David B. Bleak

David Bruce Bleak (27 February 1932 – 23 March 2006) was a soldier of the United States Army during the Korean War. Bleak rose to the rank of staff sergeant and was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration of the United States, for his actions near Minari-gol, South Korea, on 14 June 1952.

Born in Idaho, Bleak dropped out of school to become a combat medic, and was deployed to Korea with the 40th Infantry Division. During a mission north into Chinese territory, Bleak's patrol came under heavy attack from fortified Chinese positions. Despite being wounded himself, Bleak rushed the Chinese troops multiple times and killed five of them—four using only his hands—before assisting the wounded, and shielding another soldier from a grenade blast. Bleak is credited with saving the patrol's wounded and ensuring that all of its members returned to allied lines. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

In the years preceding and following his military service, Bleak worked numerous jobs around Idaho and Wyoming, working as a rancher, dairy farmer, truck driver, and meat cutter before retiring as a radioactive waste technician at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. He died in 2006 from emphysema, Parkinson's disease, and complications from a hip fracture.

Early life David Bruce Bleak was born on 27 February 1932 to William Bleak and Tamar Bleak (née Young) in Idaho Falls, Idaho, a remote farming community. The seventh of nine children, he dropped out of high school and worked for a time as a farmer and a rancher He eventually decided to enlist in the US Army, hoping to see the world. Bleak grew to a height of and weighed . He was described as humble and quiet throughout his life.

Military service Bleak entered the Army on 1 November 1950, and attended basic combat training at Fort Riley, Kansas. and continued battles over the same ground which produced high casualties. Bleak served as a field medic, assisting troops on the front lines instead of in Mobile Army Surgical Hospital units.

Medal of Honor action On 14 June 1952, Bleak was part of a patrol of the 2nd Battalion, 223rd Infantry, sent north to probe Chinese forward positions and attempt to capture Chinese soldiers for interrogation. Bleak volunteered to accompany the 20-man patrol of an I&R Platoon on this mission, which was to send them to a sparsely vegetated feature called Hill 499, where Chinese forces were known to be operating. The patrol left United Nations lines at 04:30 Korea Standard Time on 14 June, under cover of darkness. It was preceded by an attack by F Company, 223rd Infantry, to the west which was intended as a distraction. However, as the patrol ascended the hill, it came under heavy Chinese automatic weapons fire which struck the lead elements, injuring several soldiers. Bleak, at the rear of the formation, rushed forward and treated and stabilized several soldiers hit in the initial volley, then followed the remainder of the patrol as it continued its mission. However, as it descended Hill 499 to return to UN lines, they were ambushed by another group of Chinese hidden in a trench with an automatic weapon. Three soldiers were wounded in the attack, and as Bleak attempted to run to them, he was hit in the leg. Bleak dressed all four wounds, but one of the men was so badly wounded he could not move. In spite of continued Chinese fire and his own injury, Bleak picked up the wounded soldier and began to carry him down the hill. Eventually, all 20 men of the patrol returned to the UN lines, but a third of them were wounded. Bleak was credited with saving the patrol, both by promptly treating the wounded and by aggressively attacking and killing or neutralizing five Chinese soldiers. from emphysema, Parkinson's disease, and complications from a hip fracture. He died the same day as another Medal of Honor recipient, Desmond Doss.

Honors In 1995 a medical clinic at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, was named for Bleak, and following his death, the Governor of Oklahoma declared 14 June 2007 "Sergeant David Bruce Bleak Day" for the 55th anniversary of Bleak's accomplishments.

Awards and Decorations Bleak's awards include: alt=A metal device depicting a blue bar with a rifle, in front of a wreath of silver leaves.

Combat Medical BadgeMedal of HonorPurple HeartArmy Good Conduct MedalArmy of Occupation MedalNational Defense Service MedalKorean Service MedalUnited Nations Service Medal KoreaKorean War Service MedalKorean Presidential Unit Citation

40th Infantry Division Combat Identification Badge