Rudolfo Hernandez, a paratrooper with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team during the summer 1951 United Nations counter-offensive, earned the Medal of Honor on this day for his aggressive defense of Hill 420 against Chinese communist troops. 

After running our of grenades and rifle ammunition, Hernandez charged with the bayonet, killing six enemy before collapsing from his extensive wounds. His aggressiveness, however, enabled his fellow paratroopers to rally and rake the hill. 

Hernandez was thought dead, but one medic, Keith Oates, noticed Hernandez moving his fingers as they were loading him into a body bag. He woke up months later in the hospital, and had to spend the next years releasing how to walk and speak. In 1952, Hernandez received the Medal of Honor from President Truman.

Hernandez retired to North Carolina and had a career in the Veterans’ Administration and raising a family. He died in 2013 at age 82. Honor and remember him!