SGT. David B. Bleak

                     (US Armyj

On this day, 73 years ago, on June 14, 1952, Sergeant David B. Bleak, age 20, a combat medic assigned to the Medical Company, 2nd Battalion, 223rd Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division, fought during a daylight reconnaissance-in-force mission near Minari-gol, North Korea.

The mission’s objective was to probe enemy positions on Hill 499 and capture a prisoner for intelligence purposes. The patrol consisted of approximately 20 soldiers. Sergeant Bleak volunteered to join the patrol to provide immediate medical care, knowing the mission involved open exposure to enemy fire.

As the patrol moved uphill, it encountered fierce enemy small-arms and mortar fire. The first burst of fire wounded several men. Bleak ran forward under fire, reaching the wounded while bullets hit the ground around him. He treated the injuries quickly and remained exposed to fire while doing so.

As the team advanced further up the slope toward the crest, they were ambushed again, this time by enemy soldiers occupying a trench just beyond the ridgeline. Bleak was among the first to reach the trench. He jumped into it and immediately engaged in close-quarters combat. He killed two enemy soldiers using his bare hands by grabbing and throwing them down the trench. A third enemy soldier rushed him with a weapon. Bleak killed him with his trench knife.

Soon after, an enemy grenade landed near one of the wounded soldiers. Bleak threw himself between the soldier and the grenade. He absorbed the concussion with his body, shielding the wounded man from further injury. Despite being dazed, Bleak got up and resumed treating other wounded soldiers under fire.

While continuing to administer aid, Bleak was shot in the leg. He wrapped the wound himself, refused evacuation, and proceeded to assist in withdrawing the wounded from the hill.

While carrying a wounded man downhill, Bleak was confronted by two enemy soldiers with fixed bayonets. He set the man down, rushed the attackers, grabbed both by the helmets, and smashed their heads together with enough force to knock them unconscious or kill them instantly. He then picked up the wounded man again and carried him down the slope through enemy fire until reaching safety.

For his actions on June 14, 1952, Sergeant David B. Bleak was awarded the * Medal of Honor *. The medal was presented by President Dwight D. Eisenhower at a White House ceremony on October 27, 1953.

Sergeant Bleak was one of the few combat medics in U.S. history to receive the * Medal of Honor *for hand-to-hand combat during the course of his duties. He left the Army after the war and lived in Idaho.

David B. Bleak died on March 23, 2006, at the age of 74. He was cremated. A cenotaph in his honor is located at Lost River Cemetery in Moore, Idaho.