Richard G . Wilson Richard Gene Wilson ( August 19 , 1931 – October 21 , 1950 ) was a United States Army soldier and a posthumous recipient of the U . S . military ' s highest decoration , the Medal of Honor , for his actions in the Korean War . A combat medic , Wilson was awarded the medal for attempting to rescue a wounded soldier at the Battle of Yongju . Early years and family . Wilson was born in Marion , Illinois , on August 19 , 1931 , to Bert and Alice Wilson . He had three brothers , Norman , Norris Dean , and Ronald , and three sisters , Rosemary , Shirley , and Jo Anne . The family moved to Cape Girardeau , Missouri , in 1939 where he attended May Greene School followed by Central High School . He was an avid sportsman and played right guard on Central ' s football team . After his junior year , Wilson left high school to join the Army ; he enlisted on his seventeenth birthday , August 19 , 1948 . Just before leaving for Korea , on August 29 , 1950 , Wilson married Yvonna Lea Fowler , a Central High School classmate . Military service . After completing basic training at Fort Knox , Kentucky , Wilson reported to Fort Sam Houston , Texas , where he was trained as a combat medic . He next attended Airborne School at Fort Benning , Georgia , graduating in May 1949 . He was assigned to Fort Campbell , Kentucky , as a medic in the 11th Airborne Division . Wilson served in Korea as a private first class with the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment . On October 21 , 1950 , he was attached to Company I when the unit was ambushed while conducting a reconnaissance in force mission near Opa - ri . Wilson exposed himself to hostile fire in order to treat the many casualties and , when the company began to withdraw , he helped evacuate the wounded . After the withdrawal was complete , he learned that a soldier left behind and believed dead had been spotted trying to crawl to safety . Unarmed and against the advice of his comrades , Wilson returned to the ambush site in an attempt to rescue the wounded man . His body was found two days later , lying next to that of the man he had tried to save . For these actions , he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on August 2 , 1951 . Honors and memorials . Several U . S . military buildings have been named in his honor , including the Richard G . Wilson Memorial Gymnasium in the Kanoka Barracks near Osaka , Japan ; the Richard G . Wilson U . S . Army Reserve Center in Marion , Illinois ; the PFC Richard G . Wilson Training Barracks at Fort Sam Houston , Texas , in 1986 ; the Richard G . Wilson Consolidated Troop Medical Clinic in Fort Leonard Wood , Missouri ; and the Wilson Theater in Fort Campbell , Kentucky . Among the memorials in his honor are " America ' s Medical Soldiers , Sailors , and Airmen in Peace and War " by Eloise Engle , 1967 , and a memorial to Wilson in Cape County Park , 1988 . Other structures named for him include Richard G . Wilson Elementary School in Fort Benning , Georgia , and a postal distribution center in Cape Girardeau , Missouri , dedicated in 2004 . Medal of Honor citation . Wilson ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : Pfc . Wilson distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action . As medical aid man attached to Company I , he accompanied the unit during a reconnaissance in force through the hilly country near Opari . The main body of the company was passing through a narrow valley flanked on 3 sides by high hills when the enemy laid down a barrage of mortar , automatic - weapons and small - arms fire . The company suffered a large number of casualties from the intense hostile fire while fighting its way out of the ambush . Pfc . Wilson proceeded at once to move among the wounded and administered aid to them oblivious of the danger to himself , constantly exposing himself to hostile fire . The company commander ordered a withdrawal as the enemy threatened to encircle and isolate the company . As his unit withdrew Private Wilson assisted wounded men to safety and assured himself that none were left behind . After the company had pulled back he learned that a comrade previously thought dead had been seen to be moving and attempting to crawl to safety . Despite the protests of his comrades , unarmed and facing a merciless enemy , Pfc . Wilson returned to the dangerous position in search of his comrade . Two days later a patrol found him lying beside the man he returned to aid . He had been shot several times while trying to shield and administer aid to the wounded man . Pfc . Wilson ' s superb personal bravery , consummate courage and willing self - sacrifice for his comrades reflect untold glory upon himself and uphold the esteemed traditions of the military service .