Charles R. Long

Charles Richard Long (December 10, 1923 – February 12, 1951) was a United States Army soldier who received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Korean War. A native of Independence, Missouri, Long joined the Army after high school and served in Europe during World War II. Recalled to active duty for the Korean War, he served as a sergeant and forward observer for a mortar platoon. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his conduct during the Battle of Hoengsong when assaulted by a numerically superior force on February 12, 1951, he voluntarily remained at his forward post and continued to direct mortar fire until being overrun and killed.

Early life Long was born on December 10, 1923, in Kansas City, Missouri, the middle child of Lois and Fritz Long. He had an older brother, Robert, and a younger sister, Edith. He went by his middle name, but his immediate family referred to him as "Buddy". Growing up in the Mount Washington area of Independence, Long delivered newspapers for The Kansas City Star, worked for the Fairmount Inter-City News, and sold soda pop at a bus station. His family was poor and took in boarders for extra money. After graduating from Kansas City's Northeast High School in 1941. he was drafted 2 years later in 1943

Military service During World War II, Long served in Europe and participated in the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944–1945. He remained in the Army Reserve after the war until being recalled to active duty at the outbreak of hostilities in Korea.