Ernest E. West

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

Ernest E. West
Medal of Honor recipient Ernest West in 2009
Birth nameErnest Edison West
Born(1931-09-02)September 2, 1931
Russell, Kentucky, U.S.
DiedMay 1, 2021(2021-05-01) (aged 89)
Greenup County, Kentucky, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1950 – 1953
RankPrivate First Class
Unit3rd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division
Battles/warsKorean War
AwardsMedal of Honor
Purple Heart

Early life

West was born on September 2, 1931, in Russell, Kentucky. He was drafted from Wurtland in 1950.[1]

Korean War and Medal of Honor
See the main article: Korean War

After his unit was ambushed near Sataeri on that day, he ran through heavy fire to rescue his wounded commander, Capt. 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. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor just over a year later, on January 29, 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.[2]

Death

West died on May 1, 2021 in Greenup County, Kentucky at the age of 89.[3]

References
  1. "MSN - Outlook, Office, Skype, Bing, Breaking News, and Latest Videos". www.msn.com.
  2. "Medal of Honor Recipients - Korean War". Medal of Honor Citations. United States Army Center of Military History. August 5, 2010. Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  3. News Staff, WSAZ. "Medal of Honor recipient, Greenup County resident Earnie West, has died". WYMT. Retrieved May 1, 2021.

Other websites
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