| |
| |
Korean War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Henry A. Commiskey Sr.
Commiskey, Henry A., Sr.
Rank: First Lieutenant (then Second Lieutenant)
Organization: U.S. Marine Corps, Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (Reinforced).
Place and date: Near Yongdungp'o, Korea, Sept. 20, 1950.
Entered service at: Hattiesburg, Miss.
Birth: 1927, Hattiesburg, Miss.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Platoon Leader in Company C, First Battalion, First Marine Division (Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces near Yongdungp'o , Korea, on 20 September 1950. Directed to attack hostile forces well dug in on Hill 85, First Lieutenant Commiskey, Then Second Lieutenant, spearheaded the assault, charging up the steep slopes on the run. Coolly disregarding the heavy enemy machine-gun and small arms fire, he plunged on well forward of the rest of his platoon and was the first man to reach the crest of the objective. Armed only with a pistol, he jumped into a hostile machine-gun emplacement occupied by five enemy troops and quickly disposed of four of the soldiers with his automatic pistol. Grappling with the fifth, First Lieutenant Commiskey knocked him to the ground and held him until he could obtain a weapon from another member of his platoon and kill the last of the enemy gun crew. Continuing his bold assault, he moved to the next emplacement, killed two or more of the enemy and then led his platoon toward the rear nose of the hill to rout the remainder of the enemy. His valiant leadership and courageous fighting spirit served to inspire the men of his company to heroic endeavor in seizing the objective and reflect the highest credit upon First Lieutenant Commiskey and the United States Naval Service.
House approves post office name change
The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to name the downtown Hattiesburg Post Office in honor of Medal of Honor winner Major Henry Commiskey. The bill now heads to the Senate. Commiskey, a Hattiesburg native who died in 1971, was the first Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor in Korea.
He received the Purple Heart during World War II and participated in the Inchon landing in the Korean War. He was presented the Medal of Honor at the White House by President Harry Truman in 1951.
|
|
|
|
|
Articles & Briefings
