The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
'His courageous actions in Korea saved the lives of his fellow soldiers. I praise the Kahoohanohano family ... for keeping Anthony's memory alive."
- U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, assisted family with the Medal of Honor process

By MELISSA TANJI, Staff Writer

Family members of the late Anthony T. Kahoohanohano could not contain their excitement Wednesday when President Barack Obama signed a bill that included a provision to award the Medal of Honor to Kahoohanohano who died fighting in the Korean War in 1951.

It "feels great . . . like a big weight was lifted off our shoulders," said Madeline Kahoohanohano of Kahului, Anthony Kahoohanohano's sister-in-law.

The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
Kahului's Madeline Kahoohanohano poses with photos of her late brother-in-law, Anthony T. Kahoohanohano, on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier in the day, President Barack Obama signed a bill that included a provision to give Anthony Kahoohanohano the Medal of Honor.

The 79-year-old said that for about 10 years her late husband, Abel, and his family and later her son, George, have been lobbying officials and writing letters to anyone they could think of to get Anthony Kahoohanohano awarded the military's highest decoration.

"After 58 years, we were fighting for this," said David Kahoohanohano, 76, of Pukalani, Anthony Kahoohanohano's younger brother. "He was a very outstanding individual. To me, he was one of my heroes when I was young."

David Kahoohanohano said family members believed that Anthony Kahoohanohano deserved the medal ever since he died in combat. He said his older brother was a protector who got him out of trouble when they were young boys.

"We're excited. My children are excited. We are going to save our money" to go to the medal ceremony, said George Kahoohanohano's wife, Barbara.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, who assisted the family with the Medal of Honor process, also commended Anthony Kahoohanohano on Wednesday.

"Anthony T. Kahoohanohano is a hero Maui can be proud of," Akaka said. "His courageous actions in Korea saved the lives of his fellow soldiers. I praise the Kahoohanohano family in Pukalani for keeping Anthony's memory alive.

"I look forward to seeing President Obama present the Medal of Honor to the Kahoohanohano family."

Akaka, who is chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, has been assisting the Kahoohanohano family since 2004. The late U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink had also tried to get Anthony Kahoohanohano the award.

In March, the Army gave its approval for the award, and Akaka was able to include the provision in a bill before Congress.

Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 on Wednesday in the East Room of the White House in Washington. The White House will determine where and when the award will be given, and those details have not been finalized, Akaka's staff said.

Shortly after Anthony Kahoohanohano's death, he was given the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a person in the U.S. Army.

As a private first class, Anthony Kahoohanohano was with the Company H, 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, during the Korean War. He was in charge a machine-gun squad in the vicinity of Chup'a-ri, Korea, on Sept. 1, 1951.

On that day, he ordered members of his squad to take up more secure positions to provide cover as American forces were withdrawing. He stayed behind and fought the enemy himself, even after suffering a shoulder wound. After his ammunition was gone, he fought in hand-to-hand combat until he was killed.

His stand inspired his comrades, who launched a counterattack to repulse the enemy.

Kahoohanohano joins Barney F. Hajiro of Puunene and the late Kaoru Moto of Spreckelsville as Medal of Honor recipients from Maui. The only living Medal of Honor recipients from Hawaii are Hajiro and U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye. Nineteen Medal of Honor recipients were born in Hawaii.

Barbara Kahoohanohano, George's wife, said the award is well-deserved and a long time coming.

She recalled visiting to Fort DeRussy on Oahu with family family members and reading the descriptions of valor of other Medal of Honor winners.

She said family members were not trying to take away from the others, but the family felt that "Uncle Anthony" had done "three times himself" of what others did.

Barbara Kahoohanohano said the late Teddy Gouveia from Maui recalled that Anthony Kahoohanohano was quiet, but when he was your friend, he was friend who took care of you. The two had served together in Korea.

She said Gouveia recalled Anthony serving as his protector because Gouveia was small in stature. She added that Gouveia was one of those who found Anthony's body after he was killed.

Madeline Kahoohanohano, a sister-in-law of Anthony Kahoohanohano, said the 1949 St. Anthony High School graduate grew up in a two-bedroom house with his brothers and a sister in Wailuku near the old Yokouchi Bakery.

"He was a very quiet boy," she recalled hearing from family members. "He never used to like to mingle. He was more on the reserve type."

But she said he was someone you could depend on.

Madeline Kahoohanohano said Abel was saddened when he learned of his brother's death but said "he was very proud. The brother wasn't a quitter."

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.

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