Rodolfo "Rudy" Pérez Hernández (April 14, 1931 – December 21, 2013) was a United States Army soldier who received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

— America's highest military decoration — for his actions on May 31, 1951, during the

UN May–June 1951 counteroffensive The United Nations (UN) is the global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among ...

in the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. Despite his severe wounds, Hernández took actions during an enemy counterattack near Wonton-ni that allowed his platoon to retake their defensive position.

Early life and education

Hernández, was an American of Mexican descent. He was one of eight children born to a farmworker in Colton. At a young age his family moved to Fowler, California, where he received his primary education. In 1948, when he was 17 years old, he joined the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

with his parents' consent. After completing his basic training, Hernández volunteered for

paratroop A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light infa ...

er school. Upon the completion of his paratrooper training he was sent to

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, where he was stationed until the outbreak of the

Korean War

On August 27, 1950, the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment was reorganized and redesignated as the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team. The unit was quickly sent to Korea. The 187th Airborne performed operations into Munsan-ni Valley, and fought bloody battles at

Inje Inje County () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in Gangwon-do (South Korea), Gangwon Province, South Korea. It has the lowest population density of any South Korean county. The county seat is Inje-eup, which located near the ce ...

and Wonton-ni. Hernández was reassigned to Company G of the 2nd Battalion, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team. His platoon was ordered to defend Hill 420, located near Wonton-ni. On May 31, 1951, his platoon was the object of a numerically superior enemy counterattack. A close-quarters firefight broke out when enemy troops surged up the hill and inflicted numerous casualties on the platoon. Hernandez was wounded during the attack, but was able to fire upon the rushing enemy troops. After a cartridge in his

rifle A rifle is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting and higher stopping power, with a gun barrel, barrel that has a helical or spiralling pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus o ...

ruptured, he continued attacking the enemy with his

bayonet A bayonet (from Old French , now spelt ) is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , now spelt ) is a knife, dagger">knife">-4; we might wonder whethe ...

. His attack enabled his comrades to regroup and take back the hill. A

grenade A grenade is a small explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a Shell (projectile), shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A mod ...

explosion that blew away part of his brain knocked him unconscious. Hernández, who had received grenade, bayonet, and bullet wounds, appeared dead to the first medic who reached him, Keith Oates. Oates realized, however, that Hernandez was still alive when he saw him move his fingers. Hernandez woke up a month later in a military hospital, unable to move his arms or legs or to talk. On April 12, 1952, President

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

bestowed upon Hernández the Medal of Honor in a ceremony held in the

White House Rose Garden The White House Rose Garden is a garden bordering the Oval Office and the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., United States. The garden is approximately 125 feet long and 60 feet wide ( by , or about 684m2). It balances the Jacqueli ...

. After many surgeries and physical therapy over a five-year period, Hernández regained limited use of his right arm and learned to write with his left hand.

Medal of Honor

Hernandez's Medal of Honor citation reads:

Later life

Hernández married and had three children. He retired from a job at the

Veterans Administration The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing lifelong healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

and lived in

Fayetteville, North Carolina Fayetteville ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city. Fayetteville has received the All-Ameri ...

. The Carteret County Veterans Council named Hernandez one of two grand marshals of its November 11, 2006, annual

Veterans Day Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. It coincides with holidays in several countries, i ...

Parade held in downtown

Morehead City Morehead City is a port city in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2010 census. Morehead City celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding on May 5, 2007. It forms part of the Crystal Coast. Hi ...

. On November 10, 2007, he was again co-grand marshal of the Morehead City Veterans Day Parade. During the event, he was reunited with his rescuer "from a long and far away battlefield," the former Korean War Army medic and current Morehead City resident, Keith Oates.Carteret County Newstimes
Letter by Marcus Innus Friday November 9, 2007, accessed November 10, 2007 Hernández was also the Grand Marshal of the 2012 North Carolina Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony held each Memorial Day in Thomasville, North Carolina, and attended as an honored guest in 2013.

Death

Hernández died at

Womack Army Medical Center Womack Army Medical Center (WAMC) is a United States Army-run military hospital that is located on Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina. The facility is named for Medal of Honor recipient Bryant H. Womack. It contains 138 beds, with ...

in Fayetteville on December 21, 2013. He had been battling "cancer and several other ailments" in the last month of his life.

Military decorations and awards

Hernández's military awards include: Foreign unit decorations

References

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Hernandez, Rodolfo P. 1931 births 2013 deaths American people of Mexican descent Hispanic and Latino American military personnel Korean War recipients of the Medal of Honor Military personnel from California People from Colton, California People from Fayetteville, North Carolina People from Fowler, California People with traumatic brain injuries United States Army Medal of Honor recipients United States Army personnel of the Korean War United States Army soldiers