Charles L. Gilliland: Difference between revisions
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|born= {{birth date|1933|5|24}} |
|born= {{birth date|1933|5|24}} |
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|died= {{death date and age|1951|4|25|1933|5|24}} |
|died= {{death date and age|1951|4|25|1933|5|24}} |
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|placeofbirth= [[Mountain Home, Arkansas]] |
|placeofbirth= Near [[Mountain Home, Arkansas]] |
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|placeofdeath= Near Tongmang-ni, [[Korea]] |
|placeofdeath= Near Tongmang-ni, [[Korea]] |
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|placeofburial= |
|placeofburial= |
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|caption=Medal of Honor recipient Charles Gilliland |
|caption=Medal of Honor recipient Charles Gilliland |
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|nickname= |
|nickname= |
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|allegiance= [[United States |
|allegiance= [[United States]] |
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|branch= [[United States Army]] |
|branch= [[United States Army]] |
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|serviceyears= |
|serviceyears= 1950–1951 |
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|rank= [[Corporal#United States|Corporal]] |
|rank= [[Corporal#United States|Corporal]] |
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|commands= |
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|unit= [[7th Infantry Regiment (United States)|7th Infantry Regiment]], [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|3rd Infantry Division]] |
|unit= [[7th Infantry Regiment (United States)|7th Infantry Regiment]], [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|3rd Infantry Division]] |
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|battles= [[Korean War]] |
|battles= [[Korean War]] |
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|awards= [[Medal of Honor]]<br/>[[Purple Heart]] |
|awards= [[Medal of Honor]]<br/>[[Purple Heart]] |
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|laterwork= |
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'''Charles Leon Gilliland''' (May 24, 1933 |
'''Charles Leon Gilliland''' (May 24, 1933 – April 25, 1951) was a [[United States Army]] soldier who [[Posthumous recognition|posthumously]] received the United States military's highest award, the [[Medal of Honor]], for his actions in the [[Korean War]]. |
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Born in the community of Colfax near [[Mountain Home, Arkansas]], Gilliland was the second of nine children of Leon Carl and Evangeline Margarite Martin Gilliland. His father was a farmer and construction worker and his mother worked as a nurse's aide. His family moved to nearby [[Marion County, Arkansas|Marion County]] when he was a teenager. Throughout his childhood, Gilliland showed a strong interest in the military and law enforcement, enjoyed hunting and fishing, and in his teenage years was a fitness enthusiast. He attempted to enlist in the [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] at sixteen, but was turned away and advised to continue his education. After much convincing, his parents agreed to let him enlist in the U.S. Army on his seventeenth birthday, May 24, 1950.<ref name="stewart">{{cite encyclopedia|last=Stewart|first=Julie|title=Gilliland, Charles Leon|encyclopedia=Arkansas Biography: A Collection of Notable Lives|publisher=University of Arkansas Press|date=2000|pages=123–124|isbn=9781557285874|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ThTBc-E85agC&pg=PA123}}</ref> |
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After joining the Army in [[Yellville, Arkansas|Yellville]], he attended [[United States Army Basic Training|basic training]] at [[Fort Riley]], [[Kansas]].<ref name="stewart"/><ref name="citation">{{cite web|url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/koreanwar.html|title=Medal of Honor Recipients - Korean War|date=August 3, 2009|publisher=[[United States Army Center of Military History]]|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> The Korean War began one month after his enlistment, and by the end of the year he had been sent to [[east Asia]]. During his deployment in Korea, he was wounded and, in one instance, carried to safety a fellow soldier who had lost his legs.<ref name="stewart"/> |
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| ⚫ | By April 25, 1951, he was a [[private first class]] serving with Company I of the [[7th Infantry Regiment (United States)|7th Infantry Regiment]], [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|3rd Infantry Division]]. On that day, near [[Tongmang-ni]], his company came under attack from a numerically superior [[China|Chinese]] force. From his defensive position, Gilliland had a clear view of the [[Defile (geography)|defile]] through which many of the attackers were approaching. Using his [[automatic rifle]], he fired continuously into the defile, even after suffering a severe head wound while chasing down two enemy soldiers who had breached the defensive line. When orders came to pull back, he volunteered to stay behind and provide [[covering fire]] while the rest of his unit withdrew. He was killed during this action. Gilliland was subsequently given a posthumous promotion to [[Corporal#United States|corporal]] and, on January 11, 1955, awarded the Medal of Honor.<ref name="citation"/> One month shy of his 18th birthday, he was the youngest Medal of Honor recipient of the Korean War.<ref>{{cite book|last=Owens|first=Ron|title=Medal of Honor: Historical Facts and Figures|publisher=Turner Publishing Company|location=Paducah, Kentucky|date=2004|page=142|isbn=1563119951}}</ref> |
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==Medal of Honor citation== |
==Medal of Honor citation== |
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Revision as of 02:51, 5 September 2009
Charles Leon Gilliland | |
|---|---|
 Medal of Honor recipient Charles Gilliland | |
| Allegiance | Vereinigte Staaten |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1950–1951 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Charles Leon Gilliland (May 24, 1933 – April 25, 1951) was a United States Army soldier who posthumously received the United States military's highest award, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Korean War.
Born in the community of Colfax near Mountain Home, Arkansas, Gilliland was the second of nine children of Leon Carl and Evangeline Margarite Martin Gilliland. His father was a farmer and construction worker and his mother worked as a nurse's aide. His family moved to nearby Marion County when he was a teenager. Throughout his childhood, Gilliland showed a strong interest in the military and law enforcement, enjoyed hunting and fishing, and in his teenage years was a fitness enthusiast. He attempted to enlist in the Marine Corps at sixteen, but was turned away and advised to continue his education. After much convincing, his parents agreed to let him enlist in the U.S. Army on his seventeenth birthday, May 24, 1950.[1]
After joining the Army in Yellville, he attended basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas.[1][2] The Korean War began one month after his enlistment, and by the end of the year he had been sent to east Asia. During his deployment in Korea, he was wounded and, in one instance, carried to safety a fellow soldier who had lost his legs.[1]
By April 25, 1951, he was a private first class serving with Company I of the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. On that day, near Tongmang-ni, his company came under attack from a numerically superior Chinese force. From his defensive position, Gilliland had a clear view of the defile through which many of the attackers were approaching. Using his automatic rifle, he fired continuously into the defile, even after suffering a severe head wound while chasing down two enemy soldiers who had breached the defensive line. When orders came to pull back, he volunteered to stay behind and provide covering fire while the rest of his unit withdrew. He was killed during this action. Gilliland was subsequently given a posthumous promotion to corporal and, on January 11, 1955, awarded the Medal of Honor.[2] One month shy of his 18th birthday, he was the youngest Medal of Honor recipient of the Korean War.[3]
Medal of Honor citation
Gilliland's official citation reads:
Cpl. Gilliland, a member of Company I, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. A numerically superior hostile force launched a coordinated assault against his company perimeter, the brunt of which was directed up a defile covered by his automatic rifle. His assistant was killed by enemy fire but Cpl. Gilliland, facing the full force of the assault, poured a steady fire into the foe which stemmed the onslaught. When 2 enemy soldiers escaped his raking fire and infiltrated the sector, he leaped from his foxhole, overtook and killed them both with his pistol. Sustaining a serious head wound in this daring exploit, he refused medical attention and returned to his emplacement to continue his defense of the vital defile. His unit was ordered back to new defensive positions but Cpl. Gilliland volunteered to remain to cover the withdrawal and hold the enemy at bay. His heroic actions and indomitable devotion to duty prevented the enemy from completely overrunning his company positions. Cpl. Gilliland's incredible valor and supreme sacrifice reflect lasting glory upon himself and are in keeping with the honored traditions of the military service.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Stewart, Julie (2000). "Gilliland, Charles Leon". Arkansas Biography: A Collection of Notable Lives. University of Arkansas Press. pp. 123–124. ISBN 9781557285874.
- ^ a b "Medal of Honor Recipients - Korean War". United States Army Center of Military History. August 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
- ^ Owens, Ron (2004). Medal of Honor: Historical Facts and Figures. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company. p. 142. ISBN 1563119951.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
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