Charles L. Gilliland
| Charles Leon Gilliland | |
|---|---|
Medal of Honor recipient Charles Gilliland
|
|
| Born |
May 24, 1933 Near Mountain Home, Arkansas |
| Died | April 25, 1951 (aged 17) Near Tongmang-ni, Korea |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1950 – 1951 |
| Rank | Corporal (posthumous) |
| Unit | 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
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.
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.
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.
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