Corporal Red Cloud posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroic actions "above and beyond the call of duty" near Chonghyon, North Korea, on 5 November 1950 during the Chinese First Phase Campaign.

Born in Hatfield, Wisconsin, Red Cloud, a Ho-Chunk Native American, dropped out of high school to enlist in the Marine Corps during World War II.

On the night of 5 November 1950, Red Cloud was manning a forward observation post when he spotted an imminent surprise attack by Chinese forces.

Red Cloud single-handedly held off the Chinese forces despite being shot eight times, at one point ordering his men to tie him to a tree because he was too weak to stand by himself.

[4] At age 16, Red Cloud dropped out of high school and, with his father's approval, decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corps.

They would also conduct a number of mopping up operations to assist in the clearance of the island and to cut off troops from the Empire of Japan who had been attempting to escape.

Red Cloud's time on Guadalcanal was plagued by several bouts of tropical disease, and he left the island on 4 December 1942 for medical treatment.

During his time overseas, Red Cloud contracted diseases frequently, and he was returned to the United States in February 1943 to recuperate.

After several months of fighting, the unit was withdrawn to Guam to prepare for Operation Coronet, the second phase of the anticipated invasion of mainland Japan.

He also assisted anthropologist Nancy Lurie, informing her studies of how childcare customs among Native Americans were changing over time.

During this time, training opportunities were limited, many of the troops were inexperienced and their equipment was of low quality due to budget cuts.

During the First Battle of Naktong Bulge, the 19th Infantry was moved up from reserve positions in to combat the NK 4th Division, which was attempting to break through their lines.

[14] During these battles, Red Cloud's experience as a combat veteran made him a valued member of his unit for leading the less experienced troops.

[7] In the middle of the night, he began hearing suspicious noises, before spotting a number of Chinese troops intent on surprising the Americans.

Red Cloud raised an alarm and began firing on the advancing Chinese troops with an M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR).

In spite of these wounds and after being attended to by a company platoon medic, he refused to withdraw from his post, and continued to fire accurately on the Chinese troops which caused significant casualties among their advancing force.

[16] Red Cloud's actions gave E Company time and warning to blunt the Chinese offensive, eventually repelling the attack.

[17] When members of the 2nd Battalion returned to the hill and arrived at Red Cloud's position to recover his body the next morning, they found it was surrounded by a large number of dead Chinese troops.

[19] Red Cloud's military awards and decorations include:[1] Red Cloud's official Medal of Honor citation reads: Rank and organization: Corporal, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division Place and date: Near Chonghyon, Korea, 5 November 1950 Entered service at: Merrillan, Wisconsin General Orders No.

From his position on the point of a ridge immediately in front of the company command post he was the first to detect the approach of the Chinese Communist forces and give the alarm as the enemy charged from a brush-covered area less than 100 feet from him.

Refusing assistance he pulled himself to his feet and, wrapping his arm around a tree, continued his deadly fire again, until he was fatally wounded.

Red Cloud's dauntless courage and gallant self-sacrifice reflects the highest credit upon himself and upholds the esteemed traditions of the U.S.