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CHARLES E. BRANNON |
| Death: | June 15, 1951 |
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Less than a month after the action that earned Lieutenant Brannon his first Distinguished Service Cross, he was seriously wounded near Chong-Pyong, South Korea in an action that earned him a second Distinguished Service Cross. He returned to duty on May 3, 1951, and was seriously wounded again on May 18, 1951 near Masogu-ri, South Korea and died of those wounds on June 15, 1951 at Johnson Army Hospital, Japan. |
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Distinguished Service Cross Awarded posthumously for actions during the Korean War The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Armor) Charles E. Brannon (ASN: 0-61207), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Regimental Combat Team, attached to the 24th Infantry Division. First Lieutenant Brannon distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Pangwa-dong, Korea, on 22 April 1951. On that date, Lieutenant Brannon led his platoon in an assault against a heavily fortified objective. However, the intense enemy fire soon pinned the friendly troops down. With keen tactical perception, Lieutenant Brannon analyzed the situation and immediately took positive steps to relive the pressure on his men. Calling for an automatic-weapons team, he directed them to fire at one of the two enemy emplacements from which the major portion of the deadly fusillade originated. He then single-handedly attacked the other and, ignoring its heavy volume of fire, he killed its occupants. This paved the way to the crest of the objective and he personally led his men in a spirited assault. Heavy fire from deeply entrenched for halted this attack also and Lieutenant Brannon immediately charged forward alone and attacked position after position, neutralizing each in turn. When his men moved up to consolidate the top of the hill, hitherto hidden enemy troops began firing in conjunction with defensive fire from the reverse slope of the hill. Realizing the untenable nature of the friendly positions, Lieutenant Brannon and his men were forced to seek out each enemy soldier before establishing their perimeter. The fanatical foe then launched a counterattack which caught the friendly troops with the ammunition almost completely exhausted. To save his men from almost certain death, Lieutenant Brannon ordered them to execute a limited withdrawal while he provided covering fire which enabled them to perform the maneuver with a minimum of casualties. General Orders: Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 453 (August 14, 1952) Action Date: 22-Apr-51 Service: Army Rank: First Lieutenant Company: Company B Battalion: 1st Battalion Regiment: 5th Regimental Combat Team Division: 24th Infantry Division |
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Distinguished Service Cross Awarded posthumously for actions during the Korean War The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Armor) Charles E. Brannon (ASN: 0-61207), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Regimental Combat Team, attached to the 24th Infantry Division. First Lieutenant Brannon distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Sorak-san, Korea, on 25 April 1951. When the convoy in which he was proceeding was ambushed by a heavily armed, well-entrenched enemy force, Lieutenant Brannon completely exposed himself to the intense hostile fire to place members of the convoy in defensive positions and direct their return fire. He then organized a group of soldiers and led an assault against the well-fortified enemy. Under his inspiring leadership, the small group inflicted heavy casualties on the hostile troops until the overwhelming numerical superiority of the enemy forced a withdrawal. As he was returning to the road, Lieutenant Brannon noticed that many wounded soldiers were lying in positions exposed to the murderous enemy fire. With utter disregard for his personal safety, he proceeded from one vehicle to another, trying to locate one that would start. During this courageous action he was shot in the neck but, although bleeding profusely, continued to check the vehicles until he located a two and one-half ton truck that was in operating condition. After driving to the area of the wounded men, he assisted in loading them on the vehicle. Then, when he had ascertained that all of the wounded were on the truck, he drove through the crossfire of the ambush to an aid station approximately six miles distant. Only after all other wounded were cared for did Lieutenant Brannon accept treatment for his own wound. General Orders: Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 655 (August 19, 1951) Action Date: 25-Apr-51 Service: Army Rank: First Lieutenant Company: Company C Battalion: 1st Battalion Regiment: 5th Regimental Combat Team Division: 24th Infantry Division |