William Thompson (Medal of Honor, 1950)

William Henry Thompson was a United States Army soldier who served honorably during World War II and the Korean War. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States military's highest decoration for valor, for his heroic actions during the Korean War. Thompson served in the 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, where his self-sacrifice and courage under fire saved the lives of his comrades.

During his military career, Thompson served during World War II, earning the World War II Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal. After the outbreak of hostilities on the Korean Peninsula, he was deployed with his unit to counter the North Korean invasion. It was during these intense combat operations that he demonstrated the extraordinary heroism that would define his legacy.

On August 6, 1950, near Haman, Korea, Private First Class Thompson's platoon was ambushed by overwhelming enemy forces. Thompson set up his machine gun and single-handedly held off the advancing enemy to allow his platoon to withdraw to safety. Despite being repeatedly wounded, he refused to abandon his position and continued to fire until he was mortally wounded, saving his fellow soldiers at the cost of his own life.