Carl L . Sitter Carl Leonard Sitter ( December 2 , 1922 – April 4 , 2000 ) was a highly decorated United States Marine Corps officer and Korean War Medal of Honor recipient . Marine Corps career . He was born in Syracuse , Missouri , but grew up in Pueblo , Colorado . Upon graduating from Pueblo ' s Central High School , he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on June 22 , 1940 . He served for eight months in Iceland , then was ordered to the Pacific area . He was serving as a corporal in the Wallis Islands when , on December 12 , 1942 , he was given a field commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve . He later received a regular commission . Sitter saw combat on Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands , and Guam in the Marianas . He was first wounded on February 20 , 1944 on Eniwetok , but went back into action almost immediately . He was wounded again the following July on Guam , during the action in which he earned the Silver Star . The situation was similar , though on a smaller scale , to the one in which he earned the Medal of Honor : he exposed himself to enemy fire to lead his rifle platoon , and when wounded refused to be evacuated until his mission was accomplished . Captain Sitter was awarded the Medal of Honor for leadership during a two - day battle at Hagaru - ri , Korea . In the bitter fighting between the Chinese Communists and the surrounded U . N . forces near the Chosin Reservoir in November 1950 , Captain Sitter was wounded by hand grenade s , but continued to lead his men until he repulsed a counterattack . He is one of four Medal of Honor recipients from Pueblo , Colorado , the others being William J . Crawford , Drew Dennis Dix , and Raymond G . Murphy . He retired from active duty on June 30 , 1970 , after reaching the rank of colonel in the Marine Corps . Medal of Honor citation . The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to CAPTAIN CARL L . SITTERUNITED STATES MARINE CORPS 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 as Commanding Officer of Company G , Third Battalion , First Marines , First Marine Division ( Reinforced ) , in action against enemy aggressor forces at Hagaru - ri , Korea , on 29 and November 30 , 1950 . Ordered to break through enemy - infested territory to reinforce his Battalion the early morning of November 29 , Captain Sitter continuously exposed himself to enemy fire as he led his company forward and , despite twenty - five percent casualties suffered in the furious action , succeeded in driving through to his objective . Assuming the responsibility of attempting to seize and occupy a strategic area occupied by a hostile force of regiment strength deeply entrenched on a snow - covered hill commanding the entire valley southeast of the town , as well as the line of march of friendly troops withdrawing to the south , he reorganized his depleted units the following morning and boldly led them up the steep , frozen hillside under blistering fire , encouraging and redeploying his troops as casualties occurred and directing forward platoons as they continued the drive to the top of the ridge . During the night when a vastly outnumbering enemy launched a sudden , vicious counterattack , setting the hill ablaze with mortar , machine - gun , and automatic weapons fire and taking a heavy toll in troops , Captain Sitter visited each foxhole and gun position , coolly deploying and integrating reinforcing units consisting of service personnel unfamiliar with infantry tactics into a coordinated combat team and instilling in every man the will and determination to hold his position at all costs . With the enemy penetrating his lines in repeated counterattacks which often required hand - to - hand combat and , on one occasion infiltrating to the command post with hand grenades , he fought gallantly with his men in repulsing and killing the fanatic attackers in each encounter . Painfully wounded in the face , arms and chest by bursting grenades , he staunchly refused to be evacuated and continued to fight on until a successful defense of the area was assured with a loss to the enemy of more than fifty percent dead , wounded and captured . His valiant leadership , superb tactics and great personal valor throughout thirty - six hours of bitter combat reflect the highest credit upon Captain Sitter , and the United States Naval Service . / S / HARRY S . TRUMAN Awards and decorations . Sitter ' s medals and decorations include : the Medal of Honor ; the Silver Star Medal ; the Legion of Merit ; the Purple Heart with two Gold Stars in lieu of second and third awards ; two Presidential Unit Citation s ; two Navy Unit Commendation s ; the Good Conduct Medal ; the American Defense Service Medal ; the Asiatic - Pacific Campaign Medal with two bronze stars ; the American Campaign Medal ; the World War II Victory Medal ; the National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star ; the Korean Service Medal with four bronze stars ; the United Nations Service Medal ; the Chungmu Medal with silver star from the Republic of Korea ; and two Korean Presidential Unit Citations . Sitter was also a member of Oasis of Mara Masonic Lodge No 735 in Twentynine Palms , California He was also honored as one of seven grand marshals of the 1952 Tournament of Roses Parade . He is one of four soldiers depicted in a sculpture at the Pueblo Medal of Honor Memorial . Post - Marine Corps career . After 30 years in the Marine Corps , Sitter went to work for the Virginia Department of Social Services . He retired in 1985 at age 63 . In 1998 , at age 75 , Sitter returned to college , graduating on May 28 , 1999 at age 77 . Sitter died in Richmond , Virginia , and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery , Arlington , Virginia .