Medal of Honor:William F. Dean – Korean War, July 21, 1953

Alone at Taejon: Major General William F. Dean’s Final Stand
Rank: Major General
Conflict: Korean War
Unit: Commanding General, 24th Infantry Division
Date of Action: July 20–21, 1950
Location: Taejon, South Korea

Summary of Action:
In the harrowing first weeks of the Korean War, Major General William F. Dean became a symbol of unyielding courage and leadership under fire. A seasoned veteran of World War II, Dean had served with distinction and risen to command the 24th Infantry Division. But nothing could have fully prepared him for the overwhelming chaos that erupted when North Korean forces stormed across the 38th Parallel in June 1950. Hastily deployed from occupation duty in Japan, the 24th Division was under-equipped, under-strength, and facing a ferocious, well-armed enemy.

By mid-July, Dean’s division was tasked with defending the vital crossroads city of Taejon, buying time for U.S. reinforcements to arrive and establish a defensive perimeter around Pusan. The North Koreans—superior in numbers, armor, and artillery—launched a coordinated assault, surrounding the city and driving deep into American lines. Under siege, communications failing, and casualties mounting, Dean personally moved to the front lines. Ignoring artillery and small-arms fire, he stood fully exposed to direct tank fire, directing U.S. armor and infantry into position. At one point, he charged a North Korean tank armed only with a hand grenade—a remarkable act of valor from a commanding general.

As the situation deteriorated, Dean refused evacuation. He chose instead to remain with his men, coordinating last-ditch defensive actions, directing stragglers toward escape routes, and helping carry the wounded to safety. When the order finally came to break out, Dean was still in the city, leading from the rubble. He was eventually separated from his command during the chaotic withdrawal and spent the next 36 days evading capture in the mountains, surviving on roots and stream water before being taken prisoner.

Dean would spend more than three years in North Korean captivity. Isolated, interrogated, and tortured, he never compromised classified information or the dignity of his uniform. The courage he showed in battle, and the stoicism he displayed in captivity, earned him the Medal of Honor and the respect of friend and foe alike.

His stand at Taejon helped slow the North Korean advance, giving the United Nations forces the precious time they needed to regroup and hold the line at Pusan. In the darkest days of a forgotten war, Dean’s gallantry burned bright.

Medal of Honor Citation:
Maj. Gen. Dean distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the repeated risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. In command of a unit suddenly relieved from occupation duties in Japan and as yet untried in combat, faced with a ruthless and determined enemy, highly trained and overwhelmingly superior in numbers, he felt it his duty to take action which to a man of his military experience and knowledge was clearly apt to result in his death.

He personally and alone attacked an enemy tank while armed only with a hand grenade. He also directed the fire of his tanks from an exposed position with neither cover nor concealment while under observed artillery and small-arm fire.

When the town of Taejon was finally overrun he refused to insure his own safety by leaving with the leading elements but remained behind organizing his retreating forces, directing stragglers, and was last seen assisting the wounded to a place of safety.

These actions indicate that Maj. Gen. Dean felt it necessary to sustain the courage and resolution of his troops by examples of excessive gallantry committed always at the threatened portions of his frontlines. The magnificent response of his unit to this willing and cheerful sacrifice, made with full knowledge of its certain cost, is history. The success of this phase of the campaign is in large measure due to Maj. Gen. Dean’s heroic leadership, courageous and loyal devotion to his men, and his complete disregard for personal safety.