Medal of Honor: James I. Poynter – Korean War – November 4, 1950
On a frozen Korean hillside, one Marine faced the impossible — surrounded, wounded, and outnumbered. Sergeant James I. Poynter met the enemy head-on, fighting to his last breath so that others could live.
November 4, 2025
Name: James Isaac Poynter
Rank: Sergeant
Organization: U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
Unit: Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Reinforced)
Place and Date: Near Sudong, Korea – 4 November 1950
Entered Service At: Downey, California
Born: December 1, 1916 – Bloomington, Illinois
Departed: Killed in Action, November 4, 1950
Accredited to: California
Summary of Action
In the bitter cold near Sudong, Korea, Sergeant James I. Poynter and his Marines were holding a shallow defensive line on Hill 532 when the enemy struck in overwhelming numbers. A sudden and ferocious counterattack crashed against their position — mortar fire exploding among the foxholes as waves of Chinese and North Korean soldiers surged forward through the smoke.
Amid the chaos, Poynter’s calm voice cut through the din. He rallied his outnumbered squad, directing fire with precision until casualties left him nearly alone. Wounded and bleeding, he refused to fall back. When the enemy broke through, he seized his bayonet and fought hand-to-hand, driving back the attackers at point-blank range.
Then, spotting three enemy machine guns closing in just 25 yards away, Poynter gathered grenades from the fallen and charged — single-handedly silencing two emplacements and putting the third out of action before being mortally wounded. His fearless assault shattered the enemy’s momentum, allowing the surviving Marines to regroup and counterattack.
Sergeant Poynter’s final act of defiance turned certain defeat into victory. His courage under fire and devotion to his men stand among the finest examples of valor in Marine Corps history.
Medal of Honor Citation
Place and date: Near Sudong, Korea, 4 November 1950.
Entered service at: Downey, Calif.
Born: 1 December 1916, Bloomington, Ill.
Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a squad leader in a rifle platoon of Company A, in action against enemy aggressor forces during the defense of Hill 532, south of Sudong, Korea.
When a vastly outnumbering, well-concealed hostile force launched a sudden, vicious counterattack against his platoon’s hasty defensive position, Sgt. Poynter displayed superb skill and courage in leading his squad and directing its fire against the onrushing enemy. With his ranks critically depleted by casualties and he himself critically wounded as the onslaught gained momentum and the hostile force surrounded his position, he seized his bayonet and engaged in bitter hand-to-hand combat as the breakthrough continued.
Observing three machine guns closing in at a distance of 25 yards, he dashed from his position and, grasping hand grenades from fallen Marines as he ran, charged the emplacements in rapid succession, killing the crews of two and putting the other out of action before he fell, mortally wounded.
By his self-sacrificing and valiant conduct, Sgt. Poynter inspired the remaining members of his squad to heroic endeavor in bearing down upon and repelling the disorganized enemy, thereby enabling the platoon to move out of the trap to a more favorable tactical position. His indomitable fighting spirit, fortitude, and great personal valor maintained in the face of overwhelming odds sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
