This Soldier Was Alone And Surrounded, But The Brutal Way He Took On 40 Enemy Troops Is Insane

Is it possible to kill 40 enemies all alone and be the shield for your colleagues? Herbert K. Pililaau is the answer to this question. During the Korean war, he had achieved this feat. So, who is Private First Class Herbert K. Pililaau? He was born in October 1928 in Honolulu. Pililaau was the youngest of his nine brothers and five sisters. He had a knack for music and was an accomplished singer. He was also a good ukulele player. After completing his graduation in 1948, Pililaau was busy with his further studies in administration and accounting. But around that time in 1950, the Korean war broke out and Pililaau was called for his services. His duty towards his country helped him overcome his strong Christian beliefs and other notions. He started his basic training at the Fort Shafter military base in Honolulu, where he was given a Browning automatic rifle (BAR). The weapon that Pililaau acquired had the capacity to fire 650 rounds per minutes. In 1951, Pililaau had his first encounter with war against North Korea. It was known as the battle of the Bloody Bridge where the Korean People’s Army was fighting the UN troop consisting of the U.S. army. Though the peace talks were going on, there was no dearth of harsh combat. A 10 days long battle was fought to win over the hill all over again. At that point in time, the North Koreans had to retreat because they were outflanked and cut off by the opposition. However, North Korea retreated, but they didn’t go too far and made their base at a place that became famous by the name Heartbreak Ridge. The tactics employed by General Thomas de Shazo were questionable because by the time they reached the summit; they were completely exhausted and could not put up a fight against the North Korean troop who were bustling with energy. Therefore, the obvious happened and the Americans and the French had to retreat. At the summit there were instances where the hand-to-hand combat along with trench knives and grenades took place very frequently. Hill 931 of Heartbreak Ridge was one significant fight where Pililaau single-handedly helped his colleagues to retreat and run for safer pastures. Till evening the Americans were able to reply to the Korean attack with the help of artilleries. At around 10 pm, the North Korean troops wrecked havoc on the Pililaau’s troop along with another one when the platoon was directly facing the North Korean artillery with limited ammunition. It was time to take quick call and the platoon decided to retreat and come back with reinforcement. Pililaau was the last man in the rearguard and he ensured that his platoon was safe. He fought 40 North Koreans alone with trench knives. Prior to that, he used the limited ammunition to his benefit and also threw hand grenades. This is how Pililaau helped his platoon, but could not save his own life. Inspiring, isn’t it?