Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Master Sergeant Hubert Louis Lee received the Medal of Honor for his actions on February 1, 1951 near Ip-o-ri, Korea during the Korean War. At the time he was serving with Company I, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division. Lee was 35 years old.
The medal was presented on January 29, 1952.
Lee was born on February 2, 1915 in Arburg, Missouri. His Medal of Honor is credited to Leland, Washington County, Mississippi. Lee died on November 5, 1982 in Jackson, Mississippi, at the age of 67. He is buried at Leland-Stoneville Cemetery in Stoneville, Mississippi.
Lee is one of 153 Medal of Honor recipients from the Korean War and one of 18 credited to Mississippi.
Official Medal of Honor citation
M/Sgt. Lee, a member of Company I, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. When his platoon was forced from its position by a numerically superior enemy force, and his platoon leader wounded, M/Sgt. Lee assumed command, regrouped the remnants of his unit, and led them in repeated assaults to regain the position. Within 25 yards of his objective he received a leg wound from grenade fragments, but refused assistance and continued the attack. Although forced to withdraw five times, each time he regrouped his remaining men and renewed the assault. Moving forward at the head of his small group in the fifth attempt, he was struck by an exploding grenade, knocked to the ground, and seriously wounded in both legs. Still refusing assistance, he advanced by crawling, rising to his knees to fire, and urging his men to follow. While thus directing the final assault, he was wounded a third time, by small-arms fire. Persistently continuing to crawl forward, he directed his men in a final and successful attack which regained the vital objective. His intrepid leadership and determination led to the destruction of 83 of the enemy and withdrawal of the remainder, and was a vital factor in stopping the enemy attack. M/Sgt. Lee's indomitable courage, consummate valor, and outstanding leadership reflect the highest credit upon himself and are in keeping with the finest traditions of the infantry and the U.S. Army.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Wounds and injuries
What the citation records about his wounds:
Moving forward at the head of his small group in the fifth attempt, he was struck by an exploding grenade, knocked to the ground, and seriously wounded in both legs.
While thus directing the final assault, he was wounded a third time, by small-arms fire.
- Age at death: 67
- Resting place: Leland-Stoneville Cemetery
Other decorations and honors
Besides the Medal of Honor, Hubert Louis Lee received:
Source: Wikidata. Gold chips link to our guide to that decoration.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: Korean War, World War II.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Mississippi →
Timeline
- February 2, 1915Born in Arburg, Missouri
- February 1, 1951Act of valor — near Ip-o-ri, KoreaAge 35. Company I, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division
- January 29, 1952Medal of Honor presented
- November 5, 1982Died in Jackson, MississippiAge 67.
- Resting placeLeland-Stoneville CemeteryStoneville, Mississippi
Biography
Hubert Louis Lee (February 2, 1915 – November 5, 1982) was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions on February 1, 1951. He was born in Arburg, Missouri, and moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, with his family, as a boy. He lived in Leland, Mississippi, until his death and was married later in life. Lee joined the Army in May 1939. After World War II he repaired radio and electronic equipment, a trade he had been taught and learned on the GI Bill. The Stoneville Cemetery is located on Old Leland Road, between Leland and Greenville, MS.
From the Wikipedia article “Hubert L. Lee”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
