Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. Military person

Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr. (2 July 1925 – 5 November 1950) was a Marine in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, and later a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. Corporal Red Cloud posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions near Chonghyon, North Pyongan Province, North Korea on 5 November 1950.Born in Hatfield, Wisconsin, Red Cloud, a Ho-Chunk Native American, dropped out of high school to enlist in the US Marines during World War II. He served first with Carlson's Raiders during the Battle of Guadalcanal before health problems forced him stateside to recover. Red Cloud avoided discharge, and served with the 6th Marine Division during the Battle of Okinawa.Red Cloud enlisted in the US Army shortly before the beginning of the Korean War. Serving with the 24th Infantry Division, he was among the troops who fought the first battles of the war, being pushed back with the 19th Infantry Regiment during the Battle of Taejon and the Battle of Pusan Perimeter. He was then a part of the Eighth United States Army advance into North Korea. On the night of 5 November 1950, Red Cloud was manning a forward observation post when he spotted an imminent surprise attack by Chinese forces. Red Cloud singlehandedly held off the Chinese forces despite being shot eight times, at one point ordering his men to tie him to a tree because he was too weak to stand by himself. His company found him the next morning, surrounded by dead Chinese troops. He was credited with alerting his company to the ambush and saving them from being overrun. For these actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Personal facts

Mitchell Red Cloud Jr.
Birth dateJuly 02, 1924
Birth place
Hatfield Wisconsin
Date of deathNovember 05, 1950
Place of death
Korea , Chonghyon
Resting place
Winnebago Mission Wisconsin

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Military person

allegianceUnited States of America
award
Purple Heart
Medal of Honor
military operations
Battle of Okinawa
Korean War
Guadalcanal Campaign
World War II
Battle of Pusan Perimeter
Battle of Taejon
military branch
United States Army
United States Marine Corps
military unit
19th Infantry Regiment (United States)
Marine Raiders
29th Marine Regiment
service number16299515
service start1941
service end1941

Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. on Wikipedia

External resources

  1. http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/toc.htm