Henry A. Commiskey Sr.

He charged uphill and cleared the enemy post at close range.

Henry Alfred Commiskey Sr. was born in Mississippi in January 1927 and enlisted in the Marine Corps during the Second World War. As an enlisted Marine at Iwo Jima he was wounded and received a commendation for leadership. Remaining in the Corps, he became an officer before deployment to Korea.

On 20 September 1950, near Yongdungpo outside Seoul, First Lieutenant Commiskey led a platoon of Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, against a heavily defended hill. He moved ahead of his men, charged the position and fought the defenders at close quarters. After exhausting his ammunition, he returned to obtain more and resumed the attack. His example helped the platoon take the objective. He survived that action without injury, but was wounded later in September and again during the Chosin Reservoir fighting in December.

President Harry Truman presented his Medal of Honor on 1 August 1951. Commiskey's military career then took a different direction. He trained as a naval aviator, received his wings in 1953 and qualified in jets. In April 1954 he returned to Korea as a pilot with Marine Attack Squadron 212. He subsequently returned to infantry duties and held training and recruiting assignments.

Commiskey advanced to major and retired in 1966 after more than twenty years of service. He settled in Meridian, Mississippi, where he lived until his death in August 1971. His record links enlisted combat at Iwo Jima, infantry leadership in Korea and later aviation service, with three separate combat wounds commemorated by his Purple Hearts.

Official Medal of Honor 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, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Directed to attack hostile forces well dug in on Hill 85, 1st Lt. Commiskey 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, 1st Lt. Commiskey knocked him to the ground and held him until he could obtain a weapon from another member of his platoon and killed the last of the enemy gun crew. Continuing his bold assault, he moved to the next emplacement, killed two more of the enemy and then led his platoon toward the rear nose of the hill to rout the remainder of the hostile troops and destroy them as they fled from their positions. 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 1st Lt. Commiskey and the U.S. Naval Service.