Edward Clyde Benfold
Hospital Corpsman Third Class, U.S. Navy
Medal of Honor Recipient
Korean War

Edward Clyde Benfold (15 January 1931 - 5 September 1952) was a U.S. Navy sailor who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Korean War. He was killed in action while serving with the 1st Marine Division as a Hospital Corpsman Third Class.

Edward Clyde Benfold was born in Staten Island, NY. He grew up in Haddon Heights, NJ, and graduated from Audubon High School in Audubon, NJ. Benfold entered the service at Philadelphia, PA, in 1950. After completion of recruit training in Great Lakes, IL, he was selected for "A" school training as a Hospitalman. In July 1951, he was designated as a Medical Field Technician and was ordered to duty with the Fleet Marine Force, Ground, Pacific.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Hospital Corpsman Third Class, U.S. Navy, attached to a company in the 1st Marine Division

Place and date: Korea, 5 September 1952

Citation:

For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Hospital Corpsman, attached to a company in the First Marine Division during operations against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on September 5, 1952. When his company was subjected to heavy artillery and mortar barrages, followed by a determined assault during the hours of darkness by an enemy force estimated at battalion strength, Benfold resolutely moved from position to position in the face of intense hostile fire, treating the wounded and lending words of encouragement. Leaving the protection of his sheltered position to treat the wounded when the platoon area in which he was working was attacked from both the front and the rear, he moved forward to an exposed ridge line where he observed two Marines in a large crater. As he approached the two men to determine their condition, an enemy soldier threw two grenades into the crater while two other enemies charged the position. Picking up a grenade in each hand, Benfold leaped out of the crater and hurled himself against the onrushing hostile soldiers, pushing the grenades against their chests and killing both the attackers. Mortally wounded while carrying out this heroic act, Benfold, by his great personal valor and resolute spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of almost certain death, was directly responsible for saving the lives of his two comrades. His exceptional courage reflects the highest credit upon himself and enhances the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for others.

Other Medals and Awards:

Purple Heart (with Gold Star in lieu of a second award)
National Defense Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Star)
Korean Service Medal
United Nations Service Medal

Legacy

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Benfold (DDG-65) was named after Hospital Corpsman Third Class Edward C. Benfold.

Burial

Edward Clyde Benfold is buried in Beverly National Cemetery, Beverly, NJ. His grave can be found in the Distinguished Service Section, Grave 12.