Herbert K. Pililaau

Private First Class Herbert Kailieha Pililaʻau was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Korean War. A Native Hawaiian born and raised on the island of Oʻau, he was drafted into the military as a young man and sent to Korea in early 1951. He served as an automatic rifleman in the Battle of Bloody Ridge before his unit moved on to the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge.

During the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge, Pililaʻau voluntarily stayed behind to cover his unit's withdrawal in the face of an intense attack by North Korean forces. Alone, he held off the assault using his automatic rifle and hand grenades. After exhausting all available ammunition, he engaged the attackers in hand-to-hand combat until he was overrun and killed. He was the first Native Hawaiian to receive the Medal of Honor.

Pililaʻau's legacy is honored in various ways, including the USNS Pililaau, a Military Sealift Command cargo ship christened in his honor in January 2000. Additionally, a live-fire range at Makua Military Reservation, a park in his hometown of Wai'anae, and the Pililaau Army Recreation Center bear his name.