Almost 60 years after his death, a Korean War veteran received an honor his family says is long overdue. President Barack Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to Pfc. Anthony Kaho’ohanohano at the White House Monday. More than 20 family members flew from Hawaii for the ceremony.
Kaho’ohanohano was killed in September 1951 during the battle of Chupari in Korea. He faced enemy troops alone so that his fellow soldiers could fall back to a more defenseable position and regroup.
Following his death, Kaho’ohanohano was awarded the second-highest military honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, for his actions. But after reading accounts of other Medal of Honor winners, Anthony’s family felt he deserved the same. They began to push Congress to upgrade the award starting in the late 1950s.