Joe Rodriguez Baldonado
Corporal, U.S. Army
Medal of Honor Recipient, Korean War

Corporal Baldonado was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 187th Airborne Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on 25 November 1950. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

Medals, Awards & Badges

Medal of Honor *
Purple Heart
National Defense Service Medal
Korean Service Medal
United Nations Service Medal
Republic of Korea War Service Medal
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Combat Infantryman Badge
Parachutist Badge

* Medal of Honor

Seeking to correct potential acts of bias spanning three wars, and following a Congressionally-mandated review to ensure that eligible veterans were not bypassed due to prejudice, the Medal of Honor will be awarded to 24 Army veterans. The unusual mass ceremony, scheduled for 18 March 2014, will honor veterans, most of Hispanic or Jewish heritage, who had already received the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second-highest military award for valor. Only three of the recipients are living.

The Army conducted the review under a directive from Congress in the 2002 National Defense Authorization Act. The law required that the record of each Jewish American and Hispanic American veteran who received a Distinguished Service Cross, during or after World War II, be reviewed for possible upgrade to the Medal of Honor.

The Army reviewed the cases of the 6,505 recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross from World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and found an eligible pool of 600 soldiers who may have been Jewish or Hispanic. The Army also worked with the National Museum of American Jewish Military History, the Jewish War Veterans of the USA and the American GI Forum, the largest Hispanic-American veterans group, to pinpoint potential medal recipients. Of the 24, seven fought in World War II, nine in the Korean War, and eight in the Vietnam War.

Since the award of the Medal of Honor is an upgrade to the Distinguished Service Cross already received by CPL Baldonado, it is based on the valorous actions in the Citation for his DSC.

Distinguished Service Cross Citation:

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 Corporal Joe R. Baldonado (ASN: RA-19324868), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as a machine-gunner with Company B, 1st Battalion, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division. Corporal Baldonado distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Kang-deng, Korea, on 25 November 1950. On that date, at 0400 hours, the 2d platoon of Company B was occupying positions on Hill 171 near Kang-deng when the enemy launched a strong attack in an effort to seize the hill. By 0600 hours, the platoon had expended most of its ammunition in repelling the enemy attack, and the platoon leader decided to commit his third squad, with its supply of ammunition, in the defensive action. Since there was not time to dig in because of the proximity of the had advanced to within twenty-five yards of the platoon positions, Corporal Baldonado, machine-gunner of the third squad, placed his weapon in an exposed position and delivered a withering stream of fire on the advancing enemy, causing them to fall back in disorder. The enemy then concentrated all their fire on Corporal Baldonado's gun and attempted to knock it out by rushing the position in small groups and hurling grenades. Several times grenades exploded extremely close to Corporal Baldonado, but failed to interrupt his continuous firing. The hostile troops made repeated attempts to storm his position and were driven back each time with appalling casualties. The enemy finally withdrew at 0700 hours after making a final assault on corporal Baldonado's position during which a grenade landed near his gun, killing him instantly.