Medal of Honor: Charles F. Pendleton – Korean War, July 17, 1953

Name: Charles F. Pendleton
Rank: Corporal
Conflict: Korean War
Unit: Company D, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army
Date of Action: July 16–17, 1953
Location: Near Choo Gung-Dong, Korea

Summary of Action:
In the waning days of the Korean War, as ceasefire negotiations dragged on, the fighting on the front lines remained as brutal as ever. On July 16, 1953, Corporal Charles F. Pendleton, a machine gunner with Company D, found himself and his unit dug in on a key terrain feature near Choo Gung-Dong when they came under ferocious attack by a large enemy force.

As enemy troops advanced on his position, Pendleton unleashed a torrent of machine gun fire—cutting down approximately 15 enemy soldiers and disrupting the assault with a hail of grenades. When the confined trench limited his field of fire, Pendleton took the extraordinary step of removing his machine gun from its tripod and bracing it on his knee, fully exposed to enemy fire, to continue defending the perimeter.

When a Chinese soldier suddenly leapt into the trench to hurl a grenade at his comrades, Pendleton spun around and killed the attacker at close range, then resumed firing. His unrelenting stand broke the momentum of the initial attack, forcing the enemy to fall back and regroup.

But the battle was far from over.

A second wave came. Grenades rained down. One landed nearby—Pendleton snatched it and threw it back, seconds before detonation. Though burned by the searing heat of his own weapon and wounded by shrapnel, he refused evacuation. As the attack intensified, a grenade destroyed his machine gun, but Pendleton did not falter. He grabbed a carbine and continued fighting with fierce determination, refusing to yield even an inch.

In the final moments of the firefight, a mortar round struck, killing him. But because of Pendleton’s bravery and refusal to abandon his post, the position held.

He died with his weapon in his hands, surrounded by the enemy he refused to let pass.

Corporal Pendleton's heroic defense in the face of overwhelming odds epitomized the warrior spirit and helped preserve the lives of countless fellow soldiers during one of the final, bloody chapters of the Korean War.

Medal of Honor Citation:
Cpl. Pendleton, a machine gunner with Company D, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. After consolidating and establishing a defensive perimeter on a key terrain feature, friendly elements were attacked by a large hostile force. Cpl. Pendleton delivered deadly accurate fire into the approaching troops, killing approximately 15 and disorganizing the remainder with grenades. Unable to protect the flanks because of the narrow confines of the trench, he removed the machine gun from the tripod and, exposed to enemy observation, positioned it on his knee to improve his firing vantage. Observing a hostile infantryman jumping into the position, intent on throwing a grenade at his comrades, he whirled about and killed the attacker, then inflicted such heavy casualties on the enemy force that they retreated to regroup. After reorganizing, a second wave of hostile soldiers moved forward in an attempt to overrun the position and, later, when a hostile grenade landed nearby, Cpl. Pendleton quickly retrieved and hurled it back at the foe. Although he was burned by the hot shells ejecting from his weapon, and he was wounded by a grenade, he refused evacuation and continued to fire on the assaulting force. As enemy action increased in tempo, his machine gun was destroyed by a grenade but, undaunted, he grabbed a carbine and continued his heroic defense until mortally wounded by a mortar burst. Cpl. Pendleton’s unflinching courage, gallant self-sacrifice, and consummate devotion to duty reflect lasting glory upon himself and uphold the finest traditions of the military service.