Edward Clyde Benfold

At just 21 years old, Edward Clyde “Ted” Benfold made a decision that would define his place in American military history. When two wounded Marines were trapped in a crater and enemy grenades landed beside them, the young Navy hospital corpsman did not retreat. He seized the grenades and charged the approaching enemy, sacrificing his own life to save his comrades. For extraordinary courage and self-sacrifice during the Korean War, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Edward Clyde Benfold was born on 15 January 1931 in Staten Island, New York, and grew up in New Jersey. After graduating from Audubon High School in 1949, he enlisted in the United States Navy on 27 June 1949. He completed Navy recruit and Hospital Corpsman training at Great Lakes, Illinois, followed by further medical training and assignments supporting Marine Corps units. In June 1951, he married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Groff. He subsequently served with the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, in Korea.

During the Korean War, Benfold served as a frontline medical corpsman, treating wounded Marines under enemy fire. His unit participated in the fighting around Bunker Hill and Outpost Siberia before moving to the Outpost Bruce sector. On 5 September 1952, during a fierce Chinese assault, Benfold repeatedly moved through artillery and mortar fire to assist wounded Marines. When he reached a crater containing two wounded Marines, enemy soldiers threw grenades into the position and charged. Benfold seized a grenade in each hand, rushed towards the attackers and pressed the explosives against them. The resulting explosions mortally wounded him, but his action saved the two Marines. His Medal of Honor citation recognized his extraordinary gallantry and self-sacrifice.

His posthumous Medal of Honor was presented on 16 July 1953 at the Philadelphia Naval Base by Rear Admiral John H. Brown Jr. to his infant son, Edward Joseph. His Purple Heart with Gold Star, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, United Nations Service Medal with Korea clasp and Republic of Korea War Service Medal further document his service and sacrifice.

Benfold was buried at Beverly National Cemetery in New Jersey on 12 November 1952. His legacy continues through the USS Benfold, a United States Navy guided-missile destroyer named in his honour, and the naval medical facility that also bears his name. His story remains a powerful reminder that courage is not measured by age or rank, but by the willingness to put the lives of others before one's own.