On June 14, 1952, during the Korean War, Sergeant David Bleak was serving as a field medic with the 2nd Battalion, 223rd Infantry, 40th Infantry Division when he volunteered for a reconnaissance patrol into hostile territory.
As the patrol climbed a rugged hill, they were hit with intense enemy fire, leaving several men wounded. Sgt Bleak moved through the gunfire to treat the injured—then continued advancing with the unit.
Near the crest, he came under close-range fire from enemy soldiers hidden in a trench. Without hesitation, he entered the trench and engaged in hand-to-hand combat—killing two enemy soldiers with his bare hands and a third with his trench knife.
Moments later, he shielded a fellow soldier from a grenade blast.
Even after being wounded himself, Sgt Bleak carried a casualty down the hill. When two enemy soldiers charged with bayonets, he grabbed them and smashed their heads together before continuing the evacuation.
Through sheer courage and complete disregard for his own safety, Sgt David Bleak saved multiple lives that day.
For extraordinary heroism in combat, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
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