Other brave and heroic men who fought in the Korean War.

During the Korean War, 131 Americans earned the Medal of Honor because of their tremendous courage, pride and grim determination against a vicious and savage enemy. Five of these heroes were captured and placed in North Korean POW camps. Three of the five lived to receive the Medal of Honor, and two sadly died during their imprisonment.

Those who survived are Major General William Dean, (24th Inf.. Division). This gallant commander fought in the battle of Taejon, July 1950, in which he and his loyal men held the North Korean's advance for two days until overwhelmed by a larger enemy force. He was forced to order an immediate withdrawal of his remaining men. Although severely wounded, he and some of his men walked hopefully towards friendly lines. Gen. Dean's forces traveled by night and hide by day until finely being captured, thirty-six days later on August 27 1950.

The North Koreans kept Dean's capture and imprisonment a secret. Word of his captured did not leak out until December 1951.

While he was still reported missing in action, General Dean's wife accepted his Medal of Honor on January 9, 1951 at the White House from President Harry S. Truman.

In September 1953, Dean was repatriated. During his captivity he suffered much hardship and illness.

His captors had never given him proper medical attention for his broken shoulder and other injuries. He was 54, but looked at least 10 years older. He walked slowly to his American comrades at Freedom Village (the repatriation site at Panmunjom). After a bath, a medical exam and a hot meal he was told his gallantry at Taejon earned him the Medal of Honor. He stared in disbelief and said he didn't understand it. Major General William Dean died on August 24, 1981. He was a true hero of the Korean War.

Cpl. Hiroshi H. Miyamura, a Japanese- American from Company H, 7th Inf. Regiment, 3rd Inf. Division earned the Medal of Honor on April 24-25,1951. He was captured due to wounds and was unconscious. On August 23,1953 Miyamura was repatriated, where he was told to his surprise that he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He suffered horribly from dysentery, losing fifty pounds, yet he courageously survived. President Dwight Eisenhower presented him with the Medal of Honor on October 27,1953.

1st LT. James L. Stone, Company F, 8th Calvary regiment, 1st Calvary Division, earned the Medal of Honor on November 21-22,1951, when he and a half dozen of his men, were too badly wounded to escape, and were captured by Chinese troops. He like Dean and Miyamura, was told when repatriated on September 2,1953 that he was awarded the Medal of Honor. On October 27, 1953, Lt. Stone and Miyamura received the Medal from President Eisenhower. They were both true heroes of the Korean War.

The Medal of Honor hero who died in a North Korean prison camp was LT. JOHN K. KOELSCH USN, a helicopter pilot. He earned the Medal of Honor on July 3-10,1951 while rescuing a downed pilot. During the process of the rescue, enemy fire was aimed at the helicopter and it was shot down in enemy territory. Koelsch and his crewman George M. Neal, and a wounded pilot survived and hid for nine days until they were captured by the North Koreans. His captors treated Koelsch very badly. All he gave them was his name, rank and serial number. He would not give any information what so ever to his captors. Koelsch died of malnutrition on October 16, 1951. On August 3,1955 he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Another true hero of the Korean War.

S.F.C. Ray E.Duke USA, Company C. 21st Inf. Regiment 24th Inf. Division, earned the Medal of Honor on April 26,1951 while fighting the Chinese troops. Although badly wounded, he held back the Chinese on a hilltop while the few remaining men of his company withdrew to safety. He was captured and subsequently died in a North Korean prison camp on November 11,1951. He refused to give any information to his captors. He was tortured and not given much food. His captors gave him very little medical care for his terrible wounds. On March 10,1954 Duke was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. A true hero of the Korean War.