Herbert K. Pililaau
Encyclopedia
Herbert Kaili Pililaau was a United States Army
soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
, for his actions in the Korean War
. A Native Hawaiian who was born and raised on the island of Oahu
, he was drafted into the military as a young man. Sent to Korea
in early 1951, he participated as an automatic rifle
man in the Battle of Bloody Ridge
. During the subsequent Battle of Heartbreak Ridge
, he voluntarily stayed behind to cover his unit's withdrawal in the face of an intense attack by North Korea
n forces. Alone, he held off the assault using his automatic rifle and hand grenade
s and, after exhausting all available ammunition, engaged the attackers in hand to hand combat
until being overrun and killed. For these actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
, a working-class suburb of Honolulu in what was then the Territory of Hawaii
. He was the ninth of fourteen children, nine brothers and five sisters. His parents were both Native Hawaiians
and his mother, Abigail, spoke English
and Hawaiian
. She was the daughter of Luka (Kailieha) Norton. Pililaau was a talented singer and ukulele
player and an avid reader. After graduating from Waipahu High School
in 1948, he studied administration, secretarial work, and accounting at Cannon Business School.
at Fort Shafter
. He briefly considered declaring himself a conscientious objector
, as his Christian
faith made him unsure of killing others, but decided against this idea. He was sent to Korea in March 1951 and served as a private first class
with Company C, 23rd Infantry Regiment
, 2nd Infantry Division. Volunteering to be his squad
's automatic rifleman, Pililaau carried a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). In August he participated in the Battle of Bloody Ridge, in which the 2nd Infantry Division attacked and captured a ridge in east central Korea. Their next objective was a hill mass just to the north, near Pia-ri, which would come to be known as Heartbreak Ridge.
On September 17, 1951, Company C and two other companies were tasked with capturing Hill 931, one of Heartbreak Ridge's two identifiable peaks, from North Korean forces. When Company C's attack stalled on a ridgeline which ran south from the main peak, Pililaau's platoon
set up a defensive perimeter ahead of the rest of the company. With the help of artillery
, mortar
, and heavy machine gun support, the platoon easily held off a series of probing assaults which began in the mid-afternoon. At about 10:00 p.m., two battalion
s of the 13th Infantry Regiment, 6th Division
, Korean People's Army
, began a concerted attack on the position. With North Korean artillery striking close by and ammunition running low, the platoon received permission to withdraw and rejoin the main body of the company as quickly as possible. Pililaau's squad was assigned to stay back momentarily and cover the retreat. Eventually, only Pililaau and his squad leader remained at the platoon's original position; when the squad leader left, Pililaau continued to fight off the attack alone. After exhausting the ammunition for his BAR, he began throwing hand grenades until those too were gone. As some of his comrades watched from their new position further down the ridge, Pililaau threw rocks at the attackers before charging at them, wielding his trench knife
with one hand and punching with the other. He was soon surrounded and killed by bayonet
. When his platoon retook the position the next day, they found forty dead North Korean soldiers around his body.
Aged 22 at his death, Pililaau was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
in Honolulu on February 26, 1952. For his actions on Heartbreak Ridge, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor later that year, on June 18. He was the first Hawaiian to receive the Medal of Honor.
In January 2000 in New Orleans, the United States Navy
christened a Military Sealift Command
cargo ship, the , in his honor. Thirty-one members of his extended family were given a tour of the ship on December 10, 2003, when it made its first docking in Hawaii. Also named for Pililaau are a live-fire range at Makua Military Reservation, a park in his hometown of Wai'anae, and the Wai'anae Army Recreation Center.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, for his actions in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. A Native Hawaiian who was born and raised on the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, he was drafted into the military as a young man. Sent to Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
in early 1951, he participated as an automatic rifle
Automatic rifle
Automatic rifle is a term generally used to describe a semi-automatic rifle chambered for a rifle cartridge, capable of delivering both semi- and full automatic fire...
man in the Battle of Bloody Ridge
Battle of Bloody Ridge
The Battle of Bloody Ridge was a ground combat battle that took place during the Korean War from August 18 to September 5, 1951.Located in hills north of the 38th parallel north in the central Korean mountain range, the battle was fought between the communist North Korean forces of the Korean...
. During the subsequent Battle of Heartbreak Ridge
Battle of Heartbreak Ridge
The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge , also known as the Battle of Wendengli , was a month-long battle in the Korean War fought between September 13 and October 15, 1951...
, he voluntarily stayed behind to cover his unit's withdrawal in the face of an intense attack by North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n forces. Alone, he held off the assault using his automatic rifle and hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s and, after exhausting all available ammunition, engaged the attackers in hand to hand combat
Hand to hand combat
Hand-to-hand combat is a lethal or nonlethal physical confrontation between two or more persons at very short range that does not involve the use of firearms or other distance weapons...
until being overrun and killed. For these actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Early life
Pililaau was born and raised in Wai'anaeWai'anae, Hawai'i
Waianae is a census-designated place in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the CDP population was 10,506.-Geography:Waianae is located at ....
, a working-class suburb of Honolulu in what was then the Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
. He was the ninth of fourteen children, nine brothers and five sisters. His parents were both Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
and his mother, Abigail, spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Hawaiian
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
. She was the daughter of Luka (Kailieha) Norton. Pililaau was a talented singer and ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
player and an avid reader. After graduating from Waipahu High School
Waipahu High School
Waipahu High School is located at 94-1211 Farrington Highway in Waipahu on the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii. Waipahu High School was founded in 1938 under the Session Laws of 1937 and Act 191 of 1938. The first graduates of Waipahu High School were from the class of 1941. The last...
in 1948, he studied administration, secretarial work, and accounting at Cannon Business School.
Military service
Drafted into the Army, he attended basic trainingUnited States Army Basic Training
United States Army Basic Training is the program of physical and mental training required in order for an individual to become a soldier in the United States Army, United States Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. It is carried out at several different Army posts around the United States...
at Fort Shafter
Fort Shafter
Fort Shafter is in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, extending up the interfluve between Kalihi and Moanalua valleys, as well as onto the coastal plain at Māpunapuna. Fort Shafter is the headquarters of the United States Army Pacific Command, the MACOM of U.S. Army forces in...
. He briefly considered declaring himself a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
, as his Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
faith made him unsure of killing others, but decided against this idea. He was sent to Korea in March 1951 and served as a private first class
Private First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
with Company C, 23rd Infantry Regiment
23rd Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 23rd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army originally formed on June 26th 1812. The 23rd saw action in 14 battles during the War of 1812...
, 2nd Infantry Division. Volunteering to be his squad
Squad
In military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section...
's automatic rifleman, Pililaau carried a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). In August he participated in the Battle of Bloody Ridge, in which the 2nd Infantry Division attacked and captured a ridge in east central Korea. Their next objective was a hill mass just to the north, near Pia-ri, which would come to be known as Heartbreak Ridge.
On September 17, 1951, Company C and two other companies were tasked with capturing Hill 931, one of Heartbreak Ridge's two identifiable peaks, from North Korean forces. When Company C's attack stalled on a ridgeline which ran south from the main peak, Pililaau's platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
set up a defensive perimeter ahead of the rest of the company. With the help of artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
, and heavy machine gun support, the platoon easily held off a series of probing assaults which began in the mid-afternoon. At about 10:00 p.m., two battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s of the 13th Infantry Regiment, 6th Division
6th Division (North Korea)
The 6th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th Century. The date that the 6th Infantry Division was formed in somewhat unclear as the Army during the Korean War believed that the 6th ID was established either in July 1949 or March 1950 at Sinuiju from...
, Korean People's Army
Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army , also known as the Inmin Gun, are the military forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
, began a concerted attack on the position. With North Korean artillery striking close by and ammunition running low, the platoon received permission to withdraw and rejoin the main body of the company as quickly as possible. Pililaau's squad was assigned to stay back momentarily and cover the retreat. Eventually, only Pililaau and his squad leader remained at the platoon's original position; when the squad leader left, Pililaau continued to fight off the attack alone. After exhausting the ammunition for his BAR, he began throwing hand grenades until those too were gone. As some of his comrades watched from their new position further down the ridge, Pililaau threw rocks at the attackers before charging at them, wielding his trench knife
Trench knife
A Trench knife is a combat knife designed to kill or gravely incapacitate an enemy soldier at close quarters, as might be encountered in a trenchline or other confined area. It was developed in response to a need for a close combat weapon for soldiers conducting assaults and raids on enemy...
with one hand and punching with the other. He was soon surrounded and killed by bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
. When his platoon retook the position the next day, they found forty dead North Korean soldiers around his body.
Legacy and honors
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is a cemetery located in Honolulu, Hawaii that serves a memorial to those men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces...
in Honolulu on February 26, 1952. For his actions on Heartbreak Ridge, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor later that year, on June 18. He was the first Hawaiian to receive the Medal of Honor.
In January 2000 in New Orleans, the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
christened a Military Sealift Command
Military Sealift Command
The Military Sealift Command is a United States Navy organization that controls most of the replenishment and military transport ships of the Navy. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's...
cargo ship, the , in his honor. Thirty-one members of his extended family were given a tour of the ship on December 10, 2003, when it made its first docking in Hawaii. Also named for Pililaau are a live-fire range at Makua Military Reservation, a park in his hometown of Wai'anae, and the Wai'anae Army Recreation Center.
Medal of Honor citation
Pililaau's official Medal of Honor citation reads:Pfc. Pililaau, a member of Company C, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. The enemy sent wave after wave of fanatical troops against his platoon which held a key terrain feature on "Heartbreak Ridge." Valiantly defending its position, the unit repulsed each attack until ammunition became practically exhausted and it was ordered to withdraw to a new position. Voluntarily remaining behind to cover the withdrawal, Pfc. Pililaau fired his automatic weapon into the ranks of the assailants, threw all his grenades and, with ammunition exhausted, closed with the foe in hand-to-hand combat, courageously fighting with his trench knife and bare fists until finally overcome and mortally wounded. When the position was subsequently retaken, more than 40 enemy dead were counted in the area he had so valiantly defended. His heroic devotion to duty, indomitable fighting spirit, and gallant self-sacrifice reflect the highest credit upon himself, the infantry, and the U.S. Army.
See also
- List of Korean War Medal of Honor recipients