12-291 Garand Picture of the Day

[Mark in Rochester]

Group of African American soldiers of 24th Inf. Regiment sitting in a transport truck awaiting movement to the front lines during the Korean War.



Location:Korea
Date taken:July 18, 1950
Photographer:Breeding






William Thompson (Medal of Honor, 1950)

Thompson enlisted in the army in October 1945, and after basic combat training was assigned to a post in Adak, Alaska. After 18 months, he was honorably discharged from the military, but found adjustment to civilian life difficult and opted to return to the military. In January 1948, Thompson reenlisted and was assigned to the U.S. 6th Infantry Division, which was on occupation duty in South Korea. When the 6th Infantry Division returned to the United States, he was reassigned to the U.S. 24th Infantry Regiment, U.S. 25th Infantry Division which was assigned to the post-World War II occupation of Japan. His Military Occupational Specialty was 4812, that of a heavy weapons infantryman who operated automatic weapons

Medal of Honor action

On 6 August 1950, as the Battle of Pusan Perimeter was beginning, the 25th Infantry Division was locked in a counteroffensive near Masan, during the Battle of Masan. That night, M Company was supporting the division advance near the city of Haman, South Korea, in a mountain valley south of Sobuk-san. As Thompson's platoon approached the town, it was ambushed by a large force of North Korean People's Army troops. Automatic weapons fire caused several men in the company to panic and flee. Those remaining were ordered into a tight perimeter by Second Lieutenant Herbert H. Wilson.

After a North Korean grenade knocked out the only other remaining heavy weapons specialist, Thompson and his .30 caliber M1917 Browning machine gun were left as the last heavy weapon in the platoon. Thompson soon became the North Koreans' focus of fire. During this period, Thompson was wounded several times by North Korean small arms and grenade fragments,[ but did not react to the injuries or inform the rest of his unit. After the platoon was ordered to withdraw from the heavy resistance, Wilson ordered a withdrawal to higher ground.

Crawling to Thompson's position, Wilson discovered Thompson's injuries. Wilson attempted to order Thompson to withdraw twice, but the latter refused, and continued to fire on advancing North Koreans. Thompson told Wilson he was dying and was not going to move back.Wilson then called forward two non-commissioned officers who unsuccessfully attempted to remove Thompson from the gun physically. Continuing to refuse to move, Thompson's last words to the other soldiers were "Get out of here, I'll cover you!" Wilson reluctantly ordered the remaining men to pull back. As the platoon departed, they heard grenade blasts around Thompson's position, followed by a larger blast, at which point Thompson's gun fell silent. He had continued to fire his machine gun until he was killed.

A few days later, after M Company retook the area, they discovered Thompson had made a last stand, and killed a large number of North Koreans before dying himself.Thompson's actions had prevented higher casualties in his unit as it withdrew

Information

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