Harold Edward Wilson

Four wounds. Both arms nearly useless. His platoon was under relentless attack, and the defensive position was in danger of collapsing. Yet Technical Sergeant Harold Edward “Speedy” Wilson refused medical treatment, moved from foxhole to foxhole, supplied his Marines with weapons and ammunition, treated the wounded and kept his men fighting. By dawn, the position still held. Wilson then accounted for every Marine in his platoon before walking half a mile to an aid station. Those actions on Hill 902 near the Hwachon Reservoir would earn the Birmingham, Alabama, Marine the Medal of Honor.

Harold Edward Wilson was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on 5 December 1921, the son of James and Leila Wilson. He grew up with three brothers, William, Thomas and Walter, all of whom would also join the United States Marine Corps. As a boy, Wilson delivered groceries with a wagon. His slow pace initially earned him the unwanted nickname “Slow Poke,” so he saved enough money to buy a bicycle and began making his deliveries at much greater speed. The new nickname was “Speedy,” and it remained with him for the rest of his life.

A few months after the United States entered the Second World War, Wilson enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve and was assigned to active duty on 20 April 1942. He spent 27 months overseas, much of that time stationed on Midway Island, and also served at Parris Island, Camp Lejeune and Portsmouth. When the war ended, he was honourably discharged on 20 October 1945 with the rank of sergeant.

Civilian life did not end Wilson’s connection with the Marines. In 1947 he re-entered the Organized Marine Corps Reserve with the Birmingham unit. Following the outbreak of the Korean War, he was recalled to active duty in August 1950 and assigned to Company G, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. He arrived in Korea that November and took part in the Wonsan landing, the Chosin Reservoir campaign and the first United Nations counteroffensive. At Chosin, where Marines fought through bitter cold and overwhelming enemy pressure, Wilson was wounded on 9 December 1950.

His courage was tested again only months later. During several engagements between 1 and 27 March 1951, Wilson distinguished himself while leading his platoon in combat. The Marine Corps record states that he received the Bronze Star Medal for his “fearless and untiring leadership.” The decoration carried the Combat “V,” identifying his achievement as one earned for valor in combat.

Then came the night that defined Harold Wilson’s place in Marine Corps history.

On 23 April 1951, Wilson was serving as platoon sergeant of the 3rd Platoon, Company G, near Hill 902 at the Hwachon Reservoir. After the company outpost was overrun, his Marines found themselves resisting a powerful night assault from hastily prepared foxholes. Mortar shells, machine-gun fire, grenades and small-arms fire swept the position from enemy-held high ground. Instead of seeking cover, Wilson exposed himself to the attack so he could bring survivors back into the defensive line and organize treatment for the wounded.

Gunfire struck him in the right arm and left leg. Wilson refused medical aid and continued moving among his Marines, encouraging them to hold. As the assault intensified, he suffered additional wounds to his head and shoulder. Both arms became so badly disabled that he could no longer fire a weapon, but he still refused evacuation. Instead, he collected rifles and ammunition from wounded Marines and redistributed them to men who could continue the fight.

When additional Marines arrived, Wilson placed the reinforcements where they were most needed and directed their fire. A hostile mortar round then exploded directly in front of him, knocking him from his feet and leaving him dazed and concussed. Weakened by blood loss and already wounded repeatedly, he still would not leave. He continued moving from foxhole to foxhole, directing fire, supplying ammunition, administering first aid and rallying his exhausted platoon.

The official Medal of Honor citation credited Wilson’s actions with restoring confidence to his Marines and inspiring them to rally repeatedly against the attacking forces. When the last assault had been defeated at dawn, Wilson did not immediately seek treatment. First, he personally accounted for every man in his platoon. Only then did he walk approximately half a mile without assistance to an aid station. His citation concluded that his courage, initiative and leadership in the face of overwhelming odds contributed directly to the success of his company’s mission.

Wilson was evacuated to the U.S. Naval Hospital at Yokosuka, Japan, where he remained for five months before returning to the United States. The wounds he suffered during the Korean War formed part of an extraordinary combat record ultimately recognized by the Purple Heart with four gold stars, representing five awards of the Purple Heart . He also received a meritorious promotion to master sergeant in June 1951.

On 11 April 1952, President Harry S. Truman presented Harold E. Wilson with the Medal of Honor during a White House Rose Garden ceremony. His parents and brothers were present. When Wilson learned that the President would place the nation’s highest military decoration around his neck, his character was captured in a remarkably simple response: “I only did my duty.”

The Medal of Honor did not mark the end of Wilson’s Marine Corps career. He was appointed a warrant officer in August 1952 and went on to hold a succession of administrative, personnel and adjutant appointments. In December 1962 he became Adjutant of the Marine Corps Engineer Schools at Camp Lejeune, and the following year served as Adjutant and Personnel Officer with the 2nd Tank Battalion under Force Troops, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic. He also served as an adjutant at what was then the Marine Corps Supply Center at Albany, Georgia.

Wilson’s career eventually carried him into a third major American conflict. During the Vietnam War, he served with Marine Aircraft Group 13 before becoming Personnel Officer of the 6th Marine Corps District in November 1968. His later service record included the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat “V,” the Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation and Meritorious Unit Commendation, along with Vietnam campaign and unit recognition. After service in the Second World War, Korea and Vietnam, Wilson retired from the Marine Corps in February 1972 with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4, completing nearly three decades of military service.

Retirement did not end his service to military families. Wilson became a benefits counselor with the Veterans Administration, helping other veterans obtain the assistance they had earned. He later settled in Lexington, South Carolina. Harold Edward “Speedy” Wilson died of lung cancer on 29 March 1998 at the age of 76 and was buried at Woodridge Memorial Park in Lexington.

His legacy continued long after his death. In 2017, Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany dedicated a weapons storage and inspection facility in Wilson’s memory. His son recalled that his father had been so private and humble about the Medal of Honor that some people who knew him for years never realized he possessed it. That humility gives Harold Wilson’s story its final measure. He survived three wars, was wounded repeatedly, received five Purple Hearts, earned the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V,” and received the Medal of Honor for holding his Marines together under overwhelming attack. Yet when confronted with the magnitude of what he had done, “Speedy” Wilson regarded it simply as his duty.