The day after he announced to the nation that U.S. special operations troops killed terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, President Obama presented Medals of Honor to the families of two Army privates for heroism during the Korean War. Both men, Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano and Henry Svehla, died in action during the respective operations. According to the citation, Kaho’ohanohano, then 19, ordered squad mates to take cover while he confronted attackers with small arms and grenades on Sept. 1, 1951. He was killed in hand-to-hand combat. The Hawaii native was attached to Company H, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division at the time. His brother, Eugene Kaho’ohanohano, accepted the award during the White House ceremony. Svehla, of New Jersey, charged enemy positions and destroyed them with small arms and grenades during a June 12, 1952 firefight. He was killed after throwing himself on a grenade to protect comrades in his unit, Company F, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was 21 at the time. His sister, Dorothy Mathews, accepted the award. During the ceremony, Obama linked the two soldiers’ heroism some 60 years earlier with the operation against bin Laden. "I could not be prouder of our men and women in uniform. That is true now, in today’s wars. It has been true in all of our wars. And that is why we are here today," Obama said.
