Ernest E. West

Ernest Edison West (September 2, 1931 – May 1, 2021) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Korean War.

Early life West stands with two other Medal of Honor recipients shortly after receiving their medals from President Dwight D. Eisenhower. From left: Edward R. Schowalter Jr., West, Eisenhower, and William R. Charette West was born in Russell, Kentucky, on September 2, 1931. He grew up in an orphanage at the Methodist Children's Home in Versailles, Kentucky. He went on to reside in Wurtland and was employed by Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (now CSX Transportation).

Korean War West was drafted into the United States Army in 1950. By October 12, 1952, he was serving in Korea as a private first class with Company L, 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. After his unit was ambushed near Sataeri on that day, he ran through heavy fire to rescue his wounded commander, Captain George Gividen. As he was pulling the man to safety, three hostile soldiers attacked. West shielded the commander with his body and killed the attackers with his rifle, suffering a wound which resulted in the loss of his eye in the process. Despite this injury, he remained on the field and assisted in the evacuation of other wounded men, at one point killing three more hostile soldiers. West was buried at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Northeast in his home county.

Medal of Honor citation

West's official Medal of Honor citation reads: