TFH 2/1: Master Sergeant Hubert L. Lee, USA

His platoon attacked by a numerically superior enemy force and forced to withdraw. The platoon leader wounded and incapacitated. He assumed command, regrouped his battered unit, and led them forward. When he was wounded the first time, he refused assistance and pressed the attack. Five times the platoon was repulsed by the enemy. Five times they regrouped and attacked again. During the fifth assault, he was wounded again, and crawled forward to continue the attack, motivating his men to follow. Wounded yet again, he still directed his soldiers on a final assault that ultimately regained the key objective the platoon had been holding.


This man was 36-year old Hubert Louis Lee of Arburg, Missouri. On this day in 1951 during the Korean War, his indomitable courage and leadership saw him eventually decorated with our Nation's highest honor.

From Medal of Honor Citations for the Korean War:

LEE, HUBERT L.

Rank and organization: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company I, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Ip-ori, Korea, 1 February 1951. Entered service at: Leland, Miss. Born: 2 February 1915, Arburg, Mo. G.O. No.: 21, 5 February 1952. Citation: M/Sgt. Lee, a member of Company I, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. When his platoon was forced from its position by a numerically superior enemy force, and his platoon leader wounded, M/Sgt. Lee assumed command, regrouped the remnants of his unit, and led them in repeated assaults to regain the position. Within 25 yards of his objective he received a leg wound from grenade fragments, but refused assistance and continued the attack. Although forced to withdraw 5 times, each time he regrouped his remaining men and renewed the assault. Moving forward at the head of his small group in the fifth attempt, he was struck by an exploding grenade, knocked to the ground, and seriously wounded in both legs. Still refusing assistance, he advanced by crawling, rising to his knees to fire, and urging his men to follow. While thus directing the final assault he was wounded a third time, by small-arms fire. Persistently continuing to crawl forward, he directed his men in a final and successful attack which regained the vital objective. His intrepid leadership and determination led to the destruction of 83 of the enemy and withdrawal of the remainder, and was a vital factor in stopping the enemy attack. M/Sgt. Lee's indomitable courage, consummate valor, and outstanding leadership reflect the highest credit upon himself and are in keeping with the finest traditions of the infantry and the U.S. Army. 

Master Sergeant Hubert had also served our Nation during World War II. For his bravery in conflict, records show that he had also received the Silver Star and Bronze Star medals. He survived the Korean War, and passed away in 1982 at age 67; he rests in Leland-Stoneville Cemetery, Stoneville, MO.

The 1st, 2nd, and 4th Battalions of the 23rd Infantry Regiment serve today in the defense of our great Nation and liberty still as part of the 2nd Infantry Division from their home at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.