Anthony T . Kahoʻohanohano Anthony Thomas Kahoohanohano ( 1930 – September 1 , 1951 ) was a United States Army soldier who was killed in action during the Korean War . He became a recipient of the United States military ' s highest decoration , the Medal of Honor , for his actions . Early life and family . A native of Maui , Hawaii , Kahoohanohano was the son of a police officer and one of six brothers . 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 . All six of the Kahoohanohano 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 . Korean War service . 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 , Kahoohanohano 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 Communist Chinese soldiers around Kahoohanohano ' s body . Honors and legacy . For these actions , he was posthumously awarded the U . S . Army ' s second - highest decoration , the Distinguished Service Cross . This medal was presented to his family in 1952 on Maui . In the late 1990s , Kahoohanohano ' s brother , Abel Kahoohanohano , 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 Kahoohanohano 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 . 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 Kahoohanohano family at a White House ceremony on May 2 , 2011 . A complete list of Kahoohanohano ' s decorations include the Medal of Honor , Purple Heart , Combat Infantryman Badge , Korean Service Medal , United Nations Service Medal , National Defense Service Medal , Korean Presidential Unit Citation , and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal . Distinguished Service Cross citation . Kahoohanohano ' 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 ( 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 . Medal of Honor citation . Citation : Private First Class Anthony T . Kaho ' ohanohano , Company H , 17th Infantry Regiment , 7th Infantry Division , distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism 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 .