Clifton T. Speicher
Clifton T. Speicher (March 25, 1931 – June 14, 1952) was a United States Army soldier in the Korean War who posthumously received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.
Clifton T. Speicher | |
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Medal of Honor recipient | |
Born | Gray, Pennsylvania, US | March 25, 1931
Died | June 14, 1952 21) Near Minarigol, Korea | (aged
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1951 - 1952 |
Rank | Corporal |
Unit | 223rd Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division |
Battles/wars | Korean War † |
Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Born on March 25, 1931, in Gray, Pennsylvania, Speicher joined the Army from that city in 1951. By June 14, 1952, he was serving in Korea as a corporal in Company F of the 223rd Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division. On that day, during an attack against a hostile position near Minarigol, his squad came under intense small-arms, mortar, and machine gun fire. Although wounded, Speicher charged the machine gun nest and killed the occupants with his rifle and bayonet. He was wounded again during his approach and died shortly after silencing the emplacement. For these actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor a year later, on August 19, 1953.