Vernon Lee Wade
Private First Class, U.S. Army

In July 1950, Private First Class Vernon Lee Wade was serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, in Korea.

On 5 July, PFC Wade's unit was engaged with enemy forces near Cheonan, Korea. During an enemy attack that had been in progress for a period of seven hours against overwhelming odds, his unit was ordered to withdraw as their ammunition was almost depleted. PFC Wade was the assistant machine-gunner for machine-gunner PFC Florentiono Gonzales [Honoree Record ID 309805] who volunteered to stay at his position and continue his machine-gun fire to cover his unit's withdrawal and to protect PFC Wade, who was seriously wounded. Their position was under intense small arms, machine-gun, and artillery fire, and PFC Gonzales was also wounded while covering the unit's withdrawal.

While covering the unit's withdrawal, a grenade was thrown over their machine-gun emplacement and landed on the slope behind their position. It then rolled into the foxhole where PFC Wade had taken cover as instructed by PFC Gonzales. PFC Wade was killed. PFC Gonzales was captured as a Prisoner of War and was not released until 28 August 1953.

Medals, Awards and Badges

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

Burial

Private First Class Vernon Lee Wade is buried at the Mill Springs National Cemetery in Nancy, Pulaski County, KY, in Plot: G, 0, 94.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1285130