Joe Rodriguez Baldonado (August 28, 1930 – November 25, 1950) was a United States Army paratrooper who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River in the Korean War. "Biography" and "Citation" tabs.
Biography Baldonado, the son of Mexican migrant workers, was born in Colorado on August 28, 1930. He joined the U.S. Army as a light weapons infantryman (parachutist) during the Korean War.http://www.9news.com/news/military/the-untold-story-of-a-colorado-hero/249737426 In that conflict, Baldonado was killed in an action for which he was to posthumously receive the Medal of Honor.
Baldonado's acts of bravery were briefly described in a 1989 book, Disaster in Korea: The Chinese Confront MacArthur.
Medal of Honor
Baldonado distinguished himself on November 25, 1950, while serving as a machine gunner near Kangdong, Korea. Baldonado's platoon was occupying Hill 171 when the enemy attacked. Baldonado was forced to emplace his machine gun in an exposed position; he remained there, cutting down wave after wave of enemy troops even as they targeted his position. During the final assault by the enemy, a grenade landed near Baldonado's gun, killing him instantly.
Baldonado was initially awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the U.S. Army's second-highest award. In 2014, his award was upgraded to a Medal of Honor through the Defense Authorization Act, which called for a review of Jewish American and Hispanic American veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War to ensure that no prejudice had been shown to those deserving the Medal of Honor.
Citation
Awards and Decorations Baldonado also received the following:
BadgeCombat Infantryman Badge1st rowMedal of HonorPurple HeartNational Defense Service Medal2nd rowKorean Service MedalUnited Nations Service Medal KoreaKorean War Service MedalBadgeParachutists BadgeUnit awardsPresidential Unit CitationKorean Presidential Unit Citation
See also List of Korean War Medal of Honor recipients
References