{"id":86152,"date":"2025-06-25T07:03:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T07:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/?p=86152"},"modified":"2026-04-28T19:39:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T19:39:17","slug":"hawai%ca%bbis-finest-stories-of-courage-from-the-korean-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/2025\/06\/25\/hawai%ca%bbis-finest-stories-of-courage-from-the-korean-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Check Six: Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s Finest: Stories of Courage from the Korean War"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In the shadow of the jagged Korean mountains and in the cold of a brutal war far from home, three sons of Hawai\u02bbi answered the call with courage, sacrifice, and service that would define not only their own lives, but the enduring legacy of the Hawai\u02bbi Army National Guard in the Korean War. Their names: Spc. 2nd<\/sup> Class Francis H. Wright, Pfc. Anthony T. Kaho\u02bbohanohano, and Maj. Rudolph P. Wipperman. Together, their stories reflect the quiet strength, tenacity, and honor carried by Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s Citizen-Soldiers in one of America\u2019s most strenuous conflicts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pfc. Anthony T. Kaho\u02bbohanohano \u2013 Valor Immortalized<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Pfc. Anthony T. Kaho\u02bbohanohano of Wailuku, Maui, the Korean War would demand everything \u2014 and he gave it. One of six brothers who all joined the serve, Kaho\u02bbohanohano began his military career with the Hawai\u02bbi Army National Guard before transitioning to active duty with Company H, 17th<\/sup> Infantry Regiment, 7th<\/sup> Infantry Division. On Sep. 1, 1951, during the battle for Hill 682 near the village of Chupa-ri, Kaho\u02bbohanohano led a machine-gun squad tasked with supporting friendly defensive positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a larger enemy force launched a fierce assault, his unit was ordered to withdraw. Though wounded in the shoulder, Kaho\u02bbohanohano stayed behind alone, arming himself with grenades and ammunition. From his position, he laid down withering fire, halting the enemy advance until his ammo ran out. Then, in a final act of defiance, he fought hand-to-hand using his entrenching tool before being killed. When U.S. forces counterattacked and reclaimed his position, they found 13 enemy soldiers dead \u2014 11 outside and two inside the emplacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His valor inspired a battlefield reversal and a legacy that would be enshrined in the highest traditions of military heroism. Initially awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1952, his family fought for decades to see his sacrifice fully recognized. In 2011, Kaho\u02bbohanohano was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, ensuring that his heroism would never be forgotten. In 2017 the Hawai\u02bbi Army National Guard Puunene Armory was dedicated to Pfc. Anthony T. Kaho\u02bbohanohano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maj. Rudolph P. Wipperman \u2013 The Old Mountain Goat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While some fought with rifles and grenades, Maj. Rudolph P. Wipperman, a physician and Regimental Surgeon from the 299th<\/sup> Infantry Regiment, Hawai\u02bbi Army National Guard brought healing under fire. Though considered too old by some for frontline service, he demanded to serve in the field, not in the rear. Wipperman quickly found himself embedded with the 31st<\/sup> Infantry Regiment of the 7th<\/sup> Infantry Division, one of the battle-hardened units in Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For two months, he served alongside riflemen in Korea\u2019s rugged terrain, treating the wounded and overseeing medical support in the harshest of conditions. His personal visits to forward aid stations earned him the nickname \u201cOld Mountain Goat,\u201d a title he bore proudly as he climbed treacherous trails to be with his men. He bore witness to the selfless bravery of litter bearers, often carrying wounded soldiers under fire for six or more hours through mountainous terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a letter to Brig. Gen. Makinney, the Adjutant General of the Hawaii Army National Guard, Wipperman wrote, \u201cIt is a privilege to help these men who depend so much on us\u2026 It doesn\u2019t seem like a sacrifice, but a privilege to have a part in this great effort.\u201d His service exemplified the heart of the Guard\u2019s medical corps \u2014 skilled, devoted and fearless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spc. 2nd <\/sup>Class Francis H. Wright \u2013 Survivor of Hardship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Spc. 2nd<\/sup> Class Francis H. Wright, the war\u2019s brutality came not just on the battlefield, but behind barbed wire. Born in Hawai\u02bbi and a pre-war member of the Hawai\u02bbi Army National Guard\u2019s 613th<\/sup> Ordnance Company, Wright entered federal service with the Regular Army in 1949 and soon found himself in the Korean War with C Company, 8th<\/sup> Regiment, 1st<\/sup> Cavalry Division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Nov. 2, 1950, as United Nations forces surged north toward the Yalu River near Manchuria, Wright was captured by Chinese Communist forces in Ansan, North Korea. He would spend the next 32 harrowing months as a prisoner of war, enduring brutal conditions in North Korean prison camps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Armistice was signed in 1953, Wright was released and returned home to Hawai\u02bbi. Though physically free, the mental and emotional weight of captivity would follow him for years. Still, his spirit remained unbroken. In February 1954, just months after his release, Wright rejoined the Hawai\u02bbi Army National Guard. He served faithfully for decades, eventually rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant and transferring to the U.S. Army Reserves in 1988. His journey \u2014 from capture to lifelong service \u2014 made him a living testament to perseverance, resilience and duty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legacy of Service<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Korean War tested the mettle of the United States and of the Hawai\u02bbi National Guard. Wright\u2019s survival, Kaho\u02bbohanohano\u2019s sacrifice and Wipperman\u2019s steadfast care form a trinity of service \u2014 endurance, valor, and compassion \u2014 that reflects the very best of what the Citizen-Soldier can offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though the Korean War is often referred to as \u201cThe Forgotten War,\u201d the deeds of these three men ensure that for the people of Hawai\u02bbi \u2014 and for anyone who learns their stories \u2014 will never be forgotten. Their lives, woven into the legacy of the Hawai\u02bbi Army National Guard, continue to inspire generations of service members who stand ready, as they once did, to answer the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn more about Kaho\u02bbohanohano<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Learn more about Wright<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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References: Warriors: Pu\u2019 Ali Koa by Lincoln C. Yamashita pp. 68, Hawaii Army National Guard Record, Department of Defense<\/a>, 1951 December Hawaii Guardsmen<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the shadow of the jagged Korean mountains and in the cold of a brutal war far from home, three sons of Hawai\u02bbi answered the call with courage, sacrifice, and service that would define not only their own lives, but the enduring legacy of the Hawai\u02bbi Army National Guard in the Korean War. Their names: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":189,"featured_media":86223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"54741,60598,85107,8952,56530,6585","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[12400,12386],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-1950s","category-check-six"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/189"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86152"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86152\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87051,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86152\/revisions\/87051"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}