Tibor Rubin

Tibor "Ted" Rubin: Holocaust Survivor, Korean War Medal of Honor Recipient

How does a survivor of Mauthausen repay the soldiers who helped restore his freedom? For Tibor "Ted" Rubin, the answer was to serve alongside American soldiers and, when captured, refuse to abandon them. Born on 18 June 1929 in Pásztó, Hungary, Rubin endured approximately 14 months of imprisonment at the Mauthausen concentration camp before American troops liberated it on 5 May 1945. After spending nearly three years in a displaced persons camp in Germany, he moved to the United States in 1948. Despite initially failing the Army entrance examination because of his limited English, he persevered and eventually passed. He first served as a rifleman with the 29th Infantry Regiment in Okinawa before joining Company I, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, in Korea.

During the withdrawal toward the Pusan Perimeter, Rubin was assigned to remain behind and protect the vital Taegu-Pusan road link. For approximately 24 hours, he defended a hill alone against overwhelming North Korean forces, delaying their advance and allowing his regiment to withdraw safely. During the subsequent advance north, he also helped capture several hundred North Korean soldiers. His courage was tested again at Unsan on 30 October 1950, when Chinese forces launched a massive nighttime assault. After three previous machine-gunners became casualties, Rubin took over a .30-caliber machine gun and continued fighting until his ammunition was exhausted. Severely wounded, he was captured and endured approximately 30 months in prisoner-of-war camps.

Captivity became another extraordinary test of his courage. Rubin refused an offer to return to communist Hungary and chose to remain with his American comrades. He repeatedly risked his life by sneaking out at night to obtain food, providing medical assistance to sick and wounded prisoners, and encouraging those losing hope. His selfless efforts were credited with saving the lives of as many as 40 fellow prisoners. The official Medal of Honor citation recognizes his extraordinary heroism throughout his Korean War service from 23 July 1950 to 20 April 1953. On 23 September 2005, President George W. Bush presented him with the Medal of Honor at the White House. His other confirmed personal decorations include two Purple Hearts and the Prisoner of War Medal. Rubin died in Garden Grove, California, on 5 December 2015, aged 86. His legacy is that of a soldier who transformed his own experience of suffering into an extraordinary commitment to protecting the lives of others.