James I. Poynter
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James Irsley Poynter (December 1, 1916 – November 4, 1950) was a
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
sergeant who served in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and 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 ...
where he was
killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...
. He was
posthumous Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award, an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication, publishing of creative work after the author's death * Posthumous (album), ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1 ...
ly awarded the
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' highest military decoration for valor — 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 ...
— for his actions as a platoon squad leader on November 4, 1950, in which he singlehandedly charged and destroyed three enemy machine gun positions in
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
at the cost of his life while a member of the
1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...
.The Hall of Valor Project
/ref> Poynter was the eleventh Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor in Korea.


Biography

James Irsley Poynter was born to Eugene and Molly Poynter on December 1, 1916, in
Bloomington, Illinois Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census showed the city had a population of 78,680, making it the List of municipalities in Illinois, 13th-most populous ci ...
. He was married twice and had four children. He enlisted in the regular Marine Corps in February 1942. He fought in the Pacific Theatre during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, participating in the
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, Southern Solomons,
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,
Tinian Tinian () is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the four constituent municipalities of the Northern ...
and
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
campaigns. Poynter was discharged in February 1946. At the beginning of the Korean War, Poynter re-enlisted in the Marine Corps, joining the 13th Infantry Battalion,
Marine Corps Reserve The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Corps Reserve is an expedi ...
in Los Angeles on July 19, 1950. He was assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, after the 7th Marines were activated on August 17 at
Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by ...
. The 7th Marines and Poynter sailed for Japan on September 1. On September 21, the 7th Marines made an amphibious landing at Inchon,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
.A Brief History of the 7th Marines
/ref> His regiment including the 1st Battalion, then rejoined the 1st Marine Division which had made an assault landing at Inchon on September 15, and participated with the division in the battle of Seoul against North Korean forces; On September 24, Poynter took command of one of the rifle squads in A Company. On September 26, Poynter's rifle platoon led by their platoon commander, assaulted and overcame a well defended hill. The 7th Marines landed ashore next at
Wonsan Wonsan (), previously known as Wonsanjin (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwon Province (North Korea), Kangwon Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...
on October 27. Afterwards, the 1st Marine Division headed by the 7th Marines were directed to march into North Korea to
Hamhung Hamhŭng (''Hamhŭng-si''; ) is North Korea's List of cities in North Korea, second-most populous city, the capital of South Hamgyong, South Hamgyŏng Province and the 16th largest city in the Korea, Korean Peninsula. Located in the southern part ...
, their objective, the
Chosin Reservoir The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Battle of Lake Changjin (), was an important battle in the Korean War. The name "Chosin" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation "''Chōshin'', instead of th ...
, a man-made lake. The 7th Marines were to proceed north of Hamhung to relieve a South Korean unit which had fought with Chinese Communist forces (Chinese troops entered North Korea on October 19 and launched an offensive on October 25). On November 2, the 7th Marines reached the South Koreans with little opposition (November 1 was the first confrontation between the Chinese and the U.S. military). However, Chinese presence increased after this. On November 3, as A Company was in a defensive position near Hamhung, 1st Lieutenant Frank Mitchell's platoon in A Company which Poynter was a member of, was hit hard suddenly by the Chinese and almost overrun. Mitchell rallied his men including Poynter to repel the attack and Mitchell, although painfully wounded in the ensuing action, refused to be evacuated until the danger of a serious break-through was averted. On November 4, as the 7th Marines were advancing to the Chosin Reservoir, Lt. Mitchell's platoon defended Hill 532, south of
Sudong Sudong County is a county in South Hamgyŏng province, North Korea. It was formed from part of Kowŏn County in December 1990. Sudong is the site of a major coal seam first discovered in 1918. The P'yŏngra Line of the Korean State Railway pass ...
. Poynter was wounded there in
hand-to-hand combat Hand-to-hand combat is a physical confrontation between two or more persons at short range (grappling distance or within the physical reach of a handheld weapon) that does not involve the use of ranged weapons.Hunsicker, A., ''Advanced Skills in ...
with the enemy. In spite of his wounds, when he saw three machine guns setting up only away, he charged the machine gun positions with
hand 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 ...
s taken from fallen members of his squad, and was able to take out two machine guns. He was killed as he destroyed the third machine gun emplacement; on November 15, the 7th Marines and the 1st Marine Division completed their move north to Hagaru-ri, at the southern tip of the reservoir. The division was to proceed more north to Yudamni, on the western side of the Chosin Reservoir and to seize it, which was done with little resistance on November 25. The
Battle of Chosin Reservoir The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Battle of Lake Changjin (), was an important battle in the Korean War. The name "Chosin" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation "''Chōshin'', instead of th ...
began the evening of November 27. Poynter was awarded the
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with
Combat "V" Combat (French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is resorted to either as a method of ...
(posthumous) for "outstanding leadership, ability and courageous aggressiveness against the enemy" as a squad leader from September 24 to October 4, 1950. He was awarded the Medal of Honor (posthumous) for his actions on November 4, 1950, "By his self-sacrificing and valiant conduct, Sergeant Poynter inspired the remaining members of his squad to heroic endeavor in bearing down upon and repelling the disorganized enemy, thereby enabling the platoon to move out of the trap to a more favorable tactical position". On September 4, 1952, Sgt. Poynter's Medal of Honor was posthumously presented to his widow Kathern Poynter from
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Dan A. Kimball Dan Able Kimball (March 1, 1896 – July 30, 1970) was the 51st U.S. Secretary of the Navy. Biography Kimball was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on March 1, 1896. He was an Army Air Service pilot during the First World War and maintained an ...
at the
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. Sgt. Poynter was buried on February 3, 1955, with full military honors in
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is a federal United States National Cemetery System, military cemetery in San Diego, California. It is located on the grounds of the former Army coastal artillery station Naval Base Point Loma, Fort Rosecrans a ...
,
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.Notable Persons
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.


Military awards

Sgt. Poynter's military awards include the following:


Medal of Honor citation

The
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to for service as set forth in the following CITATION: :For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Squad Leader in a Rifle Platoon of Company A, First Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division (Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces during the defense of Hill 532, south of Sudong, Korea, on 4 November 1950. When a vastly outnumbering, well-concealed hostile force launched a sudden, vicious counterattack against his platoon's hasty defensive position, Sergeant Poynter displayed superb skill and courage in leading his squad and directing its fire against the onrushing enemy. With his ranks critically depleted by casualties and he himself critically wounded as the onslaught gained momentum and the hostile force surrounded his position, he seized 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 ...
and engaged in bitter
hand-to-hand combat Hand-to-hand combat is a physical confrontation between two or more persons at short range (grappling distance or within the physical reach of a handheld weapon) that does not involve the use of ranged weapons.Hunsicker, A., ''Advanced Skills in ...
as the break-through continued. Observing three machine guns closing in at a distance of 25 yards, he dashed from his position and, grasping
hand grenades A grenade is a small explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade g ...
from fallen Marines as he ran, charged the emplacements in rapid succession, killing the crews of two and putting the other out of action before he fell, mortally wounded. "By his self-sacrificing and valiant conduct, Sergeant Poynter inspired the remaining members of his squad to heroic endeavor in bearing down upon and repelling the disorganized enemy, thereby enabling the platoon to move out of the trap to a more favorable tactical position. His indomitable fighting spirit, fortitude and great personal valor maintained in the face of overwhelming odds sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.


See also

*
List of Korean War Medal of Honor recipients This list represents all of the 151 United States military personnel who received the Medal of Honor for valor in combat during the Korean War. 106 Medals of Honor were awarded posthumously. North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950, to at ...


Notes


Notes


References

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Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Poynter, James L. 1916 births 1950 deaths American military personnel killed in the Korean War United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II Burials at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients People from Bloomington, Illinois Military personnel from Los Angeles United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers United States Marine Corps reservists Korean War recipients of the Medal of Honor United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War