Joseph Vittori

He held a shattered flank and stopped the enemy breakthrough

Joseph Vittori was born on 1 August 1929 in Beverly, Massachusetts. He served as a corporal and automatic rifleman with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.

During fighting on Hill 749, Korea, beginning on 15 September 1951, Vittori joined two volunteers to counter an enemy assault. Later he defended an isolated flank position through the night, moving between foxholes, operating a machine gun and replenishing ammunition under fire. His stand helped keep the battalion's position intact. He died on Hill 749 on 16 September.

Vittori received the Medal of Honor posthumously. Secretary of the Navy Dan A. Kimball presented it to his family at the Pentagon on 7 September 1952. He is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery in Beverly.

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 an automatic-rifleman in Company F, in action against enemy aggressor forces. With a forward platoon suffering heavy casualties and forced to withdraw under a vicious enemy counterattack as his company assaulted strong hostile forces entrenched on Hill 749, Cpl. Vittori boldly rushed through the withdrawing troops with two other volunteers from his reserve platoon and plunged directly into the midst of the enemy. Overwhelming them in a fierce hand-to-hand struggle, he enabled his company to consolidate its positions to meet further imminent onslaught.

Quick to respond to an urgent call for a rifleman to defend a heavy machine gun positioned on the extreme point of the northern flank and virtually isolated from the remainder of the unit when the enemy again struck in force during the night, he assumed position under the devastating barrage and, fighting a singlehanded battle, leaped from one flank to the other, covering each foxhole in turn as casualties continued to mount, manning a machine gun when the gunner was struck down, and making repeated trips through the heaviest shellfire to replenish ammunition.

With the situation becoming extremely critical, reinforcing units to the rear pinned down under the blistering attack, and foxholes left practically void by dead and wounded for a distance of 100 yards, Cpl. Vittori continued his valiant stand, refusing to give ground as the enemy penetrated to within feet of his position, simulating strength in the line and denying the foe physical occupation of the ground.

Mortally wounded by the enemy machine-gun and rifle bullets while persisting in his magnificent defense of the sector where approximately 200 enemy dead were found the following morning, Cpl. Vittori, by his fortitude, stouthearted courage, and great personal valor, had kept the point position intact despite the tremendous odds and undoubtedly prevented the entire battalion position from collapsing.

His extraordinary heroism throughout the furious nightlong battle reflects the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.