Medal of Honor: Lt. Col. John U. D. Page – Chosin Reservoir – November 29 to December 10, 1950
For twelve days in the frozen hell of the Chosin Reservoir, one artillery officer became a one-man relief force—training stray troops, manning tanks, fighting ambushes, and charging alone into enemy fire to save an entire column.
December 10, 2025
Name: John Upshur Dennis Page
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Organization: U.S. Army
Unit: X Corps Artillery (attached to the 52nd Transportation Truck Battalion)
Place and Date: Near Chosin Reservoir, Korea — 29 November to 10 December 1950
Entered Service At: St. Paul, Minnesota
Born: February 8, 1904 – Malahi Island, Luzon, Philippine Islands
Departed: KIA – December 1950
Accredited To: Minnesota
Summary of Action
At the height of the Chosin Reservoir campaign—one of the most brutal battles in American history—Lt. Col. John U. D. Page undertook a mission that grew far beyond its original scope. Sent from Hamhung to establish traffic control for retreating units, Page completed his assignment but refused evacuation. Instead, he stayed on the plateau, cut off with scattered Army and Marine forces, determined to help however he could.
He broke up an ambush to save his jeep driver, reached the surrounded garrison at Koto-ri, and then trained an improvised reserve force from stranded soldiers—turning clerks, drivers, and cooks into a functioning defensive unit. As Marines carved a makeshift airstrip under constant attack, Page repeatedly exposed himself to fire, even climbing atop a tank turret to drive back attackers with a machine gun.
On December 3, he took to the skies in a light aircraft, leaning out the window to drop hand grenades and fire his carbine directly into Chinese foxholes. Later flown back to Hamhung, he again refused safety and returned to the cut-off forces to help guide their breakout.
As the convoy struggled through mountain passes under constant attack, Page manned an abandoned tank, covered the column, and later climbed a hillside with a machine gun to protect trapped vehicles. Finally, at the bottom of the final pass, the convoy stalled under devastating fire. Page fought his way alone to the front, stormed into the enemy’s position, and so disrupted their formation that the column could break free. He continued fighting single-handed until he was mortally wounded.
His actions—courageous, relentless, and entirely voluntary—saved untold lives and helped prevent the encirclement and destruction of U.S. forces at Chosin.
Medal of Honor Citation
After rescuing his jeep driver by breaking up an ambush near a destroyed bridge Lt. Col. Page reached the lines of a surrounded marine garrison at Koto-ri. He then voluntarily developed and trained a reserve force of assorted army troops trapped with the marines. By exemplary leadership and tireless devotion he made an effective tactical unit available. In order that casualties might be evacuated, an airstrip was improvised on frozen ground partly outside of the Koto-ri defense perimeter which was continually under enemy attack. During 2 such attacks, Lt. Col. Page exposed himself on the airstrip to direct fire on the enemy, and twice mounted the rear deck of a tank, manning the machine gun on the turret to drive the enemy back into a no man’s land.
On 3 December while being flown low over enemy lines in a light observation plane, Lt. Col. Page dropped handgrenades on Chinese positions and sprayed foxholes with automatic fire from his carbine. After 10 days of constant fighting the marine and army units in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir had succeeded in gathering at the edge of the plateau and Lt. Col. Page was flown to Hamhung to arrange for artillery support of the beleaguered troops attempting to break out. Again Lt. Col. Page refused an opportunity to remain in safety and returned to give every assistance to his comrades.
As the column slowly moved south Lt. Col. Page joined the rear guard. When it neared the entrance to a narrow pass it came under frequent attacks on both flanks. Mounting an abandoned tank Lt. Col. Page manned the machine gun, braved heavy return fire, and covered the passing vehicles until the danger diminished. Later when another attack threatened his section of the convoy, then in the middle of the pass, Lt. Col. Page took a machine gun to the hillside and delivered effective counterfire, remaining exposed while men and vehicles passed through the ambuscade.
On the night of 10 December the convoy reached the bottom of the pass but was halted by a strong enemy force at the front and on both flanks. Deadly small-arms fire poured into the column. Realizing the danger to the column as it lay motionless, Lt. Col. Page fought his way to the head of the column and plunged forward into the heart of the hostile position. His intrepid action so surprised the enemy that their ranks became disordered and suffered heavy casualties. Heedless of his safety, as he had been throughout the preceding 10 days, Lt. Col. Page remained forward, fiercely engaging the enemy single-handed until mortally wounded.
By his valiant and aggressive spirit Lt. Col. Page enabled friendly forces to stand off the enemy. His outstanding courage, unswerving devotion to duty, and supreme self-sacrifice reflect great credit upon Lt. Col. Page and are in the highest tradition of the military service.
