Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Anthony Thomas Kaho’ohanohano. Anthony served during the Korean War from 1950 to 1951.
Anthony was a native of Maui, Hawaii, and had six brothers and one sister. All six of his brothers also served in the U.S. military. Three of his brothers served in the Army with Anthony, one joined the Marine Corps and one joined the National Guard.
Anthony originally enlisted in the National Guard, but instead joined active duty Feb. 5, 1951 to fight in the Korean War. He was assigned to Company H, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division based out of Korea. His unit was deployed Aug. 1951 to the frontlines of the Hwacheon area.
The unit launched an operation that became known as the Battle of Chup’a-ri Aug. 26, 1951. Anthony and his unit were tasked with the assault on Hill 682, and he led the machine gun squad within his company. The unit secured the hill Aug. 31, however a massive Chinese counterattack caused the unit to withdraw. Anthony was wounded in the shoulder during the initial attack, but continued to fight alongside his unit. He ordered his squad to get to a better position down the hill while he provided cover. As the enemy attacked, Anthony grabbed a satchel of grenades and extra ammunition to continue his fight. He eventually ran out of ammunition and grenades and made his last stand with hand to hand combat before he was killed in action Sept. 1, 1951.
Anthony was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2011. He also received the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Republic of Korean War Service Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, and Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
We honor his service.
Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay
Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? You’re in luck! VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.
It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.
Veterans History Project
This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.
Graphic By Kierra Willis: Kierra Willis is a Graphic Communication Major at the University of Maryland University College. She currently has an AAS in Graphic Design and Visual Communications.
Topics in this story
More Stories
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Navy Veteran Ken Mattingly, who served as a pilot during the 1950s and later became an astronaut during the Apollo missions.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Air Force Veteran Gavino Cavazos, who served from 1949 to 1973 during both the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Howard Brown, who served during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1969 and the Gulf War from 1969 to 1992.
