Einar H. Ingman Jr.

He stormed two machine guns despite terrible wounds in Korea

Einar Harold Ingman Jr. was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 6 October 1929. In Korea he served with Company E, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. On 26 February 1951, near Maltari, enemy fire stopped his platoon's attack on a fortified ridge and wounded both leading squad commanders.

Then a corporal, Ingman took command of the surviving men and reorganised their assault. He attacked one machine-gun position alone, using a grenade and rifle fire to destroy its crew. When a second gun opened fire, he charged again. Grenade fragments and bullets severely wounded his face and neck, but he rose and killed the second crew before collapsing. His men captured the objective as the defenders withdrew.

President Harry Truman presented Ingman, by then a sergeant, with the Medal of Honor on 5 July 1951. He survived his wounds and returned to Wisconsin. He died on 9 September 2015 and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Irma. His official citation honours battlefield leadership as well as extraordinary personal courage.