Friday, October 23, 2015

Remember. "Pfc. Pililaau . . . with ammunition exhausted, closed with the foe in hand-to-hand combat . . . with his trench knife and bare fists."

Drafted into the Army, he attended basic training 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, Pililaʻau 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. -- Wikipedia.
Herbert K. Pililaau.
"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."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for that piece Dutchman. I send out e-mails and articles concerning how people have become "sheeple-ized" and this article was a beautiful example of what a real human should be when faced with their own mortality. A great example of the courage we all should possess..

Anonymous said...

Medal of Honor awarded for his action. More backbone than the clowns in D.C.

Crotalus said...

Was he featured in Clint Eastwood's movie, "Heartbreak Ridge"? (I need to see that movie now.)

Anonymous said...

So few American Heros recognized, so lacking REAL American Heros today....sigh...

Hopefully some will be around when Civil War 2.0 kicks off, ill be with the ones who are real independents thank you.

What life is worth living if you will not put it on the line to fight for Freedom and Liberty...that is fight for Life itself.

America is full of surrender monkees talking all sorts of smack and ridiculous jingoisms regarding what a "Patriot" is or they think they are, not training their marksmanship skills, not training their minds for mental toughness, not training their bodies for the rigors of the war to come but instead "live" chained to shitty standards of living and thinking there are somehow "free" and enjoying liberty....Really?

Crap TV, fixed Football games from a stained recliner and shitty beer by the 30 pack and greasy kosher hotdogs, with a double helping of whatever the Kkardashians are serving up tonight, is not Freedom and Liberty....enough said.

Sign Me, Neal Jensen