Junior D. Edwards
Junior Dean Edwards [1] (October 7, 1926 – January 2, 1951) was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on January 2, 1951 during the First Battle of Wonju.
Junior D. Edwards | |
|---|---|
 Medal of Honor recipient | |
| Born | October 7, 1926 Indianola, Iowa |
| Died | January 2, 1951 (aged 24) near Wonju, Korea |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1945 - 1946, 1947 - 1951 |
| Rank | Sergeant First Class |
| Unit | Company E, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II Korean War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Edwards joined the Army from his birthplace of Indianola, Iowa in January 1945,[2] and served in the final months of World War II as a cook and a military policeman, until he was discharged in August 1946. He rejoined the Army in June 1947.[3] He is buried in IOOF Cemetery Indianola, Iowa.[4]
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Company E, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division
Place and date: Near Changbong-ni, Korea, January 2, 1951
Entered service at: Indianola, Iowa. Born: October 7, 1926, Indianola, Iowa
G.O. No.: 13, February 1, 1952
Citation:
Sfc. Edwards, Company E, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. When his platoon, while assisting in the defense of a strategic hill, was forced out of its position and came under vicious raking fire from an enemy machine gun set up on adjacent high ground, Sfc. Edwards individually charged the hostile emplacement, throwing grenades as he advanced. The enemy withdrew but returned to deliver devastating fire when he had expended his ammunition. Securing a fresh supply of grenades, he again charged the emplacement, neutralized the weapon and killed the crew, but was forced back by hostile small-arms fire. When the enemy emplaced another machine gun and resumed fire, Sfc. Edwards again renewed his supply of grenades, rushed a third time through a vicious hail of fire, silenced this second gun and annihilated its crew. In this third daring assault he was mortally wounded but his indomitable courage and successful action enabled his platoon to regain and hold the vital strongpoint. Sfc. Edwards' consummate valor and gallant self-sacrifice reflect the utmost glory upon himself and are in keeping with the esteemed traditions of the infantry and military service.[5]
References
- Hall of Valor
- WWII Army Enlistment Records
- Iowa Medal of Honor Heroes
- "Junior D. Edwards". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved December 1, 2007.
- ""JUNIOR D. EDWARDS" entry". Medal of Honor recipients: Korean War. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
