Charles F. Pendleton
{{short description|United States Army Medal of Honor recipient}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Charles F. Pendleton
|birth_date= {{Birth date|1931|9|26}}
|death_date= {{Death date and age|1953|7|17|1931|9|26}}
|birth_place= Camden, Tennessee
|death_place= Kumsong, North Korea
|placeofburial= Laurel Land Memorial Park Fort Worth, Texas
|placeofburial_label= Place of burial
|image= Charles F Pendleton.jpg
|caption= Medal of Honor recipient Charles Pendleton
|nickname=
|allegiance= United States of America
|branch= United States Army
|serviceyears= 1951–1953
|rank= Corporal
|unit=Company D, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division
|battles= Korean War
- Battle of Kumsong {{KIA}}
|awards= Medal of Honor
Purple Heart
}}
Charles Frank Pendleton[http://www.cemetery.state.tx.us/pub/user_form822.asp?pers_id=11247 Profile] (September 26, 1931 – July 17, 1953) was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on 16–17 July 1953 during the Battle of Kumsong.
Pendleton joined the Army from Fort Worth, Texas in 1951.[http://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=82730 Service Profile] He is buried at Laurel Land Memorial Park in Fort Worth.[https://www.koreanwar.org/html/23166/korean-war-project-tennessee-ra25916461-cpl-charles-f-pendleton Korean War Project]
Awards and decorations
=Medal of Honor=
{{center|Charles F. Pendleton}}
{{center|Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company D, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division}}
{{center|Place and date: Near Choo Gung-Dong, Korea, 16 and July 17, 1953}}
{{center|Entered service at: Fort Worth, Texas}}
{{center|Born: September 26, 1931, Camden, Tennessee}}
{{center|Awarded for actions during: Korean War}}
Citation:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Corporal Charles F. Pendleton (ASN: 25916461), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company D, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, in action against enemy aggressor forces at Choo Gung-Dong, Korea, on 16 and 17 July 1953. After consolidating and establishing a defensive perimeter on a key terrain feature, friendly elements were attacked by a large hostile force. Corporal Pendleton delivered deadly accurate fire into the approaching troops, killing approximately 15 and disorganizing the remainder with grenades. Unable to protect the flanks because of the narrow confines of the trench, he removed the machinegun from the tripod and, exposed to enemy observation, positioned it on his knee to improve his firing vantage. Observing a hostile infantryman jumping into the position, intent on throwing a grenade at his comrades, he whirled about and killed the attacker, then inflicted such heavy casualties on the enemy force that they retreated to regroup. After reorganizing, a second wave of hostile soldiers moved forward in an attempt to overrun the position and, later, when a hostile grenade landed nearby, Corporal Pendleton quickly retrieved and hurled it back at the foe. Although he was burned by the hot shells ejecting from his weapon, and was wounded by a grenade, he refused evacuation and continued to fire on the assaulting force. As enemy action increased in tempo, his machinegun was destroyed by a grenade but, undaunted, he grabbed a carbine and continued his heroic defense until mortally wounded by a mortar burst. Corporal Pendleton's unflinching courage, gallant self-sacrifice, and consummate devotion to duty reflect lasting glory upon himself and uphold the finest traditions of the military service.{{cite web|title=Charles F. Pendleton, Medal of Honor|url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/401|website=valor.militarytimes.com|accessdate=December 19, 2021}}{{Cite web|accessdate = 2007-12-31
|url = http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/koreanwar.html
|title = "CHARLES F. PENDLETON" entry
|work = Medal of Honor recipients: Korean War
|date = June 8, 2009
|publisher = United States Army Center of Military History
|archive-date = 2009-03-10
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090310142628/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/koreanwar.html
|url-status = dead
}}
=Commendations=
CPL Pendelton was awarded the following:{{cite web|title= CPL Charles F. Pendleton - Military Timeline|url=https://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=SBVTimeLine&type=Person&ID=82730|website=www.army.togetherweserved.com|accessdate=December 19, 2021}}
style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3"|File:Combat Infantry Badge.svg |
{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Medal of Honor ribbon.svg|width=106}}{{ribbon devices|number=|type=|name=Purple Heart BAR|width=106}}{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |
{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Korean Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}18px18px18px{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon.svg|width=106}}106px |
colspan="3"|80px |
colspan="3"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Korean Presidential Unit Citation.png|width=106}} |
class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |
Badge
|colspan="12"|Combat Infantryman Badge |
---|
1st row
|colspan="4"|Medal of Honor |colspan="4"|Purple Heart |colspan="4"|National Defense Service Medal |
2nd row
|colspan="4"|Korean Service Medal |colspan="4"|United Nations Korea Medal |colspan="4"|Korean War Service Medal |
Badge
|colspan="12"|U.S. Army Expert Marksmanship Badge |
Unit citation
|colspan="12"|Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation |
See also
{{Portal|Biography}}
Notes
{{Reflist}}
References
:{{ACMH}}
- {{Cite web
|accessdate = 2007-12-31
|url = http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/koreanwar.html
|title = "CHARLES F. PENDLETON" entry
|work = Medal of Honor recipients: Korean War
|date = June 8, 2009
|publisher = United States Army Center of Military History
|archive-date = 2009-03-10
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090310142628/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/koreanwar.html
|url-status = dead
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pendleton, Charles F.}}
Category:United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
Category:American military personnel killed in the Korean War
Category:People from Camden, Tennessee
Category:Korean War recipients of the Medal of Honor