Serving as a Marine in the U.S. Marine Corps, First Lieutenant Henry Alfred Commiskey Sr. received the Medal of Honor for his actions on September 20, 1950 in Yongdungp'o, Korea during the Korean War. At the time he was serving with Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. Commiskey was 23 years old.
The medal was presented on August 1, 1951 — the White House, presented by Pres. Harry S. Truman.
Commiskey was born on January 10, 1927 in Hattiesburg, Forrest County, Mississippi. Commiskey died on August 16, 1971 in Meridian, Mississippi, at the age of 44. He is buried at Cremated in ashes scattered over the Gulf of Mexico.
Commiskey is one of 153 Medal of Honor recipients from the Korean War and one of 18 credited to Mississippi.
Official Medal of Honor citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a platoon leader in Company C, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Directed to attack hostile forces well dug in on Hill 85, 1st Lt. Commiskey spearheaded the assault, charging up the steep slopes on the run. Coolly disregarding the heavy enemy machine-gun and small-arms fire, he plunged on well forward of the rest of his platoon and was the first man to reach the crest of the objective. Armed only with a pistol, he jumped into a hostile machine-gun emplacement occupied by five enemy troops and quickly disposed of four of the soldiers with his automatic pistol. Grappling with the fifth, 1st Lt. Commiskey knocked him to the ground and held him until he could obtain a weapon from another member of his platoon and killed the last of the enemy gun crew. Continuing his bold assault, he moved to the next emplacement, killed two more of the enemy and then led his platoon toward the rear nose of the hill to rout the remainder of the hostile troops and destroy them as they fled from their positions. His valiant leadership and courageous fighting spirit served to inspire the men of his company to heroic endeavor in seizing the objective, and reflect the highest credit upon 1st Lt. Commiskey and the U.S. Naval Service.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Other decorations and honors
Besides the Medal of Honor, Henry Alfred Commiskey Sr. received:
Source: Wikidata. Gold chips link to our guide to that decoration.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: World War II, Korean War.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Mississippi →
Timeline
- January 10, 1927Born in Hattiesburg, Forrest County, Mississippi
- September 20, 1950Act of valor — Yongdungp'o, KoreaAge 23. Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division
- August 1, 1951Medal of Honor presentedThe White House, presented by Pres. Harry S. Truman
- August 16, 1971Died in Meridian, MississippiAge 44.
- Resting placeCrematedashes scattered over the Gulf of Mexico
Biography
Henry Alfred Commiskey Sr. (January 10, 1927 – August 16, 1971) was a United States Marine who served during World War II at the Battle of Iwo Jima and in the Korean War in the Inchon landing. As a lieutenant, he was the first Marine to receive the Medal of Honor — the nation's highest decoration for valor — for extraordinary heroism in the Korean War, leading a charge up a hill and killing seven enemy soldiers in hand-to-hand combat.
From the Wikipedia article “Henry A. Commiskey Sr.”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
