Mitchell Red Cloud Jr.
Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. | |
---|---|
29th Marine Regiment 19th Infantry Regiment | |
Battles/wars | World War II
|
Awards | Purple Heart Medal (2) |
Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. (2 July 1925 – 5 November 1950) was a United States Army corporal who was killed in action while serving in the
Born in
Red Cloud enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1948. After the Korean War began in June 1950, he was sent to Korea with the
Early life
Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. was born on 2 July 1925 in Hatfield, Wisconsin. He was the eldest son of Mitchell Red Cloud and Lillian Red Cloud. The family were ethnic members of the Ho-Chunk Native American tribe.[2] Red Cloud attended Neillsville High School in Neillsville, Wisconsin.[3] The school taught primarily Native American students, a large portion of whom joined the military after finishing school.[4] At age 16, Red Cloud dropped out of high school and, with his father's approval, decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corps.
Military service
U.S. Marine Corps
He entered the Marine Corps on 11 August 1941,[2] the earliest date on which he was legally allowed to enlist.[5] The family may have relocated to Merrillan, Wisconsin, which was where Red Cloud enlisted.[6] He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines at Camp Elliot, California.
With
During his time overseas, Red Cloud contracted diseases frequently, and he was returned to the United States in February 1943 to recuperate. The navy doctors in San Diego that examined Red Cloud offered him a
Inter-service years
In December 1945, Red Cloud published an article in the Wisconsin Archaeologist, an account from his tribe's traditional stories about the 1832 surrender of
In the inter-service years, Red Cloud married and had a daughter, Annita.[9]
U.S. Army
Red Cloud decided to return to the military in 1948. He enlisted in the
With the outbreak of the
The unit subsequently moved back to the
Following the
Medal of Honor action
On the night of 5 November, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th infantry was holding positions on Hill 123, near Chonghyon, just north of the river.
Red Cloud, then a
Red Cloud's actions gave E Company time and warning to blunt the Chinese offensive, eventually repelling the attack.[8][16] His actions are also credited with allowing his company to evacuate several others wounded in the attack.[17] When members of the 2nd Battalion returned to the hill and arrived at Red Cloud's position to recover his body the next morning, they found it was surrounded by a large number of dead Chinese troops.[16]
Burial and honors
Red Cloud was initially buried at a UN cemetery in Korea. However, in 1955, his body was exhumed and moved to Wisconsin, where he was buried in accordance with Ho-Chunk tribal customs.[16] He was interred at the Decorah Cemetery at Winnebago Mission, Wisconsin.
In April 1951, Red Cloud's mother received the
On Armed Forces Day, 18 May 1957, the United States Army named Camp Red Cloud in South Korea after him, in recognition of his actions. Red Cloud Range on Fort Benning, Georgia, was also named for Red Cloud.
A park in La Crosse, Wisconsin, was dedicated in Red Cloud's honor. A memorial park was dedicated in his memory, the Red Cloud Highway Memorial Park adjacent to the Black Hawk Powwow Grounds in Komensky, Wisconsin. A portion of Wisconsin Highway 54 was renamed Red Cloud Highway. The American Legion post in Adams, Wisconsin, was renamed for him.[8] The Ho-Chunk Nation observes Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. Day on each 4th of July.
In 1967, a monument was erected for him in the cemetery.
In 1999, the
Fort Novosel dedicated a road to Red Cloud on the Post. Red Cloud Road, it depicts a sign with a brief writeup of his Medal of honor citation.
Documentary
Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. is one of the featured Korean War heroes honored in the 2013 documentary "Finnigan's War" directed by Conor Timmis. Actor Mark Hamill narrates Red Cloud's Medal of Honor citation in the film.[19]
Military awards
Red Cloud's military awards and decorations include:[1]
Combat Infantryman Badge | |||
Medal of Honor | Purple Heart Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster | Navy Presidential Unit Citation w/ 3⁄16" bronze star | |
Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal | American Campaign Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ two 3⁄16" bronze stars
| |
World War II Victory Medal | National Defense Service Medal | Korean Service Medal w/ three 3⁄16" bronze stars | |
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
|
United Nations Service Medal for Korea
|
Korean War Service Medal[n 1] |
Medal of Honor citation
Red Cloud's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
Rank and organization: Corporal, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division
Place and date: Near Chonghyon, Korea, 5 November 1950
Entered service at: Merrillan, Wisconsin
General Orders No. 26, 25 April 1951
The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud Jr.
United States ArmyCitation:
Cpl. Red Cloud, Company E, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. From his position on the point of a ridge immediately in front of the company command post he was the first to detect the approach of the Chinese Communist forces and give the alarm as the enemy charged from a brush-covered area less than 100 feet from him. Springing up, he delivered devastating pointblank automatic rifle fire into the advancing enemy. His accurate and intense fire checked this assault and gained time for the company to consolidate its defense. With utter fearlessness he maintained his firing position until severely wounded by enemy fire. Refusing assistance he pulled himself to his feet and, wrapping his arm around a tree, continued his deadly fire again, until he was fatally wounded. This heroic act stopped the enemy from overrunning his company's position and gained time for reorganization and evacuation of the wounded. Cpl. Red Cloud's dauntless courage and gallant self-sacrifice reflects the highest credit upon himself and upholds the esteemed traditions of the U.S. Army.[20]
/S/ Harry S. Truman
See also
References
Notes
- ^ In 2000 this award was made retroactive to all US military personnel who served in the Korean War.
Citations
- ^ a b c d "Korean War Honor Roll listing: Mitchell Red Cloud Jr". American Battle Monuments Commission. Archived from the original on 15 February 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
- ^ a b c Willibanks 2011, p. 275
- ^ Stucki 2004, p. 4
- ^ Stucki 2004, p. 80
- ^ Vogel 1992, p. 63
- ^ Ecker 2004, p. 50
- ^ a b c d e f g Willibanks 2011, p. 276
- ^ a b c d Vogel 1992, p. 64
- ^ a b c Carroll 2008, p. 62
- ^ Appleman 1998, p. 135
- ^ Appleman 1998, p. 290
- ^ Appleman 1998, p. 449
- ^ Appleman 1998, p. 453
- ^ Appleman 1998, p. 405
- ^ a b c HISTORYNET
- ^ a b c d e f g h Willibanks 2011, p. 277
- ^ Viola 2008, p. 118
- ^ Viola 2008, p. 119
- ^ Kovach, Gretel (Feb 7, 2014). "Documenting bravery of Korean War heroes". U~T San Diego.
- ^ Ecker 2004, p. 51
Sources
- This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
- Appleman, Roy E. (1998), South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu: United States Army in the Korean War, ISBN 978-0160019180, archived from the originalon 2014-02-07, retrieved 2012-03-17
- Carroll, Al (2008), Medicine Bags and Dog Tags: American Indian Veterans from Colonial Times to the Second Iraq War, ISBN 978-0803210851
- Ecker, Richard E. (2004), Battles of the Korean War: A Chronology, with Unit-by-Unit United States Casualty Figures & Medal of Honor Citations, ISBN 978-0786419807
- Stucki, Jacob C. (2004), Remembering the Indian School, ISBN 978-0741418944
- Viola, Herman J. (2008), Warriors in Uniform: The Legacy of American Indian Heroism, ISBN 978-1426203619
- Vogel, Virgil J. (1992), Indian Names on Wisconsin's Map, ISBN 978-0299129842
- Willibanks, James H. (2011), America's Heroes: Medal of Honor Recipients from the Civil War to Afghanistan, ISBN 978-1598843934
External links
- "Mitchell Red Cloud Jr". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 2007-12-28.