William R. Jecelin

On September 19, 1950, his company was ordered to secure a ridge that was occupied by Korean forces they attacked as ordered but the first attempt to take the hill failed. They tried a second time and this time Jecelin led his platoon through heavy enemy fire advancing to the base of the cliff where the attack was stopped again due to enemy fire. He determined that a direct assault was the only way to gain control of the hill so he began firing his rifle and throwing grenades at the enemy position, calling to his men to follow him. The American troops were able to make it to the crest of the hill before being forced to take cover from enemy fire, before attempting another assault. They attached bayonets for hand-to-hand combat and were able to defeat a portion of the enemy before being forced to take cover after receiving fire from another group of enemy forces in the area. When they began attacking this new group, one of the enemy soldiers threw a grenade at the incoming Americans and Sergeant Jecelin dived on the grenade, smothering the blast with his body, saving the lives of the other American soldiers but was killed in the blast. For this action he posthumously received the United States military's highest decoration for bravery, the Medal of Honor.

William R. Jecelin (May 6, 1930 – September 19, 1950) was a soldier in the United States Army who posthumously received the United States military's highest decoration for bravery, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Korean War. He was born in and joined the Army from Baltimore, Maryland and was sent as a Sergeant to fight in the Korean War. While there he was fighting with Company C, 35th Infantry Regiment during the Pusan Perimeter Offensive when a grenade was thrown at them Jecelin sacrificed himself to save the other soldiers in his unit. He covered the grenade with his body and was killed. His body was returned to the US and buried in his hometown of Baltimore.

Jecelin was born May 6, 1930, in Baltimore, Maryland and joined the United States Army from that location. After attending training he was sent to fight in Korea as a Sergeant in Company C, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division.