Captain David Kuamo'o

U.S. Army /

Captain David Kuamo’o

David was known in our Kuamo’o Family or Ohana as the “Audie Murphy from Hawaii during the Vietnam War,” & was a great-great-great-grandson of our Kuamo’o family’s proud warrior lineage of King Kamehameha I, the Conqueror, of Hawaii. He enlisted in the Army right out of Hilo High School in 1966. Only 17, he lied about his age. David served five consecutive one-year combat tours in Vietnam, and earned every combat medal for valor except the Congressional Medal of Honor, and he was recommended for that twice. His CMOH nominations were downgraded to the 2nd highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross and one of the two Silver Stars he was awarded. He also earned two Bronze Stars and four Purple Hearts. He passed up a chance to go to West Point and was assigned to federal law enforcement with the Army Military Police after returning from combat during the Vietnam War in 1973 as a U.S. Army SFC E-7 Platoon Sergeant. While in Vietnam, David served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade as a LURP (Long-Range Reconnaisance Patrol aka LRP aka LRRP) team leader of 5-6 member LURP Ranger teams operating 30-50 miles behind enemy lines on 3-5 day intelligence-gathering missions. Subsequent assignments as in infantryman, MP, Ranger and Special Forces Green Beret resulted in his ultimate promotion to a Army Infantry Green Beret Captain prior to his retirement in the 1990s. His patriotic service reflected great credit on himself, his family and the U.S. Army, which we are all proud of.

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