As the men fell back, Private First Class KAHO'OHANOHANO ordered his squad to take up more defensible positions and provide covering fire for the withdrawing friendly force. Although having been wounded in the shoulder during the initial enemy assault, Private First Class KAHO'OHANOHANO 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 First Class KAHO'OHANOHANO 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. Private First Class KAHO'OHANOHANO's heroic stand so inspired his comrades that they launched a counterattack that completely repulsed the enemy. Upon reaching Private First Class KAHO'OHANOHANO's emplacement, friendly troops discovered 11 enemy soldiers lying dead in front of the emplacement and two inside it, killed in hand-to-hand combat. Private First Class KAHO'OHANOHANO's extraordinary heroism and selfless devotion to duty are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 7th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.[7]
See alsoedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anthony T. Kahoʻohanohano.
^Kaho'ohanohano originally received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions but on October 28, 2009, the Medal was upgraded to the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama.
Referencesedit
^ ab Cole, William (October 27, 2009). . The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. Archived from the original on 31 October 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
^(PDF). Sine Qua non. Maui, Hawaii: St. Anthony Junior-Senior High School: 7. Summer 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
^ ab. Hall of Valor. Military Times. 2009. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
^. CNN (This Just In blog). April 14, 2011. Archived from the original on April 17, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
Army news website – Soldiers inducted into Gallery of Heroes
SPEECH OF HON. MAZIE K. HIRONO OF HAWAII IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009[permanent dead link]
Congressional record
Army Home Page standto archive from 2011/05/02/
President to award posthumous Medals of Honor for Korea
Medal of honor pfc Anthony T Kahoohanohano
Korean war heroes to be posthumously awarded medal of honor today
PFC Anthony T. Kaho'ohanohano
Chup’a-ri: A Forgotten Battle
County of Maui – Resolution honoring Anthony T. Kaho'ohanohano as a Recipient of the Medal of Honor
January 01, 1970
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This article may contain citations that do not verify the text Please check for citation inaccuracies March 2011 Learn how and when to remove this message Anthony Thomas Kahoʻohanohano July 22 1930 September 1 1951 was an American soldier who was killed in action on September 1 1951 during the Korean War He became a recipient of the United States military s highest decoration for valor the Medal of Honor Anthony T KahoʻohanohanoBornJuly 22 1930Maui Hawaii U S DiedSeptember 1 1951 1951 09 01 aged 21 near Chup a ri KoreaPlace of burialMaui Veterans Cemetery Makawao Hawaii Latitude 20 86220 Longitude 156 31430AllegianceUnited States of AmericaService wbr branchUnited States ArmyYears of service1950 1951RankPrivate First ClassService number29040479Unit17th Infantry Regiment 7th Infantry DivisionBattles warsKorean War AwardsMedal of Honor Purple Heart Combat Infantryman Badge Contents 1 Early life and family 2 Korean War service 2 1 US Army 2 1 1 Distinguished Service Cross 3 Medal of Honor recommendation 4 Military decorations and awards 5 Distinguished Service Cross 6 Medal of Honor 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 External linksEarly life and family editA native of Maui Hawaii Kahoʻohanohano was the son of a police officer and one of seven siblings 6 brothers and 1 sister 1 2 He lived in Wailuku and played football and basketball at St Anthony s School for Boys now known as St Anthony High School before graduating in 1949 2 3 All six of the Kahoʻohanohano brothers served in the U S military Anthony and three others in the active duty Army one in the Marine Corps and one in the National Guard 2 Korean War service edit nbsp US Army edit Distinguished Service Cross edit By September 1 1951 he was serving in Korea as a private first class with Company H 2nd Battalion 17th Infantry Regiment 7th Infantry Division On that day near Chup a ri he was in charge of a machine gun squad tasked with supporting another company When a numerically superior enemy force launched an attack he and his squad withdrew to a more defensible position Although wounded in the shoulder Kahoʻohanohano ordered his men to hold their ground while he gathered ammunition and returned to their original post From that position he single handedly held off the enemy advance fighting hand to hand with an entrenching tool after running out of ammunition until he was killed An American counter attack later retook the position and found thirteen dead Chinese soldiers around Kahoʻohanohano s body 4 For these actions he was posthumously awarded the U S Army s second highest military decoration the Distinguished Service Cross The medal was presented to his parents in 1952 on Maui 1 Medal of Honor recommendation editIn the late 1990s Kahoʻohanohano s brother Abel Kahoʻohanohano Sr began an effort to have the Distinguished Service Cross upgraded Abel s son George took up the cause after his father s death After an unsuccessful Medal of Honor nomination in 2001 by Representative Patsy Mink which was rejected by the Army the family enlisted the help of Senator Daniel Akaka Akaka nominated Kahoʻohanohano for the medal again and in March 2009 was informed by Secretary of the Army Pete Geren that after careful personal consideration the request had been approved 2 A provision making the upgrade official was included in the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act H R 2647 signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 28 2009 The Medal of Honor was formally presented to the Kahoʻohanohano family at a White House ceremony on May 2 2011 5 Military decorations and awards editA complete list of Kahoʻohanohano s decorations include the Medal of Honor Purple Heart Combat Infantryman Badge Korean Service Medal United Nations Service Medal National Defense Service Medal Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal 6 Distinguished Service Cross editKahoʻohanohano s official Distinguished Service Cross citation reads The President of the United States of America under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9 1918 takes pride in presenting the DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS Posthumously toPRIVATE FIRST CLASS ANTHONY T KAHOOHANOHANO RA 29040479 UNITED STATES ARMY CITATION 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 4 n 1 Medal of Honor editHis Medal of Honor citation reads The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously toPRIVATE FIRST CLASS ANTHONY T KAHO OHANOHANOUNITED STATES ARMY CITATION For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty Private First Class Anthony T KAHO OHANOHANO Company H 17th Infantry Regiment 7th Infantry Division distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above the call of duty in action against the enemy in the vicinity of Chupa ri Korea on 1 September 1951 On that date Private First Class KAHO OHANOHANO was in charge of a machine gun squad supporting the defensive positioning of Company F when a numerically superior enemy force launched a fierce attack Because of the enemy s overwhelming numbers friendly troops were forced to execute a limited withdrawal As the men fell back Private First Class KAHO OHANOHANO ordered his squad to take up more defensible positions and provide covering fire for the withdrawing friendly force Although having been wounded in the shoulder during the initial enemy assault Private First Class KAHO OHANOHANO 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 First Class KAHO OHANOHANO 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 Private First Class KAHO OHANOHANO s heroic stand so inspired his comrades that they launched a counterattack that completely repulsed the enemy Upon reaching Private First Class KAHO OHANOHANO s emplacement friendly troops discovered 11 enemy soldiers lying dead in front of the emplacement and two inside it killed in hand to hand combat Private First Class KAHO OHANOHANO s extraordinary heroism and selfless devotion to duty are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself the 7th Infantry Division and the United States Army 7 See also edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anthony T Kahoʻohanohano nbsp Biography portal List of Korean War Medal of Honor recipientsNotes edit Kaho ohanohano originally received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions but on October 28 2009 the Medal was upgraded to the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama References edit a b Cole William October 27 2009 Medal of Honor expected to be approved for Maui man The Honolulu Advertiser Honolulu Hawaii Archived from the original on 31 October 2009 Retrieved October 28 2009 a b c d Cole William October 28 2009 Medal of Honor likely for Isle man The Honolulu Advertiser Honolulu Hawaii Retrieved October 28 2009 permanent dead link SAS Honor Roll and Memorial PDF Sine Qua non Maui Hawaii St Anthony Junior Senior High School 7 Summer 2009 Archived from the original PDF on July 25 2011 Retrieved October 28 2009 a b Valor awards for Anthony Kahoohanohano Hall of Valor Military Times 2009 Archived from the original on March 21 2012 Retrieved October 28 2009 2 Korean War soldiers to receive posthumous Medals of Honor CNN This Just In blog April 14 2011 Archived from the original on April 17 2011 Retrieved April 14 2011 Kahoohanohano Anthony Korean War Honor Roll American Battle Monuments Commission Archived from the original on August 6 2011 Retrieved October 28 2009 Medal of Honor Citation for Pvt 1st Class Anthony T Kaho ohanohano United States Army April 22 2011 Retrieved March 6 2011 External links editAnthony Thomas Kaho ohanohano at Find a Grave Army news website Soldiers inducted into Gallery of Heroes Maui news MEDAL OF HONOR Korean War vet hero Maui can be proud of Hawaii Army weekly Hawaiian Army Museum Society Maui News MEDAL OF HONOR Korean War vet hero Maui can be proud of Hawaii Senator news Release SPEECH OF HON MAZIE K HIRONO OF HAWAII IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5 2009 permanent dead link Congressional record Army Home Page standto archive from 2011 05 02 President to award posthumous Medals of Honor for Korea Medal of honor pfc Anthony T Kahoohanohano Korean war heroes to be posthumously awarded medal of honor today General Orders No 2012 21 Award of the Medal of Honor to Private First Class Anthony T Kahoʻohanohano PFC Anthony T Kaho ohanohano Chup a ri A Forgotten Battle County of Maui Resolution honoring Anthony T Kaho ohanohano as a Recipient of the Medal of Honor Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Anthony T Kahoʻohanohano amp oldid 1176812102, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
