The Patriot Post® · Profiles of Valor: Ralph Puckett, Medal of Honor

Last week, I wrote about the unexpected death of our friend, Medal of Honor recipient Chuck Hagemeister. His death reduced the ranks of living recipients to 65. Two days later, 94-year old Georgia native, Col. Ralph Puckett, joined the ranks of recipients, brining the number back to 66.

Our nation’s highest military honor is awarded for valor – for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of their lives “above and beyond the call of duty,” and Col. Puckett certainly exemplified such valor.

In November of 1950, leading his 8th Army Ranger Company on Hill 205 in Korea a mere 60 miles from the Chinese border, then 1st Lt. Ralph Puckett willfully subjected himself to endless enemy machine gun fields of fire. He used himself as a target so his Army Rangers could spot the enemy machine-gunner locations in order to direct artillery fire. Many of those artillery attacks were “danger close,” meaning he was calling fire coordinates that were very close to his own position. He was wounded several times and finally unable to move, but he ordered his men to fall back and not risk retrieving him. Privates Billy G. Walls and David L. Pollock ignored his order, much to Puckett’s objection, and carried him to safety.

Col. Puckett originally received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions, and while upgrading an award is rare, his Distinguished Service Cross was reconsidered based on his heroic actions.

You can read more about those actions and his full Medal of Honor citation.

Responding to his award in typical humility, Col. Puckett said: “The people who earned that medal are the Rangers who did more than I asked. I think it’s important for them. They’re the ones who did the job; they did the fighting and suffered.”

Thank you, Col. Puckett.

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Pro Deo et Libertate — 1776

Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of American Liberty, and for Veterans, First Responders, and their families. Please consider a designated gift to support the National Medal of Honor Sustaining Fund through Patriot Foundation Trust, or make a check payable to “NMoH Sustaining Fund” and mail it to:

Patriot Foundation Trust
PO Box 407
Chattanooga, TN 37401-0407

Please lift up your Patriot team and our mission to “to support and defend” our Republic’s Founding Principle of Liberty, in order to ignite the fires of freedom in the hearts and minds of our countrymen. Thank you for supporting our nation’s premier online journal of Liberty. Thank you for supporting our nation’s premier online journal of Liberty.

The The Patriot Post and Patriot Foundation Trust, in keeping with our our Military Mission of Service to our uniformed service members and veterans, are proud to support and promote the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, both the Honoring Their Sacrifice Foundation and Warrior Freedom Service Dogs aiding wounded veterans, the National Veterans Entrepreneurship Program, the Folds of Honor outreach and Officer Christian Fellowship, the Air University Foundation and Naval War College Foundation, and the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. “Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13)