Francis C. Hammond
{{Short description|US Navy corpsman and Medal of Honor recipient (1931–1953)}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Francis C. Hammond
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1931|11|9}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1953|3|26|1931|11|9}}
| birth_place = Alexandria, Virginia, US
| death_place = Yeoncheon, Korea
| placeofburial = Arlington National Cemetery
| placeofburial_label = Place of burial
| image = Francis C Hammond.jpg
| medal = Moh right.gif
| medal_alt = A light blue neck ribbon with a gold star shaped medallion hanging from it. The ribbon is similar in shape to a bowtie with 13 white stars in the center of the ribbon.
| caption = Hammond, Medal of Honor recipient
| nickname =
| allegiance = United States of America
| branch = 25px United States Navy
| serviceyears = 1951–1953
| rank = Hospitalman
| unit = C Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division
| battles = Korean War
- Battle for Outpost Vegas {{KIA}}
| awards = Medal of Honor
Purple Heart Medal
}}
Francis Colton Hammond (November 9, 1931 – March 26, 1953) was a United States Navy hospital corpsman who was killed in action in Korea while serving with a Marine Corps rifle company during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions above and beyond the call of duty during the night of March 26–27, 1953 during the Battle for Outpost Vegas.{{cite web |url=https://www.alexandriava.gov/historic/info/default.aspx?id=41456 |publisher=City of Alexandria |title=Alexandrians remember Hammond |agency=Historic Alexandria |date=May 1997 |last=Cressey |first=Pamela |access-date=April 6, 2014 |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220094936/https://www.alexandriava.gov/historic/info/default.aspx?id=41456 |url-status=dead }}
Biography
Born and raised mostly in Alexandria, Virginia, Hammond graduated from Alexandria's George Washington High School in January 1951.{{Cite web |url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/koreanwar.html |title=Medal of Honor recipients – Korean War |date=August 3, 2009 |publisher=United States Army Center of Military History |access-date=2009-09-10 |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 }}{{Cite news |url=http://www.alextimes.com/news/2009/sep/10/officials-reassure-gw-hammond-grads-o/ |title=Alumni Stress Over Future of Schools' Identity |last=Danforth |first=Austin |date=September 10, 2009 |work=Alexandria Times |access-date=2009-09-10}}[http://www.navsource.org/archives//06/06021067.htm USS Francis Hammond]
He joined the U.S. Navy from Alexandria on March 20, 1951. He was sent to and arrived in Korea on February 1, 1953, assigned to 3rd Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. During the night of March 26, he was killed in action at Outpost Reno. During a counterattack against an entrenched enemy force, he exposed himself to intense hostile fire in order to attend to wounded Marines, even after he had been wounded himself. When a relief unit arrived and his own unit was ordered to pull back, Hammond remained in the area, helping evacuate casualties and assisting the newly arrived corpsmen. While doing this, he was killed by mortar fire. For his heroic actions on March 26–27, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in September 1953.
Hammond, age 21, was buried on June 10, 1953, at Arlington National Cemetery.[https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgdIQU1NT05EEgdmcmFuY2lz/ Burial Detail: Hammond, Francis C (Section 33, Grave 9011)] – ANC Explorer{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XilPAAAAIBAJ&pg=6243%2C269795 |newspaper=Wilmington (NC) Star-News |title=Remembering |agency=Associated Press |date=December 16, 2007 |page=2A }}
Hammond who had been married on June 19, 1952, was survived by his wife Phyllis and a son, Francis, Jr. His wife and son were posthumously presented Hammond's Medal of Honor by Secretary of the Navy Robert B. Anderson during a ceremony at the White House in late December 1953.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6zAsAAAAIBAJ&pg=6054%2C51365 |newspaper=Spartanburg (SC) Herald-Journal |agency=AP photo |title=Hero's son gets his medal |date=January 1, 1954 |page=9 }}
Military awards
Hammond's military awards and decorations include:
| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Medal of Honor ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=award-star|ribbon=Purple Heart ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Combat Action Ribbon.svg|width=106}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Korean_Service_Medal_-_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}22px18px |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Presidential Unit Citation (Korea).svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Republic of Korea War Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |
| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |
| Medal of Honor
|Purple Heart Medal w/ one {{frac|5|16}}" Gold Star |
| Navy Presidential Unit Citation
|National Defense Service Medal |Korean Service Medal w/ FMF Combat Operation Insignia |
| Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation |
=Medal of Honor citation=
Hammond's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
The President of the United States in the name of the Congress takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor posthumously to
{{center|HOSPITALMAN FRANCIS C. HAMMOND
UNITED STATES NAVY}}
for service as set forth in the following
CITATION:"CPL Charles G. Abrell", Marines Awarded the Medal of Honor
{{blockquote|For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a[n] HC serving with the 1st Marine Division in action against enemy aggressor forces on the night of 26–27 March 1953. After reaching an intermediate objective during a counterattack against a heavily entrenched and numerically superior hostile force occupying ground on a bitterly contested outpost far in advance of the main line of resistance, HC Hammond's platoon was subjected to a murderous barrage of hostile mortar and artillery fire, followed by a vicious assault by onrushing enemy troops. Resolutely advancing through the veritable curtain of fire to aid his stricken comrades, HC Hammond moved among the stalwart garrison of marines and, although critically wounded himself, valiantly continued to administer aid to the other wounded throughout an exhausting 4-hour period. When the unit was ordered to withdraw, he skillfully directed the evacuation of casualties and remained in the fire-swept area to assist the corpsmen of the relieving unit until he was struck by a round of enemy mortar fire and fell, mortally wounded. By his exceptional fortitude, inspiring initiative and self-sacrificing efforts, HC Hammond undoubtedly saved the lives of many marines. His great personal valor in the face of overwhelming odds enhances and sustains the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.|Harry S. Truman}}
Honors
A new high school in Hammond's hometown of Alexandria was named in his honor and opened in 1956. Alexandria City Public Schools changed to a 6-2-2-2 configuration in 1971, and the city's three high schools changed from four-year to two-year campuses. All of the city's juniors and seniors attended the newest high school, T.C. Williams, while Hammond and George Washington split the freshmen and sophomores.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HN9LAAAAIBAJ&pg=6821%2C51129 |newspaper=Free-Lance Star |location=Fredericksburg, VA |agency=Associated Press |title=Alexandria school plan to be offered |date=May 1, 1971 |page=10}}The consolidation of the three high schools created the dynamic for the movie Remember the Titans. Both Hammond and George Washington became junior high schools (grades 7–9) in 1979 and then middle schools (grades 6–8) in 1993.
The frigate {{USS|Francis Hammond|FF-1067}} was named in his honor and commissioned on July 25, 1970.
See also
{{Portal|Biography}}
References
:{{ACMH}}
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/fhammond.htm Francis Colton Hammond] at ArlingtonCemetery.net, an unofficial website
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070309142007/http://www.acps.k12.va.us/hammond/fchammond.php Alexandria City Public Schools] – Francis Hammond
- {{Cite web |access-date=September 29, 2010 |url=http://fchhsaa.com/ |title=Francis C. Hammond High School Alumni Association}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hammond, Francis C.}}
Category:Military personnel from Alexandria, Virginia
Category:United States Navy corpsmen
Category:American military personnel killed in the Korean War
Category:United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients
Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery