Don C . Faith , Jr . Don Carlos Faith , Jr . ( August 26 , 1918 – December 1 , 1950 ) was an officer in the United States Army during the Korean War . He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions from November 27 , through December 1 , 1950 . In 1976 LTC Faith was posthumously inducted into the U . S . Army Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame at Fort Benning , Georgia . Early life . Faith was born in Washington , Indiana on 26 August 1918 , the son of Brigadier General Don Carlos Faith . He was found medically unfit for admission to United States Military Academy . Military career . With America ' s entry into the Second World War approaching , Congress passed the Selective Service Act . Don Faith was called in for his draft physical , but was rejected for the same dental disqualification that thwarted his admission to the United States Military Academy . However Faith was able to appeal the draft board ' s decision , and he was inducted on June 25 , 1941 following graduation from Georgetown University . After completion of Officer Candidate School , he was commissioned on February 26 , 1942 . Lieutenant Faith was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division and spent the remainder of the war with the division . He served as both an aide to Brig . Gen . Matthew Ridgway and as a staff officer in the division . In addition to participating in all of the division ' s combat jumps during the war in North Africa , Italy , France , and Germany , Faith was awarded two Bronze Stars and was promoted to Lt . Colonel on the Staff of General Maxwell Taylor . After World War II , Faith served with the military mission in China until it was withdrawn . His next assignment was with the 7th Infantry Division in Japan as a battalion commander . When the war in Korea broke out during the summer of 1950 , Faith and the 7th Infantry were sent to help stop the invasion of North Korea . Faith was the Commander of the 1st Battalion , 32nd Infantry Regiment . The 31st RCT was part of the force that pushed north with the objective of reaching the Yalu River . The 31st RCT was on the eastern bank of the Chosin Reservoir when the Chinese Communist Forces ( CCF ) stage a massive attack on the night of November 27 , 1950 . This began the Battle of Chosin Reservoir that would last until December 13 , 1950 . During a desperate drive south by convoy along the only road on December 1 , the 31st Regimental Commander , Colonel Allan D . MacLean was killed so the command of the entire regiment went to Faith . Later the same day , Faith led an attack again a CCF roadblock when he was wounded by a fragment grenade . Faith was loaded into the cab of a 2 1 / 2 Ton Truck and with Pfc . Russell L . Barney driving it was the only truck to get through the last roadblock . As Barney was driving they were struck by small arms fire by the CCF at which time Faith was hit again and died . At some point Barney had to abandon the truck leaving Faith ' s body in the truck . Barney made it back to the safety of United Nations lines where he later reported his account . Like all the dead and wounded who were killed by the CCF and left with all the abandoned convoy vehicles , as none of the convoy vehicles made it to safety , Faith was listed as Missing in Action . Later Faith ' s classification was changed to Killed in Action Body not Recovered . After 62 years in this classification , Faith ' s remains were recovered near the Chosin Reservoir by a Joint Prisoners of War , Missing in Action Accounting Command ( JPAC ) field recovery team . His remains were identified through DNA and reported to the public by Defense Prisoner Of War - Missing Personnel Office ( DPMO ) on October 11 , 2012 . [ DPMO http : / / www . dtic . mil / dpmo / October 11 , 2012 ] . He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery on 17 April 2013 with full military honors . President Harry S . Truman awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor , Posthumously , to Lieutenant Colonel Don C . Faith Jr . . The award was presented to Mrs . Barbara Faith in Washington , D . C . , by General Omar N . Bradley , then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , in a ceremony on June 21 , 1951 . The official Department of the Army award and citation were published in its General Order No . 59 , 2 August 1951 . Medal of Honor citation . Citation : " The President of the United States of America , in the name of Congress , takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor ( Posthumously ) to Lieutenant Colonel ( Infantry ) Don Carlos Faith , Jr . ( ASN : 0 - 46673 ) , United States Army , for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty while Commanding the 1st Battalion , 32d Infantry Regiment , 7th Infantry Division , in action against enemy aggressor forces at Hagaru - ri , ( Chosin Reservoir ) North Korea , from 27 November to 1 December 1950 . When the enemy launched a fanatical attack against his battalion , Lieutenant Colonel Faith unhesitatingly exposed himself to heavy enemy fire as he moved about directing the action . When the enemy penetrated the positions , Lieutenant Colonel Faith personally led counterattacks to restore the position . During an attack by his battalion to effect a junction with another U . S . unit , Lieutenant Colonel Faith reconnoitered the route for , and personally directed , the first elements of his command across the ice - covered reservoir and then directed the movement of his vehicles which were loaded with wounded until all of his command had passed through the enemy fire . Having completed this he crossed the reservoir himself . Assuming command of the force his unit had joined he was given the mission of attacking to join friendly elements to the south . Lieutenant Colonel Faith , although physically exhausted in the bitter cold , organized and launched an attack which was soon stopped by enemy fire . He ran forward under enemy small - arms and automatic weapons fire , got his men on their feet and personally led the fire attack as it blasted its way through the enemy ring . As they came to a hairpin curve , enemy fire from a roadblock again pinned the column down . Lieutenant Colonel Faith organized a group of men and directed their attack on the enemy positions on the right flank . He then placed himself at the head of another group of men and in the face of direct enemy fire led an attack on the enemy roadblock , firing his pistol and throwing grenades . When he had reached a position approximately 30 yards from the roadblock he was mortally wounded , but continued to direct the attack until the roadblock was overrun . Throughout the five days of action Lieutenant Colonel Faith gave no thought to his safety and did not spare himself . His presence each time in the position of greatest danger was an inspiration to his men . Also , the damage he personally inflicted firing from his position at the head of his men was of material assistance on several occasions . Lieutenant Colonel Faith ' s outstanding gallantry and noble self - sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty reflect the highest honor on him and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U . S . Army . ( This award supersedes the prior award of the Silver Star ( First Oak Leaf Cluster ) as announced in G . O . No . 32 , Headquarters X Corps , dated 23 February 1951 , for gallantry in action on 27 November 1950 . ) "