Medal of Honor: Hector A. Cafferata Jr. – Korean War – November 28, 1950

Name: Hector Albert Cafferata Jr.
Rank: Private
Organization: U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
Unit: Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Reinforced)
Place and Date: Korea – 28 November 1950
Entered Service At: Dover, New Jersey
Born: November 4, 1929 – New York, New York
Departed: April 12, 2016
Accredited To: New Jersey

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Summary of Action

On the morning of November 28, 1950, during the opening phases of the brutal Chosin Reservoir campaign, Private Hector A. Cafferata Jr. found himself the last able-bodied Marine in his fire team. A regimental-sized force launched a massive predawn assault, tearing gaps in the perimeter and threatening to collapse the entire company position. With no one left beside him, Cafferata stood alone.

Exposing himself to a storm of machinegun, rifle, mortar, and grenade fire, he maneuvered up and down the embattled line, firing with deadly accuracy and hurling grenades as the Chinese assault surged forward. His solitary defense killed 15 enemy soldiers, wounded many more, and stalled the attack long enough for reinforcements to reach the position and close the gap.

Later that morning, when an enemy grenade landed in a shallow entrenchment crowded with wounded Marines, Cafferata sprinted into the gully under heavy fire, grabbed the live grenade with his bare right hand, and threw it clear an instant before it detonated — the explosion severing part of a finger and tearing apart his hand and arm. He ignored the agony and continued fighting on.

Only when struck by a sniper’s round and no longer physically able to stand did Cafferata finally submit to evacuation. His lone stand saved countless Marines and prevented the collapse of Company F’s defensive line.

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Medal of Honor Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifleman with Company F, in action against enemy aggressor forces. When all the other members of his fire team became casualties, creating a gap in the lines, during the initial phase of a vicious attack launched by a fanatical enemy of regimental strength against his company’s hill position, Pvt. Cafferata waged a lone battle with grenades and rifle fire as the attack gained momentum and the enemy threatened penetration through the gap and endangered the integrity of the entire defensive perimeter. Making a target of himself under the devastating fire from automatic weapons, rifles, grenades, and mortars, he maneuvered up and down the line and delivered accurate and effective fire against the onrushing force, killing 15, wounding many more, and forcing the others to withdraw so that reinforcements could move up and consolidate the position. Again fighting desperately against a renewed onslaught later that same morning when a hostile grenade landed in a shallow entrenchment occupied by wounded marines, Pvt. Cafferata rushed into the gully under heavy fire, seized the deadly missile in his right hand and hurled it free of his comrades before it detonated, severing part of 1 finger and seriously wounding him in the right hand and arm. Courageously ignoring the intense pain, he staunchly fought on until he was struck by a sniper’s bullet and forced to submit to evacuation for medical treatment. Stouthearted and indomitable, Pvt. Cafferata, by his fortitude, great personal valor, and dauntless perseverance in the face of almost certain death, saved the lives of several of his fellow marines and contributed essentially to the success achieved by his company in maintaining its defensive position against tremendous odds. His extraordinary heroism throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.