Fred B. McGee
Fred B. McGee | |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 May 1930 |
| Died | 3 January 2020 (aged 89) |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Service years | 1951–1952 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | Company K, 3rd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division |
| Conflicts | Korean War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Fred B. McGee (30 May 1930 – 3 January 2020) was a United States Army soldier of African American descent who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on 3 January 2025 for his actions on 16 June 1952 during the Korean War.
Early life
Fred B. McGee was born on 30 May 1930, to Spanish and Perrie McGee in Steubenville, Ohio. He was the sixth of eight children — six boys, two girls.[1]
Military career
McGee enlisted in the United States Army in May 1951 and was assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, in South Korea.[1]
McGee was originally awarded the Silver Star, which was upgraded to the Medal of Honor on 3 January 2025.
Medal of Honor 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 Fred B. McGee, United States Army. Corporal McGee distinguished himself by gallantry in action near Tang-Wan-Ni, Korea, on June 16, 1952, in an assault on enemy fortified positions. As gunner on a light machine gun in a weapons squad, Corporal McGee delivered a heavy volume of supporting fire from an exposed position despite intense enemy machine-gun and mortar fire directly on his location. Though forced to move his gun several times, he continued to support the assault and give covering fire to the assault elements of his platoon. When his squad leader was wounded, together with several other members of his squad, he assumed command and moved the squad even farther forward to a more exposed position in order to deliver neutralizing fire on an enemy machine gun sweeping the other assault platoon with deadly flanking fire. When his machine gunner was mortally wounded, he again took over the gun. On order, he directed his squad to withdraw and voluntarily remained behind to help evacuate the wounded and dead. Though wounded in the face, he heroically exposed himself by standing straight up in intense enemy machine-gun and mortar fire while attempting to evacuate the body of the company runner. Forced to abandon the body, he aided a wounded man to be moved to the rear and safely through a huge volume of enemy mortar and artillery fire. The gallantry displayed by Corporal McGee reflects great credit upon himself and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.[2]
Awards and Decorations
Corporal McGee was awarded the following awards for his service[3]
| Badge | Combat Infantryman Badge | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st row | Medal of Honor
Upgraded from Silver Star, 2025 |
Purple Heart | ||
| 2nd row | Army Commendation Medal | Army Good Conduct Medal | National Defense Service Medal | |
| 3rd row | Korean Service Medal
with 2 Campaign stars |
United Nations Service Medal Korea | Korean War Service Medal
Retroactively Awarded, 2003 | |
| Unit Awards | Korean Presidential Unit Citation | |||
See also
References
- ^ a b "Medal of Honor: Corporal Fred B. McGee". United States Army. Retrieved 6 January 2025. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Fred McGee". Hall of Valor: Medal of Honor, Silver Star, U.S. Military Awards. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
- ^ "Fred B. McGee - Corporal - Army - Korea - Medal of Honor - Class of 2002". ohioheroes.org. Retrieved 11 February 2026.