Leonard Martin Kravitz
Private First Class, U.S. Army
Medal of Honor Recipient, Korean War

Private First Class Kravitz was an assistant machine gunner with Company M, 3rd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regimental Combat Team. On 7 March 1951, while attached to Company L, he was defending his position near Yangpyong, South Korea, against heavy enemy attacks. When the platoon was attacked by a large group of fanatical Chinese and was ordered to retreat, Kravitz took over the machine gun. When he was ordered to retreat, he refused and he screamed back, "Get the hell out of here while you can!" For a long time, his comrades could hear his machine gun firing amidst the screams of the wounded and dying Chinese forces and the grenades and mortar shells falling on his position. When the area was finally re-taken, PFC Kravitz was found laying over his machine gun with only six bullets left. There were innumerable Chinese dead all around, including two in his fortification with him.

Medals, Awards & Badges

Medal of Honor *
Purple Heart
National Defense Service Medal
Korean Service Medal with Bronze Service Star
United Nations Service Medal
Republic of Korea War Service Medal
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Combat Infantryman 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 PFC Kravitz, it is based on the valorous actions in the Citation for his DSC.

Distinguished Service Cross Citation:

"Private First Class Leonard M. Kravitz, a member of Company M, 5th Infantry Regiment, distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy of the United Nations near Yangpyong, Korea, on 6 and 7 March 1951. Private Kravitz, an assistant machine gunner attached to Company L, was in a defensive position on strategic key terrain. After the friendly elements had repulsed two earlier probing attacks, the enemy launched a fanatical banzai charge with heavy supporting fire and, despite staggering losses, pressed the assault with ruthless determination. When the machine gunner was wounded in the initial phase of action, Private Kravitz immediately seized the weapon and poured devastating fire into the ranks of the onrushing assailants. The enemy effected and exploited a breach on the left flank, rendering the friendly positions untenable. Upon order to withdraw, Private Kravitz voluntarily remained to provide protective fire for the retiring elements. Traversing the gun to the left to cover the infiltrating enemy and ignoring the pleadings of his comrades to fall back, he fearlessly maintained his position. Detecting a column of Communist troops moving toward friendly positions, he swept the hostile soldiers with deadly, accurate fire, killing the entire group. His destructive retaliation caused the enemy to concentrate vicious fire on his position and enabled the friendly elements to effect a withdrawal. After the strong point was rescued, Private Kravitz's body was found lying beside the gun he had so heroically manned and numerous enemy dead lay in and around his emplacement. Private Kravitz's incredible display of valor set an inspiring example for his comrades. His unflinching courage and consummate devotion to duty reflect the highest credit on himself and uphold the finest traditions of the military service."