Ernest E. West

Ernest Edison "Ernie" West (September 2, 1931 – May 1, 2021) was a United States Army soldier. He was a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart, for his actions in the Korean War.

Early life
West was born on September 2, 1931, in Russell, Kentucky. He was drafted from Wurtland in 1950.

Korean War and Medal of Honor

After his unit was ambushed near Sataeri on that day, he ran through heavy fire to rescue his wounded commander, Capt. George Gividen. As he was pulling the man to safety, three hostile soldiers attacked. West shielded the commander with his body and killed the attackers with his rifle, suffering a wound which resulted in the loss of his eye in the process. 

Despite this injury, he remained on the field and assisted in the evacuation of other wounded men, at one point killing three more hostile soldiers. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor just over a year later, on January 29, 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Death
West died on May 1, 2021 in Greenup County, Kentucky at the age of 89.

References

Other websites
 Sullivan will dedicate plaza for vets

Category:1931 births
Category:2021 deaths
Category:Military people from Kentucky
Category:Medal of Honor recipients
Category:Purple Heart recipients