William Clarence Mosier
Corporal, U.S. Army

William Clarence 'Billy' Mosier was born on 2 September 1932, the son of Wiley Clayton and Mary Ellen Riddle Mosier. They had two other sons who served in World War II.

Billy Mosier enlisted in the U.S. Army on 16 November 1948. He was only 16. “He lied about his age,” Howard Mosier, Billy's brother said. “He wanted to do something for his country.”

Corporal Mosier was a medic serving with the Medical Company, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. On 3 January 1951 near Uijomgbu, South Korea, he was tending his wounded comrades under intense enemy fire. When sniper fire made it impossible to work, he took the rifle of a wounded comrade and killed several of the enemy.

Medals, Awards & Badges

Distinguished Service Cross
Bronze Star Medal
Purple Heart with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Korean Service Medal
United Nations Service Medal
Republic of Korea War Service Medal
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Combat Medic Badge

Distinguished Service Cross Citation

The Distinguished Service Cross is awarded to Corporal Billy Mosier, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action on January 3, 1951, while serving as an aidman with the Medical Company, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, in the vicinity of Uijongbu, Korea. When the defensive positions of Company A were attacked by an estimated enemy battalion, supported by heavy mortar fire, he voluntarily exposed himself to the intense enemy fire to administer aid to wounded soldiers. While treating a wounded man he heard a call for aid coming from a soldier approximately five hundred yards away. With complete disregard for his personal safety, he moved through the enemy fire to the wounded man and administered first aid as small arms fire struck all around him. When the enemy snipers continued to cover the area with fire, making it impossible for him to evacuate the wounded man, he picked up the wounded soldier's rifle and moved forward to crest of a hill from which he placed accurate fire on the enemy's position, killing several of them. He continued to fire on the enemy's positions until he was killed by an enemy sniper.

HQ Eighth US Army Korea; General Orders No. 136 (March 12, 1951)

Honors

An Army camp, Camp Mosier, Korea, was established near the site where CPL Billy Mosier lost his life. This became the home of the 43rd Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) during the Korean War; the 61st Air Defense Artillery and many other units have also been stationed there. The old M*A*S*H movie and TV series were based on this camp. In the opening scene of the M*A*S*H program, you see the helicopters coming in over the hills with the wounded servicemen to Camp Mosier, Korea.

A dental clinic within Fort Lee, near Petersburg, VA, honors CPL William Clarence 'Billy' Mosier. Following a dedication ceremony on 3 January 2013, Troop Medical and Dental Clinic Number 2 officially became the Mosier Troop Medical and Dental Clinic.

Burial

William Clarence 'Billy' Mosier was buried at Acre Field Cemetery in Laurel Bloomery, Johnson County, TN.