This list represents all of the 146 United States military personnel who 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 valo ...

for valor in combat 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 ...

. 103 Medals of Honor were awarded

posthumously Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death * ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987 * ''Posthumous'' (E ...

. The Korean War was an escalation of border clashes between two rival Korean regimes (each of which was supported by external powers) with the North Korean regime trying to topple the South Korean regime through political and guerrilla tactics. In a very narrow sense, some may refer to it as a

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, though many other factors were at play. After failing to strengthen their cause in the free elections held in South Korea during May 1950 and the refusal of South Korea to hold new elections per

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

n demands, the communist North Korean Army moved south on June 25, 1950 to attempt to reunite the Korean peninsula, which had been formally divided since 1948. The conflict was then expanded by the Chinese and the Soviet Union's involvement as part of the larger Cold War. The main hostilities were during the period from June 25, 1950 until the

armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...

was signed on July 27, 1953.

Korean War

Medal of Honor recipients

The

was created during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

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 own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. ;Korean War Medal of Honor recipients by service branch
Home of Heroes site. Retrieved Jan. 22, 2014. US Air Force – 4
US Army – 93
US Marine Corps – 42
US Navy – 7 ;Korean War Medal of Honor recipients: : indicates that the recipient was killed in action. :''Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied from the official Medal of Honor citation'' } , , Company M, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division , Remained in a forward position to target the enemy with mortar fire. Killed when his position was surrounded by the enemy , - , Baldomero Lopez - portrait

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , ,

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

, Battle of Inchon,

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

, , Company A,

1st Battalion, 5th Marines 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 800 Marines and sailors. Nicknamed ''Geronimo'', it falls under ...

1st Marine Division (Rein.) , For smothering a hand grenade with his own body. , - , Charles J Loring

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

, Major , Sniper Ridge,

, , 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing , Sacrificed his life by diving his damaged airplane into enemy gun emplacements , - , , style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...

, Chup'a-ri,

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

, , Company F, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division , Repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire in order to defeat the enemy and was eventually killed by enemy mortar fire. , - , , style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Satae-ri,

, , Company A, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division , Refused to be rescued due to enemy troop activity and continued to fight the enemy until killed. , - , Matthews DP

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Sergeant , Vegas Hill,

, , Company F,

2nd Battalion, 7th Marines The 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines (2/7) is a light infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They are based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and consist of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. The battal ...

, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Sacrificed his life to silence an enemy gun emplacement , - , Mausert FW

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Sergeant , Songnap-yong,

, , Company B,

1st Battalion, 7th Marines The 1st Battalion, 7th Marines (1/7) is an infantry battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment (United States), 7th Marine Regiment of the United States Marine Corps. It is currently based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms ...

, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Although severely wounded singlehandedly defeated an enemy gun emplacement and drew enemy fire away from his men. , - , , style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, ,

, Kamyangjan-ri,

, , Company A, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division , Killed by a burst of machine gun fire after destroying an enemy gun emplacement , - , McLaughlin AL

, , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Private First Class ,

, to , Company L, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Although painfully wounded he continued to fight off the enemy until they were defeated , - , Leroy A Mendonca

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Sergeant , Chich-on,

, , Company B, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division , Sacrificed his life by remaining in an exposed position and covering the platoon's withdrawal , - , Lewis Millett saluting 1985

, ,

, , Captain , Soam-ri,

, , Company E, 27th Infantry Regiment , In taking an occupied hill, he led the last major American bayonet charge , - , Mitchell FN

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , ,

, Hansan-ri,

, , Company A,

, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Killed by a burst of small arms fire after single-handedly covering his squad's escape , - , SSgt Hiroshi Myamura

, ,

, Taejon-ri,

, to , Company H, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division , The first Medal of Honor to be classified Top Secret. This was because he was being held as a Prisoner of War by the Communists at the time. , - , Ola L Mize

, ,

, Sergeant , Surang-ri,

, to , Company K, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division , Repeatedly risked his life to fight back the enemy and protect several wounded soldiers , - , Monagan WC

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Private First Class , Sosa-ri,

, and , Company F,

2nd Battalion, 1st Marines 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines (2/1) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Horno on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Nicknamed "The Professionals," the battalion consists of approximately 1,200 Mar ...

, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Killed while repeatedly attacking the enemy at night , - , Moreland WL

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Private First Class , Kwagch'i-dong,

, , Company C,

, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body , - , , style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, , Sergeant First Class ,

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...

, , Company E, 35th Infantry Regiment , Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body , - , Murphy RG

, , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Second Lieutenant ,

, , Company A,

, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Although wounded he refused medical care to fight the enemy until all his men and casualties had been taken care of. , - , Myers RR

, , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Major , Hagaru-ri,

, , 3d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Although losing 170 of his men during 14 hours of combat in subzero temperatures, continued to reorganize his unit and spearhead the attack which resulted in 600 enemy killed and 500 wounded , - , Juan-negron-united-states-army-medal-of-honor

Juan-negron-united-states-army-medal-of-honor

, ,

, Master Sergeant , Kalma-Eri,

, ,

65th Infantry Regiment The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed "The Borinqueneers" during the Korean War for the original Taíno Indian name for Puerto Rico (Borinquen), is a Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army. The regiment's motto is ''Honor et Fidelita ...

, 3d Infantry Division , Held the most vulnerable position on his company's position throughout the night, accurately hurling hand grenades at short range when hostile troops approached. , - , Obregon EA

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Private First Class ,

, , Company G, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Sacrificed his life by using his own body as a shield to protect another wounded Marine , - , OBrien GH

, , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Second Lieutenant ,

, , Company H, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Provided cover and care for wounded while his unit was attacking the enemy , - , Joseph R

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Private First Class ,

Yongsan Yongsan District (, ) is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Yongsan has a population of 231,685 (2020) and has a geographic area of , and is divided into 19 '' dong'' (administrative neighborhoods). Yongsan is located in central Seoul ...

, to , Company H, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division , Repeatedly risked his life to gather grenades and ammunition until killed by enemy fire , - , LTC John Upshur Dennis Page (1904 – 1950)

LTC John Upshur Dennis Page (1904 – 1950)

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Lieutenant Colonel ,

Battle of Chosin Reservoir The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Battle of Lake Changjin (), was an important battle in the Korean War. The name "Chosin" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation "''Chōshin'', instead of t ...

, to , X Corps Artillery, while attached to the 52d Transportation Truck Battalion , Repeatedly attacked the enemy and defended his convoy until killed , - , MikeCPena243

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Master Sergeant , Waegwan,

, , 2nd Battalion,

5th Cavalry Regiment The 5th Cavalry Regiment ("Black Knights") is a historical unit of the United States Army that began its service on August 3, 1861, when an act of Congress enacted "that the two regiments of dragoons, the regiment of mounted riflemen, and the t ...

, Covered his unit's retreat and single-handedly held off large enemy force overnight, until being killed the following morning , - , Charles F Pendleton

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Choo Gung-dong,

, to , Company D, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division , Although wounded he refused medical treatment and continued to fight back the enemy until killed , - , Phillips LH

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps ,

, , Company E,

, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Risked his life to defeat a pocket of enemy resistance , - , Herbert K Pililaau

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Private First Class , Pia-ri,

, , Company C, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division , After being killed fighting the enemy it was determined that he singlehandedly defeated more than 40 of the enemy , - , John A Pittman

, ,

, Sergeant , Kujangdong,

, , Company C, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division , Protected his squad by smothering a grenade with his body , - , Ralph E Pomeroy

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Private First Class , Kumhwa,

, , Company E, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division , Sacrificed his life manning a heavy machine gun until mortally wounded , - , , style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Sergeant , Mundung-ri, Korea , , Company G, 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division , Killed after fighting back a superior enemy force , - , Poynter JI

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Sergeant , Sudong,

, , Company A,

, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Sacrificed his life to kill several of the enemy with hand grenades to save a group of fellow Marines , - , PUCKETT

, ,

, Near Unsan,

, to , 8th Ranger Company, 8213th Army Unit, 8th U.S. Army , Gallantry at the Battle for Hill 205 against several hundred Chinese troops , - , Ramer GH

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Second Lieutenant ,

, , Company I, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Led his men against a superior enemy force and although wounded refused medical aid, manning his post until the enemy overran his position , - , Mitchell Red Cloud

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Chonghyon,

, , Company E, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division , After being seriously wounded, refused medical treatment to continue to fight the enemy until he was killed , - , Robert D

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Second Lieutenant , Chinhung-ri,

, , Company H, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Killed after he covered a grenade with his body , - , Demensio Rivera

, ,

, Private First Class , Changyongni,

, to , Company G, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division , An automatic rifleman, Rivera tenaciously held a forward position exposed to heavy fire; when his rifle became inoperative, Rivera used his pistol and grenades, and eventually fought hand-to-hand and forced back the enemy. , - , Joseph Rodriguez

, ,

, Private First Class , Munye-ri,

, , Company F, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division , Singlehandedly destroyed several enemy gun emplacements and foxholes , - , Ronald E Rosser

, ,

, Ponggilli,

, , Heavy Mortar Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division , Repeatedly risked his life to fight the enemy and rescue several wounded soldiers , - , TiborRubin cropped

, ,

, to , Company I, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division , For single-handedly defending his regiment during their retreat, and saving the lives of many fellow soldiers in a Chinese POW camp. , - , Dan D Schoonover

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Sokkogae,

, to , Company A, 13th Engineer Combat Battalion, 7th Infantry Division , Was last seen fighting the enemy with a machine gun before he was killed by artillery fire , - , Edward R Schowalter

, ,

, Kumhwa,

, , Company A, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division , Although wounded he continued to fight and lead his men until they defeated the enemy , - , Louis J Sebille

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Major , Hanchang,

, , 67th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 18th Fighter-Bomber Group, 5th Air Force , Killed after diving his aircraft into enemy troops , - , Richard T Shea

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, ,

, Sokkogae,

, to , Company A 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division , After fighting off and killing several of the enemy he was last seen in close hand-to-hand combat with the enemy , - , WilliamShuck USMC

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Staff Sergeant ,

, , Company G, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Sacrificed his life to assure that all dead and wounded were evacuated , - , Simanek RE

, , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Private First Class ,

, , Company F,

2nd Battalion, 5th Marines 2d Battalion 5th Marines (2/5 or "Two Five") is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps consisting of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. They are based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and fall under the comm ...

, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Risked his life to save his comrades by smothering a grenade with his body , - , William S Sitman

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, , Sergeant First Class , Chipyong-ri,

, , Company M, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division , Sacrificed his life to save his comrades by smothering a grenade with his body , - , CarlSitter USMC

, , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , , Captain , Hagaru-ri,

, to , Company G, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Although painfully wounded he refused to be evacuated and continued to fight until defense of the area was assured , - , Skinner SE

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Second Lieutenant ,

, , Battery F,

2nd Battalion, 11th Marines 2nd Battalion of the 11th Marines ("Patriot") is an artillery battalion comprising three firing batteries (Echo, Fox, and Golf) and a Headquarters Battery. The battalion is stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Its primary wea ...

, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , In addition to fighting off an enemy force for three hours he sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body , - , David Monroe Smith

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Private First Class ,

, , Company E, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division , Sacrificed his life to save his comrades by smothering a grenade with his body , - , , style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Minarigol,

, , Company F, 223d Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division , Died after wounds received after charging into an enemy machine gun nest , - , James L Stone

, ,

, Sokkogae,

, to , Company E 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division , Captured while leading his men against an overwhelming enemy assault , - , , style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Private First Class , Agok,

, , Company A, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division , Sacrificed his life to save his unit by remaining behind and covering them as they withdrew , - , , style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Second Lieutenant , Kumhwa,

, , Company B, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division , Although wounded he led his men against the enemy and single-handedly defeated a group of them after the rifleman he was with was wounded , - , , style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Private First Class ,

, , Company F, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division , Charged forward, then smothered a grenade blast with his body , - , William H

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Private First Class , Haman,

, , 24th Company M, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division , Killed by an enemy grenade while covering his units withdrawal , - , , style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, , Sergeant First Class ,

, , 2d Reconnaissance Company, 2d Infantry Division , Directed his tank to destroy seven enemy machine gun nests and covered his units withdrawal until killed , - , Archie VanWinkle MOH

, , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Staff Sergeant , Sudong,

, , Company B,

, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Although severely wounded he continued to fight and lead his men until he passed out from loss of blood , - , Miguel-vera-united-states-army-medal-of-honor

Miguel-vera-united-states-army-medal-of-honor

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Private , Chorwon,

, , Company F, 2nd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment , Selflessly chose to remain in position during an enemy attack and cover friendly troops' withdrawal from part of "Old Baldy" hill. , - , Vittori J

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps ,

, Hill 749,

, to , Company F,

, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Among numerous accomplishments he was found dead among 200 enemy soldiers that he had singlehandedly killed in fighting , - , Capt

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, , Captain , Yangdok,

, , 8th Bombardment Squadron, 3d Bomb Group , Flew his plane through an intense enemy barrage to defend ground forces and maximize enemy damage , - , Lewis G Watkins

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Staff Sergeant ,

, , Company I, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Killed by an enemy grenade when it exploded in his hand , - , Travis E Watkins

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Master Sergeant ,

, to , Company H, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division , Volunteered to remain and defend his units withdrawal because he knew his injuries would slow them down , - , JackWeinstein243

, ,

, Sergeant , Kumson,

, , Company G, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division , Alone and unaided, held ground in the face of an enemy attack to permit his platoon to withdraw, even using enemy hand grenades to halt enemy advance. , - , Ernest E West

, ,

, Private First Class , Sataeri,

, , Company L, 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division , Although wounded he assisted in evacuating the wounded and killed several of the enemy , - , , ,

, Master Sergeant , Hwach'on-Myon,

, , Company I, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division , Repeatedly risked his life in order for his troops to reorganize and counterattack , - , Wilson HE

, , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps ,

Technical Sergeant Technical sergeant is the name of two current and two former enlisted ranks in the United States Armed Forces, as well as in the U.S. Civil Air Patrol. Outside the United States, it is used only by the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force and the ...

, to , Company G, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Served in World War II,

and Vietnam War; In addition to the Medal of Honor he received five purple hearts. , - , , style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Private First Class , Opari,

, , Co. 1, Medical Company, 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment , Sacrificed his life to aid a fellow soldier shielding them from enemy fire with his own body , - , William G Windrich

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", , United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps , Staff Sergeant , Yudam-ri (Ryudam-ri),

, , Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.) , Sacrificed his life to direct his men and rescue several wounded Marines from a hillside , - , , style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Private First Class , Sokso-ri,

, , Medical Company, 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division , Sacrificed his life aiding other wounded soldiers , - , 223 Young

, style="background:#e3d9ff;", ,

, Private First Class , North of Kaesong,

, , Company E, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division , Although wounded, repeatedly repelled the enemy and insisted other wounded be treated first

References

;General * * * ;Inline {{DEFAULTSORT:Korean War Medal of Honor recipients Lists of Medal of Honor recipients * Medal of Honor recipients Medal of Honor recipients

Korean War

Medal of Honor recipients

See also

References