Charles George

For other people named Charles George, see Charles George (disambiguation).

Charles George
Medal of Honor recipient
Born	August 23, 1932(1932-08-23) Cherokee, North Carolina
Died	November 30, 1952(1952-11-30) (aged 20) Near Songnae-dong, Korea
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	-1952
Rank	Private First Class
Unit	Company C, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division
Battles/wars	Korean War
Awards	Medal of Honor Purple Heart

Charles George (August 23, 1932–November 30, 1952) was a U.S. Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in combat on November 30, 1952, during the Korean War. He was fatally wounded when he threw himself on a grenade to protect other soldiers in his company and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Biography

George was born in Cherokee, North Carolina. He entered service at Whittier, North Carolina. At the time of George's death in battle he held the rank of Private First Class in Company C of the 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. The action for which he received the Medal of Honor was near Songnae-dong, Korea.

Medal of Honor citation

The Medal of Honor was awarded on March 18, 1954. The citation read:

Pfc. George, a member of Company C, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy on the night of November 30, 1952. He was a member of a raiding party committed to engage the enemy and capture a prisoner for interrogation. Forging up the rugged slope of the key terrain feature, the group was subjected to intense mortar and machine gun fire and suffered several casualties. Throughout the advance, he fought valiantly and, upon reaching the crest of the hill, leaped into the trenches and closed with the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. When friendly troops were ordered to move back upon completion of the assignment, he and 2 comrades remained to cover the withdrawal. While in the process of leaving the trenches a hostile soldier hurled a grenade into their midst. Pfc. George shouted a warning to 1 comrade, pushed the other soldier out of danger, and, with full knowledge of the consequences, unhesitatingly threw himself upon the grenade, absorbing the full blast of the explosion. Although seriously wounded in this display of valor, he refrained from any outcry which would divulge the position of his companions. The 2 soldiers evacuated him to the forward aid station and shortly thereafter he succumbed to his wound. Pfc. George's indomitable courage, consummate devotion to duty, and willing self-sacrifice reflect the highest credit upon himself and uphold the finest traditions of the military service.^[1]

See also

	Biography portal
	United States Army portal

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Korean War Medal of Honor recipients

Notes

1. ^ ""CHARLES GEORGE" entry". Medal of Honor recipients: Korean War. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/koreanwar.html. Retrieved 2007-12-31. 

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

• ""CHARLES GEORGE" entry". Medal of Honor recipients: Korean War. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/koreanwar.html. Retrieved 2007-12-31. 

Persondata
Name	George, Charles
Alternative names
Short description	United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
Date of birth	August 23, 1932
Place of birth	Cherokee, North Carolina
Date of death	November 30, 1952
Place of death	Near Songnae-dong, Korea