TFH 3/7: SFC Nelson V. Brittin, USA

Nelson Vogel Brittin was born on October 31, 1920 in Audubon, New Jersey. I was able to determine that he served in the United States Army during World War II, although I couldn't find out with what unit or in what capacity. Regardless, during the Korean War he was posted with the 3rd Battalion/19th Infantry Regiment, then part of the 24th Infantry Division.

On this day in 1951, he led his unit on a charge up a heavily defended hilltop. His courage, leadership, and example from the front in the face of tenacious opposition inspired his company to take its objective. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

From Medal of Honor Citations for the Korean War:

*BRITTIN, NELSON V.

Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Company I, 19th Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Vicinity of Yonggong-ni, Korea, 7 March 1951. Entered service at: Audubon, N.J. Birth: Audubon, N.J. G.O. No.: 12, 1 February 1952. Citation: Sfc. Brittin, a member of Company I, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action. Volunteering to lead his squad up a hill, with meager cover against murderous fire from the enemy, he ordered his squad to give him support and, in the face of withering fire and bursting shells, he tossed a grenade at the nearest enemy position. On returning to his squad, he was knocked down and wounded by an enemy grenade. Refusing medical attention, he replenished his supply of grenades and returned, hurling grenades into hostile positions and shooting the enemy as they fled. When his weapon jammed, he leaped without hesitation into a foxhole and killed the occupants with his bayonet and the butt of his rifle. He continued to wipe out foxholes and, noting that his squad had been pinned down, he rushed to the rear of a machine gun position, threw a grenade into the nest, and ran around to its front, where he killed all 3 occupants with his rifle. Less than 100 yards up the hill, his squad again came under vicious fire from another camouflaged, sandbagged, machine gun nest well-flanked by supporting riflemen. Sfc. Brittin again charged this new position in an aggressive endeavor to silence this remaining obstacle and ran direct into a burst of automatic fire which killed him instantly. In his sustained and driving action, he had killed 20 enemy soldiers and destroyed 4 automatic weapons. The conspicuous courage, consummate valor, and noble self-sacrifice displayed by Sfc. Brittin enabled his inspired company to attain its objective and reflect the highest glory on himself and the heroic traditions of the military service. 

Nelson Brittin today rests in peace at Beverly National Cemetery in New Jersey. 3-19 Infantry and the 24th Infantry Division are currently inactive units, but today's soldiers have been supplied in the field by the USNS Brittin (T-AKR-305) since 2001.