Tibor Rubin

Tibor "Ted" Rubin was a Hungarian-American U.S. Army corporal and a Holocaust survivor who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Korean War. Born in Hungary, Rubin survived 14 months in the Mauthausen concentration camp as a teenager. After being liberated by American soldiers, he immigrated to the United States in 1948 and enlisted in the Army in 1950, seeking to express his gratitude to the country that had saved him.

Deployed to Korea with the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Rubin's heroism was immediately apparent. In late 1950, he single-handedly defended a hill for 24 hours against waves of North Korean soldiers, allowing his company to safely withdraw. This act of incredible bravery, where he inflicted a staggering number of casualties on the enemy, was one of the key actions cited for his Medal of Honor. His superiors recommended him for the award multiple times, but the paperwork was deliberately never submitted by a sergeant who held anti-Semitic views.

Following his capture by Chinese forces in late 1950, Rubin's heroism continued in the prisoner-of-war camp. He systematically stole food and medical supplies from enemy storehouses to care for his sick and starving fellow prisoners. Ignoring his own safety, he provided nourishment and aid that is credited with saving the lives of as many as 40 of his comrades. After his release and return to the United States, his story was largely unrecognized for decades due to the lost paperwork.

After a long campaign by his fellow soldiers, Rubin was finally awarded the Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush on September 23, 2005. The citation recognized both his combat gallantry and his selfless actions as a POW. Tibor Rubin's life is a testament to extraordinary courage, resilience, and compassion in the face of unimaginable adversity and prejudice.