Charles L . Gilliland Charles Leon Gilliland ( May 24 , 1933 – April 25 , 1951 ) was a United States Army soldier who posthumously received the United States military ' s highest award , the Medal of Honor , for his actions in the Korean War . Early life . Born in the community of Colfax near Mountain Home , Arkansas , Gilliland was the second of nine children of Leon Carl and Evangeline Margarite Martin Gilliland . His father was a farmer and construction worker and his mother worked as a nurse ' s aide . His family moved to nearby Marion County when he was a teenager . Throughout his childhood , Gilliland showed a strong interest in the military and law enforcement , enjoyed hunting and fishing , and in his teenage years was a fitness enthusiast . He attempted to enlist in the Marine Corps at sixteen , but was turned away and advised to continue his education . After much convincing , his parents agreed to let him enlist in the U . S . Army on his 17th birthday , May 24 , 1950 . Military career . After joining the Army in Yellville , he attended basic training at Fort Riley , Kansas . The Korean War began one month after his enlistment , and by the end of the year he had been sent to east Asia . During his deployment in Korea , he was wounded and , in one instance , carried to safety a fellow soldier who had lost both his legs . By April 25 , 1951 , he was a private first class serving with Company I of the 7th Infantry Regiment , 3rd Infantry Division . On that day , near Tongmang - ni , his company came under attack from a numerically superior Chinese force . From his defensive position , Gilliland had a clear view of the defile through which many of the attackers were approaching . Using his automatic rifle , he fired continuously into the defile , even after suffering a severe head wound while chasing down two Chinese soldiers who had breached the defensive line . When orders came to pull back , he voluntarily stayed behind and provided covering fire so that the rest of his unit could withdraw . He was never seen again . He was posthumously promoted to corporal , and in 1952 , recommended for the Medal of Honor . Believing that Gilliland may have been captured by the Chinese , the Army delayed the announcement of the award for fear that he would be punished if his captors learned of his deeds . In 1954 , after hostilities had ceased and no sign of Gilliland was found , he was declared dead . The Medal of Honor was formally presented to his family in December of that year during a ceremony at the Pentagon . One month shy of his 18th birthday when he earned the award , Gilliland was the youngest Medal of Honor recipient of the Korean War . On what would have been his 64th birthday , May 24 , 1997 , the U . S . Navy christened a transport ship in his honor , the . Medal of Honor citation . Gilliland ' s official citation reads : Cpl . Gilliland , a member of Company I , distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy . A numerically superior hostile force launched a coordinated assault against his company perimeter , the brunt of which was directed up a defile covered by his automatic rifle . His assistant was killed by enemy fire but Cpl . Gilliland , facing the full force of the assault , poured a steady fire into the foe which stemmed the onslaught . When 2 enemy soldiers escaped his raking fire and infiltrated the sector , he leaped from his foxhole , overtook and killed them both with his pistol . Sustaining a serious head wound in this daring exploit , he refused medical attention and returned to his emplacement to continue his defense of the vital defile . His unit was ordered back to new defensive positions but Cpl . Gilliland volunteered to remain to cover the withdrawal and hold the enemy at bay . His heroic actions and indomitable devotion to duty prevented the enemy from completely overrunning his company positions . Cpl . Gilliland ' s incredible valor and supreme sacrifice reflect lasting glory upon himself and are in keeping with the honored traditions of the military service .