The Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for military valor is given to those who have acted with supreme courage and to disregard their own safety in the face of most hazardous conditions. It is an award that only a comparative handful of men in the world are entitled to wear. It is bestowed by act of Congress and reflects Democracy’s gratitude to those who, in moments of risk, offered everything they had in its defense, including life itself. The medal is but a humble token, a gesture of recognition for sacrifices which cannot be repaid to its honored holders, their survivors, in worldly goods.

     Fourteen soldiers of the 24^th Infantry Division, between 1944 and 1951, so distinguished themselves with sacrificial and intrepid acts on the battlefield and received this highest decoration. Four recipients are from Word War II and the other ten received their awards during the Korean War.  Only General Dean, Lieutenant Dodd, and Sergeant Adams lived to receive the Medal personally.  Sergeant Duke survived combat but died later in a North Korean POW camp.  All others were killed in action, and along with Sgt. Duke, received their decorations posthumously.

Captain Wai landed at Red Beach , Leyte , in the face of accurate, concentrated enemy fire from gun positions advantageously located in a palm grove bounded by submerged rice paddies. Finding the first four waves of American soldiers leaderless, disorganized, and pinned down on the open beach, he immediately assumed command. Issuing clear and concise orders, and disregarding heavy enemy machine gun and rifle fire, he began to move inland through the rice paddies without cover. The men, inspired by his cool demeanor and heroic example, rose from their positions and followed him. During the advance, Captain Wai repeatedly determined the locations of enemy strong points by deliberately exposing himself to draw their fire. In leading an assault upon the last remaining Japanese pillbox in the area, he was killed by its occupants. Captain Wai's courageous, aggressive leadership inspired the men, even after his death, to advance and destroy the enemy. His intrepid and determined efforts were largely responsible for the rapidity with which the initial beachhead was secured. Captain Wai's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.

In a forward position, armed with a sub machine gun, Private Moon met the brunt of a strong, well-supported night attack on his platoon’s flanks. Although wounded, he maintained his stand pouring deadly fire into the enemy, daringly exposing himself to hostile fire. Private Moon killed a Japanese Officer who was attempting to knock out his position with grenades. When the enemy advanced a machine gun within 20 yards of the shattered perimeter, Moon stood up exposing himself to locate the gun. He remained exposed correcting mortar fire which knocked out the enemy weapon. Later he killed two Japanese soldiers as they charged an aid man. His position became the focal point of the attack for over four hours and was virtually surrounded. An entire Japanese platoon attacked the position with fixed bayonets. From a sitting position, Private Moon emptied his magazine on the advancing enemy, killing 18 and repulsing the attack. In a final display of bravery, he stood up to throw a grenade at a machine gun when he was hit and instantly killed. In the aftermath, nearly 200 dead Japanese were found within 100 yards from his foxhole. His heroism broke up a powerful threat and contributed to our initial successes in the battle for Leyte.

Sergeant Mower, an assistant squad leader, was participating in an attack against a strongly defended Japanese position which was situated along both sides of a stream that ran through a wooded gulch. As the squad moved forward through intense enemy fire, the squad leader was killed and Sergeant Mower took charge. He led his men across the stream, but was severely wounded before making it all the way. After halting his unit, he realized that his exposed position was the best place from which to direct the attack and he stood fast. Gravely wounded and lying half submerged in the stream, he refused to seek cover or to accept aid of any kind. Shouting and signaling instructions to his squad, he directed them in the destruction of two enemy machineguns and the killing of of numerous enemy rifleman. The remaining Japanese concentrated their fire at Sergeant Mower, who was killed while still directing his men forward.

Just two weeks before the surrender by Japan, a Japanese sniper arose from his foxhole to throw a grenade at Pfc. Diamond’s section. Pfc. Diamond charged the enemy soldier, killing him with a burst from his submachine gun. While delivering sustained fire upon the enemy with his submachine gun, he directed artillery and heavy machinegun fire on a group of enemy pillboxes that were pinning down his and other sections. This allowed two U.S. machinegun sections to set up and bring their weapons to bear on the enemy. He later volunteered to assist in evacuating wounded soldiers from a bridgehead, transporting them to safety through a hail of enemy mortar and artillery fire. Days later, while leading a patrol through enemy fire to evacuate wounded, he was mortally wounded as he secured an abandoned machinegun. Though near death, he was able to draw the enemy’s fire, allowing the remaining patrol members to reach safety.

During intense fighting in the battle for Taejon, armed with only a hand grenade, he single-handedly attacked an enemy tank. He also directed the fire of his tanks from an exposed position that offered neither cover nor concealment, while under enemy artillery and small arms fire. When the enemy overran Taejon, Gen. Dean refused to leave with the lead elements of the retreating division. Instead, he remained behind to organize his retreating forces and direct stragglers to safety.

Sergeant Libby was a passenger in a vehicle that was hit with intense enemy fire as it approached an enemy roadblock. Everyone on board was either killed or wounded except for Sgt. Libby. Sgt. Libby took cover in a roadside ditch and returned the enemy’s fire while giving first aid to his wounded comrades. A passing M-5 artillery tractor stopped and the wounded were loaded aboard. Using his body to shield the driver of the tractor, Sgt. Libby returned the enemy fire directed at the vehicle as it advanced. Moving through the town the vehicle stopped several times to pick up more wounded. During these exchanges of gunfire, Sgt. Libby received several wounds, and refusing first aid, continued to shield the driver and engage the enemy. Encountering another roadblock, he received additional wounds, but held his position until he lost consciousness. Sgt. Libby’s actions enabled his fellow soldiers to reach friendly lines.

Around midnight, a force of approximately 100 North Korean soldiers attempted to break through Master Sergeant Handrich’s company perimeter. Despite heavy enemy fire, MSgt. Handrich voluntarily moved to a forward position and directed mortar and artillery fire on the advancing enemy soldiers. The next morning another group of North Koreans advanced toward the American unit. He again directed fire upon them and fired his rifle nearly point blank into the advancing enemy. At the height of the action, MSgt. Handrich saw elements of his company preparing to withdraw. Making his way to them, he reorganized the men and made them continue to fight. During this fight, he was severely wounded. He refused to take cover or to be evacuated, and he returned to his forward position to continue directing the company’s fire. MSgt. Handrich was later mortally wounded when the enemy finally overran his position. When friendly forces had retaken the position, over 70 enemy dead were found in the area he defended.

From his position, forward of the company command post, he was the first to detect the approach of Chinese Communists forces, and gave the alarm as the enemy charged at him from less than 100 feet away. Jumping up he fired automatic rifle fire into the Chinese, checking their assault and giving his company time to consolidate its defense. He maintained his position until severely wounded. Refusing assistance, he pulled himself to his feet, wrapped his arm around a tree, and continued to fire until fatally wounded. This action stopped the enemy from overrunning his company’s position and gained time for reorganization and the evacuation of the wounded.

While leading his platoon in an attack on Hill 256, the platoon began being hit with intense small arms, mortar, and artillery fire. Lt. Dodd reorganized and encouraged his men, then single-handedly attacked and destroyed the nearest machinegun emplacement. Inspired, his platoon fixed bayonets, charged the enemy positions, and destroyed them all. After wiping out his first series of positions, Lt. Dodd again reorganized his men and led them onto Hill 256. Firing his rifle and throwing grenades, he advanced at the head of his unit. Two hundred yards from the objective, he destroyed an enemy mortar with his last grenade, killing the crew. With the onset of darkness, armed with fixed bayonets and a fresh supply of hand grenades, Lt. Dodd again took the lead, moving forward until the last enemy positions had been destroyed.

Volunteering to lead his squad up a hill, Sfc. Brittin hurled grenades into enemy emplacements and shot the defenders as they fled. In this attack, he was wounded by an enemy grenade. Refusing treatment, Sfc. Brittin continued the attack, killing enemy soldiers in their foxholes and destroying enemy machineguns. Less than 100 yards up the hill, his squad again came under heavy fire from a concealed machinegun. Sfc. Brittin charged this position and silenced it, but was then killed by a burst of automatic fire. Through his actions, he had succeeded in killing 20 enemy soldiers and destroying four automatic weapons.

Sfc. Duke led a small force to rescue several of his soldiers who had become engaged with the enemy and were pinned down. He and his small force were successful in recovering the position and the isolated men. When the enemy again attacked, Sfc. Duke was wounded by mortar fragments, but he continued to lead his men in their defense and repulsed the attack. After yet another assault by the enemy, Sfc. Duke’s platoon began to withdraw. Wounded for the third time, he was unable to walk. Refusing to be carried out, Sfc. Duke remained, and he was last seen pouring devastating fire into the advancing unit.

Sergeant First Class Adams’ platoon, posted some 200 yards ahead of their company, came under heavy attack early in the morning by a force of approximately 250 enemy soldiers. Observing an estimated 150 silhouetted enemy troops, Sfc. Adams, along with 13 other soldiers, fixed bayonets and charged the enemy troops. Wounded in the leg, Sfc. Adams continued to close with the enemy and was knocked down four times from concussion grenades that had bounced off of his body. Shouting orders to his men, he engaged the enemy soldiers in hand-to-hand combat, downing man after man with his rifle butt. Sfc. Adams and his comrades killed over 50 enemy soldiers and forced the remainder to withdraw.

A squad leader with Company K’s 3^rd platoon, Pfc. Jordan was participating in a night attack against a key position, which was defended by a fanatical enemy force. Halted by vicious enemy fire, Pfc. Jordan left his platoon, crawling forward to destroy an enemy machinegun emplacement with hand grenades. Pfc. Jordan then charged the other enemy positions, killing several and forcing the remainder to fall back. As he attempted to move even further forward, both of his legs were severed by explosives tossed at him by enemy soldiers. Though now mortally wounded, Pfc. Jordan continued to fire on the enemy, holding them at bay long enough for the rest of his platoon to attain his position and continue the fight.

Information compiled by Norman E. Tredway