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First Name: Whitt

Last Name: Moreland

Birthplace: Waco, TX, USA

Gender: Male

Branch: Marines (present)



Middle Name: Lloyd



Date of Birth: 07 March 1930

Date of Death: 29 May 1951

Rank: Private First Class

Years Served: 1948-1951
Whitt Lloyd Moreland

   
Engagements:
•  Korean War (1950 - 1953)

Biography:

Whitt Lloyd Moreland
Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
Medal of Honor Recipient
Korean War

Whitt Lloyd Moreland was born on 7 March 1930, in Waco, TX. He attended public school in Austin, and graduated from Junction High School in 1948, where he played football for two years. In September 1948, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps for one year, serving in San Diego and Camp Pendleton, CA. Upon discharge he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve for six years. On 30 November 1950, he was called to active duty and received advanced training at Camp Pendleton, CA.

PFC Moreland was an intelligence scout attached to the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, First Marine Division. He was killed in action when he heroically sacrificed his life to save the lives of fellow Marines by smothering a hand grenade with his body at Kwangch'i-Dong, Korea, on 29 May 1951. PFC Moreland was posthumously awarded the United States' highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions on that date. He was the 17th Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor during the Korean War.

Medal of Honor

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WHITT L. MORELAND
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an Intelligence Scout attached to Company C, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division (Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 29 May 1951. Voluntarily accompanying a rifle platoon in a daring assault against a strongly defended enemy hill position, Private First Class Moreland delivered accurate rifle fire on the hostile emplacement and thereby aided materially in seizing the objective. After the position had been secured, he unhesitatingly led a party forward to neutralize an enemy bunker which he had observed some 400 meters beyond and, moving boldly through a fireswept area, almost reached the hostile emplacement when the enemy launched a volley of hand grenades on his group. Quick to act despite the personal danger involved, he kicked several of the grenades off the ridgeline where they exploded harmlessly and, while attempting to kick away another, slipped and fell near the deadly missile. Aware that the sputtering grenade would explode before he could regain his feet and dispose of it, he shouted a warning to his comrades, covered the missile with his body and absorbed the full blast of the explosion, but in saving his companions from possible injury or death, was mortally wounded. His heroic initiative and valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death reflect the highest credit upon Private First Class Moreland and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

/S/ HARRY S. TRUMAN

Other Medals

In addition to the Medal of Honor, PFC Moreland was awarded the Purple Heart.

Death and Burial

Private First Class Whitt Lloyd Moreland was killed in action on 29 May 1951. Moreland is buried at Whittington Cemetery in Mount Ida, AR.



Honoree ID: 1210   Created by: MHOH

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