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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

1950–1953

Korean War: Medal of Honor Recipients

153 Medals of Honor were awarded for the Korean War (1950–1953), 113 of them posthumously.

153medals
113posthumous
1living
43states

When North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950, the United States led a United Nations coalition to the peninsula. Americans fought through the defense of the Pusan Perimeter, the landing at Inchon, the brutal winter retreat from the Chosin Reservoir and two years of grinding hill battles before the armistice of July 27, 1953.

A large share of Korean War medals were awarded posthumously, many to soldiers and Marines who threw themselves on grenades or held positions to the last to cover their comrades.

By service branch

U.S. Army98
U.S. Marine Corps32
U.S. Marine Corps Reserve10
U.S. Navy8
U.S. Air Force4
Unknown1

Medals by month of action

Top states (credited to)

Texas14
California12
Pennsylvania8
New York7
Michigan6
Massachusetts6
Kentucky5
Wisconsin5

Days with the most recipients

Living recipients

EW Elmer Royce Williams Lieutenant · Navy Korean War · 1952

All recipients · page 1 of 2

153 total, A–Z by last name
Charles Gene Abrell Corporal · Marine Corps June 10, 1951 ✦ SA Stanley Taylor Adams Master Sergeant · Army February 4, 1951 Joe R. Baldonado Corporal · Army November 25, 1950 ✦ William Earl Barber Captain · Marine Corps November 28 - December 2, 1950 CB Charles H. Barker Private First Class · Army June 4, 1953 ✦ William Bernard Baugh Private First Class · Marine Corps November 29, 1950 ✦ Edward Clyde "ted" Benfold Hospital Corpsman Third Class · Navy September 5, 1952 ✦ Emory Lawrence Bennett Private First Class · Army June 24, 1951 ✦ David Bruce Bleak Sergeant · Army June 14, 1952 Nelson Vogel Brittin Sergeant First Class · Army March 7, 1951 ✦ Melvin L. Brown Private First Class · Army September 4, 1950 ✦ Lloyd Leslie "scooter" Burke First Lieutenant · Army October 28, 1951 Tony K. Burris Sergeant First Class · Army October 8, 1951 ✦ Hector Albert Cafferata Jr. Private · Marine Corps November 28, 1950 RC Richard Edward Cavazos First Lieutenant · Army June 14 - 15, 1953 ✦ David Bernard Champagne Corporal · Marine Corps May 28, 1952 ✦ William Richard Charette Hospital Corpsman Third Class · Navy March 27, 1953 Cornelius H. Charlton Sergeant · Army June 2, 1951 ✦ Stanley Reuben Christianson Private First Class · Marine Corps September 29, 1950 ✦ Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. Corporal · Army November 5, 1950 ✦ Gilbert George Collier Sergeant · Army July 19, 1953 ✦ JC John Walton Collier Corporal · Army September 19, 1950 ✦ Henry Alfred Commiskey Sr. First Lieutenant · Marine Corps September 20, 1950 Samuel Streit Coursen First Lieutenant · Army October 12, 1950 ✦ GC Gordon Maynard Craig Corporal · Army September 10, 1950 ✦ Jerry Kirt Crump Corporal · Army September 6, 1951 Jack Arden Davenport Corporal · Marine Corps September 21, 1951 ✦ George Andrew Davis Jr. Major · Air Force February 10, 1952 ✦ Raymond Gilbert Davis Lieutenant Colonel · Marine Corps December 1, 1950 William Frishe Dean Sr. Major General · Army July 20, 1950 RD Reginald Benjamin Desiderio Captain · Army November 27, 1950 ✦ Richard David Dewert Hospital Corpsman · Navy April 5, 1951 ✦ Duane Edgar Dewey Corporal · Marine Corps April 16, 1952 Carl Henry Dodd First Lieutenant · Army January 30, 1951 RD Ray E. Duke Sergeant First Class · Army April 26, 1951 ✦ JE Junior Dean Edwards Sergeant First Class · Army January 2, 1951 ✦ Victor H. Espinoza Corporal · Army August 1, 1952 ✦ JE John Essebagger Jr. Corporal · Army April 25, 1951 ✦ Don Carlos Faith Jr. Lieutenant Colonel · Army November 27, 1950 ✦ Fernando Luis Garcia Private First Class · Marine Corps September 5, 1952 ✦ Charles George Private First Class · Army November 30, 1952 ✦ Charles L. Gilliland Corporal · Army April 25, 1951 ✦ Eduardo Corral Gomez Sergeant · Army September 3, 1950 ✦ Edward Gomez Private First Class · Marine Corps September 14, 1951 ✦ CG Clair Goodblood Corporal · Army April 24, 1951 ✦ Ambrosio Guillen Staff Sergeant · Marine Corps July 25, 1953 ✦ Francis Colton Hammond Hospitalman · Navy March 26, 1953 ✦ Lester Hammond Jr. Corporal · Army August 14, 1952 ✦ Melvin O. Handrich Master Sergeant · Army August 25, 1950 ✦ JH Jack G. Hanson Private First Class · Army June 7, 1951 ✦ Lee Ross Hartell First Lieutenant · Army August 27, 1951 ✦ Raymond Harvey Captain · Army March 9, 1951 Frederick F. Henry First Lieutenant · Army September 1, 1950 ✦ Rodolfo Perez Hernandez Corporal · Army May 31, 1951 Thomas Jerome Hudner Jr. Lieutenant, j.g. · Navy December 4, 1950 Einar Harold Ingman Jr. Sergeant · Army February 26, 1951 WJ William R. Jecelin Sergeant · Army September 19, 1950 ✦ CJ Charles Robert Johnson Private First Class · Army June 11 - 12, 1953 ✦ James Edmund Johnson Sergeant · Marine Corps December 2, 1950 ✦ MJ Mack A. Jordan Private First Class · Army November 15, 1951 ✦ Anthony T. Kaho'Ohanohano Private First Class · Army September 1, 1951 ✦ BK Billie Gene Kanell Private · Army September 7, 1951 ✦ Emil J. Kapaun Captain · Army November 1, 1950 ✦ LK Loren R. Kaufman Sergeant First Class · Army September 4, 1950 ✦ Woodrow Wilson Keeble Master Sergeant · Army October 20, 1951 ✦ John Doran Kelly Private First Class · Marine Corps May 28, 1952 ✦ Jack William Kelso Private First Class · Marine Corps October 2, 1952 ✦ Robert Sidney Kennemore Staff Sergeant · Marine Corps November 27, 1950 John Edward Kilmer Hospital Corpsman · Navy August 13, 1952 ✦ NK Noah Odell Knight Private First Class · Army November 23, 1951 ✦ JK John Kelvin Koelsch Lieutenant, j.g. · Navy July 3, 1951 ✦ EK Ernest Richard Kouma Master Sergeant · Army August 31, 1950 Leonard M. Kravitz Private First Class · Army March 6, 1951 ✦ EK Edward Charles Krzyzowski Captain · Army August 31, 1951 ✦ DK Darwin K. Kyle Second Lieutenant · Army February 16, 1951 ✦ Hubert Louis Lee Master Sergeant · Army February 1, 1951 George Dalton Libby Sergeant · Army July 20, 1950 ✦ Herbert A. Littleton Private First Class · Marine Corps April 22, 1951 ✦ CL Charles Richard Long Sergeant · Army February 12, 1951 ✦ Baldomero Lopez First Lieutenant · Marine Corps September 15, 1950 ✦ Charles Joseph Loring Jr. Major · Air Force November 22, 1952 ✦ WL William Franklin Lyell Corporal · Army August 31, 1951 ✦ Benito Martinez Corporal · Army September 6, 1952 ✦ Daniel Paul Matthews Sergeant · Marine Corps March 28, 1953 ✦ Frederick William Mausert III Sergeant · Marine Corps September 12, 1951 ✦ FM Fred B. McGee Corporal · Army June 16, 1952 ✦ RM Robert Milton McGovern First Lieutenant · Army January 30, 1951 ✦ Alford Lee McLaughlin Private First Class · Marine Corps September 4, 1952 Leroy Anthony Mendonca Sergeant · Army July 4, 1951 ✦ Lewis Lee "red" Millett Captain · Army February 7, 1951 Frank Nicias Mitchell First Lieutenant · Marine Corps November 26, 1950 ✦ Hiroshi Miyamura Corporal · Army April 24, 1951 Ola Lee Mize Master Sergeant · Army June 10, 1953 Walter Carleton Monegan Jr. Private First Class · Marine Corps September 17, 1950 ✦ Whitt Lloyd Moreland Private First Class · Marine Corps May 29, 1951 ✦ DM Donald Raymond Moyer Sergeant First Class · Army May 20, 1951 ✦ Raymond Gerald Murphy Second Lieutenant · Marine Corps February 3, 1953 Reginald Rodney Myers Major · Marine Corps November 29, 1950 WN Wataru Nakamura Private · Army May 18, 1951 ✦ JN Juan E. Negron Sergeant · Army April 28, 1951 ✦ George Herman O'Brien Jr. Second Lieutenant · Marine Corps October 27, 1952 Eugene Arnold Obregon Private First Class · Marine Corps September 26, 1950 ✦ BO Bruno Raymond Abing Orig Private · Army February 15, 1951 ✦ Joseph R. Ouellette Private First Class · Army August 31, 1950 ✦ John Upshur dennis Page Lieutenant Colonel · Army November 29, 1950 ✦ Mike C. Pena Master Sergeant · Army September 4, 1950 ✦ Charles F. Pendleton Corporal · Army July 16, 1953 ✦ Lee Hugh Phillips Corporal · Marine Corps November 4, 1950 ✦ Herbert K. Pililaau Private First Class · Army September 17, 1951 ✦ John Albert Pittman Sergeant · Army November 26, 1950 Ralph Eugene Pomeroy Private First Class · Army October 15, 1952 ✦ DP Donn F. Porter Sergeant · Army September 7, 1952 ✦ James Irsley Poynter Sergeant · Marine Corps November 4, 1950 ✦ Ralph Puckett Jr. First Lieutenant · Army November 25 - 26, 1950 George Henry Ramer Second Lieutenant · Marine Corps September 12, 1951 ✦ Robert Dale Reem Second Lieutenant · Marine Corps November 6, 1950 ✦ DR Demensio Rivera Private · Army May 22, 1951 ✦ Joseph Charles Rodriguez Sergeant · Army May 21, 1951 Ronald Eugene Rosser Corporal · Army January 12, 1952 Tibor Rubin Corporal · Army July 23, 1950

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