William R . Charette William Richard Charette ( March 29 , 1932 – March 18 , 2012 ) was a United States Navy Hospital Corpsman and a recipient of the U . S . military ' s highest decoration , the Medal of Honor , for his actions in the Korean War . Master Chief Charette served at the Naval Hospital in Charleston ; SC ; Fleet Marine Force , 1st Marine Division , Korea ; ; , Fleet Ballistic Missile Training Center , Charleston , SC ; ; Naval Hospital , Orlando , FL ; ; and at the Recruit Dispensary , Orlando , FL . He retired from the Navy on April 1 , 1977 . Early life and career . Born on March 29 , 1932 , in Ludington , Michigan , Charette graduated from high school there in 1951 . He enlisted in the U . S . Navy on January 11 , 1951 , and underwent recruit training at Naval Station Great Lakes , Illinois . He then attended the Hospital Corps School at Naval Training Center , Bainbridge , Maryland , becoming a Hospital Corpsman upon graduation . Duty at the Naval Hospital in Charleston , South Carolina , and an April 16 , 1952 , promotion to hospital corpsman third class followed . Charette volunteered to serve in Korea and reported for field training at Field Medical Service School , Camp Pendleton , California , on November 25 , 1952 . He joined Company F of the 2nd Battalion , 7th Marines , 1st Marine Division , which embarked for Korea on February 5 of the next year . Korean War service . On March 27 , 1953 , during a Chinese attack on Marine outpost Vegas , Charette faced a growing number of casualties exposed to hostile small - arms and mortar fire . When a grenade landed near him , he threw himself over his patient , absorbing the blast with his own body . In another instance , he removed his battle vest and placed it on a patient . In addition , he tore parts of his uniform to dress battle wounds and later stood up in a trench , exposing himself to incoming rounds , to aid a wounded comrade . He sustained many painful wounds during the battle . After the end of the war , Charette was still serving in Korea when he learned that he would receive the Medal of Honor . All five enlisted sailors to receive the medal for actions during the Korean War were hospital corpsmen serving with the Marines . Charette , the only one living of the five , received his Medal of Honor in Washington , D . C . , from President Dwight D . Eisenhower on January 12 , 1954 . Later years . He continued his service with the Navy , training new hospital corpsmen at the Naval Hospital Corps School in Great Lakes , Illinois . In 1958 , aboard , he had the honor of selecting the World War II remains that would be placed in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery . He eventually moved into the Submarine Force , becoming one of the first hospital corpsmen to serve on nuclear submarines . Charette served as an Independent Duty Corpsman ( IDC ) in the Navy ’ s Nuclear Submarine Program . He served under Captain Edward L . Beach , Jr . on the and was also an IDC on the Gold crew 1962 - 1965 . After 26 years of service , he retired as a Master Chief Hospital Corpsman , HMCM ( SS ) in 1977 . Awards and decorations . Charette ' s military decorations include : Medal of Honor citation . Charette ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy aggressor forces during the early morning hours . Participating in a fierce encounter with a cleverly concealed and well - entrenched enemy force occupying positions on a vital and bitterly contested outpost far in advance of the main line of resistance , HC3c . Charette repeatedly and unhesitatingly moved about through a murderous barrage of hostile small - arms and mortar fire to render assistance to his wounded comrades . When an enemy grenade landed within a few feet of a marine he was attending , he immediately threw himself upon the stricken man and absorbed the entire concussion of the deadly missile with his body . Although sustaining painful facial wounds , and undergoing shock from the intensity of the blast which ripped the helmet and medical aid kit from his person , HC3c . Charette resourcefully improvised emergency bandages by tearing off part of his clothing , and gallantly continued to administer medical aid to the wounded in his own unit and to those in adjacent platoon areas as well . Observing a seriously wounded comrade whose armored vest had been torn from his body by the blast from an exploding shell , he selflessly removed his own battle vest and placed it upon the helpless man although fully aware of the added jeopardy to himself . Moving to the side of another casualty who was suffering excruciating pain from a serious leg wound , HC3c . Charette stood upright in the trench line and exposed himself to a deadly hail of enemy fire in order to lend more effective aid to the victim and to alleviate his anguish while being removed to a position of safety . By his indomitable courage and inspiring efforts in behalf of his wounded comrades , HC3c . Charette was directly responsible for saving many lives . His great personal valor reflects the highest credit upon himself and enhances the finest traditions of the U . S . Naval Service . Legacy . On 30 April 1999 , the Charette Health Care Center , a part of the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth , Virginia , was dedicated in his honor . AMVETS Post 82 of Ludington , Michigan , named itself after hometown hero William R . Charette in 1982 . In downtown Ludington , there is a mural dedicated to William R . Charette . It depicts his tour of duty during which he earned the Medal of Honor . William R . Charette was able to come to Ludington and see the mural before his death . Recently , a sign was put up near the Memorial Medical Center that honors William R . Charette .