The Medal of Honor is The United States of America's highest and most prestigious personal military decoration that may be awarded to recognize U.S. military service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor.
Netflix has named a docuseries after the Medal of Honor. There are 8 episodes currently. I highly recommend it and I warn you it's a tear jerker.
Sylvester Antolak - Sgt Antolak ran over 200 yards of open field towards German Machine gun nests being shot 3 times being knocked to the ground three times and getting back up each time. His right arm shattered he wedged his machine gun under his working left arm and continued charging while firing killing 2 Germans and capturing 10 others. He was killed charging a second nest inspiring his squad to take the nest.
Clint Romesha - Staff Sgt Romesha's combat outpost Keating staffed by under 50 men was attacked by a Taliban force of over 300. They were under constant mortar and RPG fire. An RPG hit a generator that Romesha was hiding behind and he was littered with shrapnel in his neck, shoulder, and arms. Despite that he lead an assault to retake the base after Taliban fighters breached it and directed close air support which resulted in the deaths of 30 Taliban soldiers.
Edward Carter - Staff Sgt Carter took a rank relegation to volunteer for Combat Duty in 1944. His column was struck by bazooka and 88 fire. Carter volunteered to take a squad of 3 soldiers across an open field to investigate and report back to the column enemy positions. After two of his men were killed Carter charged across an open field killed German soldiers and a sniper at the fixed position after being shot 5 times. He then killed 8 Germans attempting to capture him and took 2 others prisoner using those 2 to shield him while he walked backwards toward the column while interrogating the prisoners in German.
Hiroshi Miyamura - Sgt Miyamura ordered his men to retreat during a North Korean attack on his position when he saw they could no longer hold the position. Miyamura gunned down an uncountable amount of Chinese and Koreans attacking the abandoned position and when his machine gun ran out of ammo charged with a bayoneted M1 and engaged as many as 50 in hand to hand combat. He was eventually captured and sent to a POW camp. While walking to the POW camp he carried a wounded comrade 10 miles.
Jospeh Vittori - Cpl Vittori was in 1 of 4 machine gun nests that protected Hill 749 on Kanmubong Ridge during a night attack by the Chinese and North Koreans. He sent one of his squad mates back for ammo, the other was gravely wounded in the head and arm only able to load magazines and throw Grenades. Vittori recognizing that the other nests had fallen silent of machine gun fire, because the marines occupying those had been killed, ran between the 4 nests using each ones machine gun to cut down waves of assaulting troops convincing the enemy the posts were not abandoned. He did that for 3 hours and killed over 200 enemies before being shot in the head and killed. The position did not fall.
Vito Bertoldo - Master Sgt Bertoldo volunteered to provide rear cover as Battalion staff withdrew from their command post which came under heavy artillery fire. While under fire he took up a machine gun position. Tanks fired upon his position and he held off several waves of German infantry attacks. The next morning he defended a continued assault from German troops at an alternative command post while 88s fired on the room where he was shooting from knocking him almost unconscious. He proceeded to get up and did not withdraw until all command staff had been moved to safety.
Richard Etchberger - Chief Master Sgt Etchberger's site came under attack by North Vietnamese troops that had scaled the cliff walls during the night. Of the 19 men holding the position all but 7 were dead by 3 a.m. Chief Master Sgt. Etchberger tended to the wounded while simultaneously fighting off the North Vietnamese attack until a rescue helicopter arrived. While under fire he loaded the wounded onto the chopper while it hovered avove ground. He was killed as the helicopter took off with the wounded he loaded onto it.
Ty Carter - Specialist Ty Carters was part of Combat Outpost Keating with Staff Sgt Romesh during the attack. He repeatedly carried ammunition 100 yards across open ground to a Humvee on the south side of the outpost. Specialist Carter was wounded early on in the battle but continued to provide cover fire while his position was being fired upon and mortared. He cross half a football field without cover to provide aid to a wounded soldier while under fire saving the soldier's life in the processs. He then carried another wounded soldier 100 yards while under fire from that soldier's position to an aid station in cover.
Netflix has named a docuseries after the Medal of Honor. There are 8 episodes currently. I highly recommend it and I warn you it's a tear jerker.
Sylvester Antolak - Sgt Antolak ran over 200 yards of open field towards German Machine gun nests being shot 3 times being knocked to the ground three times and getting back up each time. His right arm shattered he wedged his machine gun under his working left arm and continued charging while firing killing 2 Germans and capturing 10 others. He was killed charging a second nest inspiring his squad to take the nest.
Clint Romesha - Staff Sgt Romesha's combat outpost Keating staffed by under 50 men was attacked by a Taliban force of over 300. They were under constant mortar and RPG fire. An RPG hit a generator that Romesha was hiding behind and he was littered with shrapnel in his neck, shoulder, and arms. Despite that he lead an assault to retake the base after Taliban fighters breached it and directed close air support which resulted in the deaths of 30 Taliban soldiers.
Edward Carter - Staff Sgt Carter took a rank relegation to volunteer for Combat Duty in 1944. His column was struck by bazooka and 88 fire. Carter volunteered to take a squad of 3 soldiers across an open field to investigate and report back to the column enemy positions. After two of his men were killed Carter charged across an open field killed German soldiers and a sniper at the fixed position after being shot 5 times. He then killed 8 Germans attempting to capture him and took 2 others prisoner using those 2 to shield him while he walked backwards toward the column while interrogating the prisoners in German.
Hiroshi Miyamura - Sgt Miyamura ordered his men to retreat during a North Korean attack on his position when he saw they could no longer hold the position. Miyamura gunned down an uncountable amount of Chinese and Koreans attacking the abandoned position and when his machine gun ran out of ammo charged with a bayoneted M1 and engaged as many as 50 in hand to hand combat. He was eventually captured and sent to a POW camp. While walking to the POW camp he carried a wounded comrade 10 miles.
Jospeh Vittori - Cpl Vittori was in 1 of 4 machine gun nests that protected Hill 749 on Kanmubong Ridge during a night attack by the Chinese and North Koreans. He sent one of his squad mates back for ammo, the other was gravely wounded in the head and arm only able to load magazines and throw Grenades. Vittori recognizing that the other nests had fallen silent of machine gun fire, because the marines occupying those had been killed, ran between the 4 nests using each ones machine gun to cut down waves of assaulting troops convincing the enemy the posts were not abandoned. He did that for 3 hours and killed over 200 enemies before being shot in the head and killed. The position did not fall.
Vito Bertoldo - Master Sgt Bertoldo volunteered to provide rear cover as Battalion staff withdrew from their command post which came under heavy artillery fire. While under fire he took up a machine gun position. Tanks fired upon his position and he held off several waves of German infantry attacks. The next morning he defended a continued assault from German troops at an alternative command post while 88s fired on the room where he was shooting from knocking him almost unconscious. He proceeded to get up and did not withdraw until all command staff had been moved to safety.
Richard Etchberger - Chief Master Sgt Etchberger's site came under attack by North Vietnamese troops that had scaled the cliff walls during the night. Of the 19 men holding the position all but 7 were dead by 3 a.m. Chief Master Sgt. Etchberger tended to the wounded while simultaneously fighting off the North Vietnamese attack until a rescue helicopter arrived. While under fire he loaded the wounded onto the chopper while it hovered avove ground. He was killed as the helicopter took off with the wounded he loaded onto it.
Ty Carter - Specialist Ty Carters was part of Combat Outpost Keating with Staff Sgt Romesh during the attack. He repeatedly carried ammunition 100 yards across open ground to a Humvee on the south side of the outpost. Specialist Carter was wounded early on in the battle but continued to provide cover fire while his position was being fired upon and mortared. He cross half a football field without cover to provide aid to a wounded soldier while under fire saving the soldier's life in the processs. He then carried another wounded soldier 100 yards while under fire from that soldier's position to an aid station in cover.
