Daniel Dwain Schoonover (October 8, 1933 – July 10, 1953) was an enlisted soldier of the
United States Army during the
Korean War and a posthumous recipient of the
Medal of Honor at the
Second Battle of Pork Chop Hill.
He was killed in action July 10, 1953 and is buried in the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific,
Honolulu, Hawaii. Although his body is buried in Hawaii there is a
cenotaph at Morris Hill Cemetery in
Boise, Idaho.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization:
Corporal, U.S. Army, Company A,
13th Engineer Combat Battalion,
7th Infantry Division
Place and date: Near Sokkogae,
Korea, 8 to July 10, 1953
Entered service at: Boise, Idaho. Born: October 8, 1933,
Boise, Idaho
G.O. No.: 5, January 14, 1955
Citation:
:Cpl. Schoonover, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. He was in charge of an
engineer demolition
Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...
squad
In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army do ...
attached to an
infantry company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
which was committed to dislodge the enemy from a vital hill. Realizing that the heavy fighting and intense enemy fire made it impossible to carry out his mission, he voluntarily employed his unit as a rifle squad and, forging up the steep barren slope, participated in the assault on hostile positions. When an
artillery round exploded on the roof of an enemy bunker, he courageously ran forward and leaped into the position, killing 1 hostile infantryman and taking another prisoner. Later in the action, when friendly forces were pinned down by vicious fire from another enemy bunker, he dashed through the hail of fire, hurled
grenades in the nearest aperture, then ran to the doorway and emptied his pistol, killing the remainder of the enemy. His brave action neutralized the position and enabled friendly troops to continue their advance to the crest of the hill. When the enemy counterattacked he constantly exposed himself to the heavy bombardment to direct the fire of his men and to call in an effective artillery barrage on hostile forces. Although the company was relieved early the following morning, he voluntarily remained in the area, manned a machine gun for several hours, and subsequently joined another assault on enemy emplacements. When last seen he was operating an
automatic rifle with devastating effect until mortally wounded by artillery fire. Cpl. Schoonover's heroic leadership during 2 days of heavy fighting, superb personal bravery, and willing self-sacrifice inspired his comrades and saved many lives, reflecting lasting glory upon himself and upholding the honored traditions of the military service.
See also
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients
The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their ...
*
List of Korean War Medal of Honor recipients
Notes
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Schoonover, Daniel D.
1933 births
1953 deaths
United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
United States Army soldiers
American military personnel killed in the Korean War
Korean War recipients of the Medal of Honor
United States Army personnel of the Korean War