Richard De Wert Richard David De Wert ( November 17 , 1931 – April 5 , 1951 ) was a hospital corpsman of the United States Navy who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the Korean War . Biography . Richard De Wert was born on November 17 , 1931 in Taunton , Massachusetts . He enlisted in the U . S . Navy in December 1948 . Following recruit training and Hospital Corps training at NS Great Lakes , Illinois , he was assigned to the Naval Hospital at Portsmouth , Virginia , during 1949 - 1950 . In July 1950 , he joined the Fleet Marine Force and soon sailed for the Far East to take part in the Korean War . Landing with the First Marine Division at Inchon in September 1950 , Hospitalman De Wert participated in operations to liberate the city of Seoul . During the rest of 1950 , he was involved in the landings at Wonsan , the Chosin Reservoir Campaign and the Hungnam Evacuation . In 1951 , Hospitalman De Wert served with the Marines as they cleared North Korean guerrillas from rural areas of South Korea and as they helped drive the enemy beyond the Thirty - Eighth Parallel . On April 5 , 1951 , while with the 2nd Battalion , 7th Marines during an attack on Chinese Communist forces , De Wert persistently , and in spite of his own wounds , moved through fire - swept ground to aid fallen Marines . He was killed in action while administering first aid to an injured comrade . Namesake . The frigate was named in honor of Hospitalman De Wert . A clinic in Newport , Rhode Island was named after DeWert on September 17 , 2004 . The clinic at the Marine Cold Weather Base in Bridgeport , California was named for DeWert in October 2004 . A scholarship fund at Pepperdine University has been named for DeWert . Dewert Ave in Taunton , MA is named in his honor . Awards and decorations . De Wert ' s awards include : Medal of Honor citation . Citation : For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a [ n ] HC , in action against enemy aggressor forces . When a fire team from the point platoon of his company was pinned down by a deadly barrage of hostile automatic weapons fire and suffered many casualties , HC Dewert rushed to the assistance of 1 of the more seriously wounded and , despite a painful leg wound sustained while dragging the stricken marine to safety , steadfastly refused medical treatment for himself and immediately dashed back through the fireswept area to carry a second wounded man out of the line of fire . Undaunted by the mounting hail of devastating enemy fire , he bravely moved forward a third time and received another serious wound in the shoulder after discovering that a wounded marine had already died . Still persistent in his refusal to submit to first aid , he resolutely answered the call of a fourth stricken comrade and , while rendering medical assistance , was himself mortally wounded by a burst of enemy fire . His courageous initiative , great personal valor , and heroic spirit of self - sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds reflect the highest credit upon HC Dewert and enhance the finest traditions of the U . S . Naval Service . He gallantly gave his life for his country .