(2) Lt Richard Shea, Medal of Honor, 17th Inf. Regt.

• Report rights infringement
• published: 25 Aug 2012
• views: 294

This is the 2nd in a series of stories and interviews of the ordinary young men who became the heroes of the 17th Infantry Regiment, the "Buffalo" Regiment, between 1950 and 1953, in the "forgotten war," the police action known commonly as "the Korean War. Medal of Honor citation First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company A, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Sokkogae, Korea, 6 to 8 July 1953. Entered service at Portsmouth, Va. Born: 3 January 1927, Portsmouth, Va. G.O. No, 38, 8 June 1955. Citation: 1st Lt. Shea, executive officer, Company A, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. On the night of 6 July, he was supervising the reinforcement of defensive positions when the enemy attacked with great numerical superiority. Voluntarily proceeding to the area most threatened, he organized and led a counterattack and, in the bitter fighting which ensued, closed with and killed two hostile soldiers with his trench knife. Calmly moving among the men, checking positions, steadying and urging the troops to hold firm, he fought side by side with them throughout the night. Despite heavy losses, the hostile force pressed the assault with determination, and at dawn made an all-out attempt to overrun friendly elements. Charging forward to meet the challenge, 1st Lt. Shea and his gallant men drove back the hostile troops. Elements of Company G joined the defense on the afternoon of 7 July, having lost key personnel through casualties. Immediately integrating these troops into his unit, 1st lt. Shea rallied a group of twenty men and again charged the enemy. Although wounded in this action, he refused evacuation and continued to lead the counterattack. When the assaulting element was pinned down by heavy machinegun fire, he personally rushed the emplacement and, firing his carbine and lobbing grenades with deadly accuracy, neutralized the weapon and killed three of the enemy. With forceful leadership and by his heroic example, 1st Lt. Shea coordinated and directed a holding action throughout the night and the following morning, On 8 July, the enemy attacked again. Despite additonal wounds, he launched a determined counterattack and was last seen in close hand-to-hand combat with the enemy. 1st Lt. Shea's inspirational leadership and unflinching courage set an illustrious example of valor to the men of his regiment, reflecting lasting glory upon himself and upholding the noble traditions of the military service." The Korean War, like every other war that mankind engages in, has its share of stories, both tragic and heroic, and sometimes even comic. The story of Lt. Richard "Dick" Shea is far from comic, but it is one of both great tragedy and heroism. I have been privileged, through the thoughtful cooperation of his widow, Joyce, who lost Dick when they were still young "newlyweds," and she with child, to take a small peak into the life of Lt. Richard Shea to learn what kind of man he was and could have become had he survived Pork Chop Hill. Their son, Richard, never met or even saw his Dad, because he was born after his father's heroic death during the July battle of Pork Chop Hill, less than ten days after his letter of June 29, 1953 to his beloved "Joy," and little more than two weeks before the cease fire which ended the hostilities on the Korean peninsula. Dick Shea had been a track star at West Point, and he was selected as a member of the All American Cross-Country squad in 1949 and '50. During the short time that he was in Korea, he tried to keep in shape, hoping to be a member of the 1956 US Olympic Team , by constantly walking between outposts, and up and down the many ridgelines. Dick would not live to realize his dream of becoming an olympic athlete, or to see his namesake, born after he died heroically in a hand-to-hand battle with the enemy, while gallantly leading a handful of troops over an overwhelming enemy force. But Dick was not only a talented athlete, he was also a talented artist....