Pililaau, Herbert Kailieha, 1928-1951

Herbert Kailieha Pililaau (October 10, 1928 – September 17, 1951) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Korean War. A Native Hawaiian who was born and raised on the island of Oʻahu, he was drafted into the military as a young man. Sent to Korea in early 1951, Pililaau participated as an automatic rifleman 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 Korean forces. Alone, Pililaau held off the assault using his automatic rifle and hand grenades and, after exhausting all available ammunition, engaged the attackers in hand to hand combat until being overrun and killed. For these actions, Pililaau was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor; he was the first Hawaiian to receive the Medal of Honor.