Jerry Kirt Crump (February 18, 1933 – January 10, 1977) was a

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. He received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

for his actions on September 6 and 7, 1951. Crump was killed in a car accident in 1977.

Awards and decorations

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company L, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division Place and date: Near Chorwon, Korea, 6 and September 7, 1951 Entered service at: Forest City, N.C. Born: February 18, 1933, Charlotte, N.C. G.O. No.: 68, July 11, 1952 Citation:

Cpl. Crump, a member of Company L, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. During the night a numerically superior hostile force launched an assault against his platoon on Hill 284, overrunning friendly positions and swarming into the sector. Cpl. Crump repeatedly exposed himself to deliver effective fire into the ranks of the assailants, inflicting numerous casualties. Observing 2 enemy soldiers endeavoring to capture a friendly machine gun, he charged and killed both with his bayonet, regaining control of the weapon. Returning to his position, now occupied by 4 of his wounded comrades, he continued his accurate fire into enemy troops surrounding his emplacement. When a hostile soldier hurled a grenade into the position, Cpl. Crump immediately flung himself over the missile, absorbing the blast with his body and saving his comrades from death or serious injury. His aggressive actions had so inspired his comrades that a spirited counterattack drove the enemy from the perimeter. Cpl. Crump's heroic devotion to duty, indomitable fighting spirit, and willingness to sacrifice himself to save his comrades reflect the highest credit upon himself, the infantry and the U.S. Army.

Legacy

Cornelius Veteran's Monument in

Cornelius, North Carolina Cornelius is a suburban town located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a major suburb in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 24,866 at the 2010 census. History Potts Plantation i ...

features a bronze portrait statue of Cpl. Jerry K. Crump, dedicated on July 4, 2017.Cpl. Jerry Crump Bronze Portrait Statue - Lena Toritch
Retrieved August 23, 2021.

Notes

References

: * 1933 births 1977 deaths United States Army personnel of the Korean War Korean War recipients of the Medal of Honor United States Army Medal of Honor recipients United States Army soldiers {{US-army-bio-stub

Awards and decorations

Medal of Honor citation

Legacy

See also

Notes

References