Community Corner

60-Year Anniversary: Don't Forget This Connecticut Hero Of "The Forgotten War!"

July 27th marked the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War — often called the "Forgotten War."

Written by Philip R. Devlin

More than 300,000 American troops engaged in combat on the forbidding terrain of Korea from 1950-1953. Over 40,000 would die there during the "forgotten war"; 326 of those fatalities were from Connecticut. 

One of those fatalities, Sgt. George D. Libby of Waterbury, was the first American soldier in that war to earn the Congressional Medal Of Honor. His heroic actions near Taejon on July 20, 1950, border on the unbelievable.

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Born in Bridgton, Maine, in 1919, George Libby had already fought in World War II. When war broke out in Korea on June 25, 1950, Sgt. Libby was a member of the 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion of the 24th Infantry Division. The 24th usually found itself on the front lines during the war. Often involved in heavy fighting, the unit suffered more than 10,000 casualties by war's end.

In July of 1950, Libby's unit was involved in fierce fighting near Taejon, one of Korea's major cities. Unable to hold Taejon, the 24th fell back to form a defensive perimeter near Pusan. Sgt. Libby was riding in a truck near Pusan when it came under heavy fire. All occupants in the truck were killed or wounded except for Libby, who took cover in a ditch. His Medal of Honor citation tells the rest of his story: 

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"Sgt. Libby distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action. While breaking through an enemy encirclement, the vehicle in which he was riding approached an enemy roadblock and encountered devastating fire which disabled the truck, killing or wounding all the passengers except Sgt. Libby. Taking cover in a ditch Sgt. Libby engaged the enemy and despite the heavy fire crossed the road twice to administer aid to his wounded comrades. He then hailed a passing M-5 artillery tractor and helped the wounded aboard. The enemy directed intense small-arms fire at the driver, and Sgt. Libby, realizing that no one else could operate the vehicle, placed himself between the driver and the enemy thereby shielding him while he returned the fire. During this action he received several wounds in the arms and body. Continuing through the town the tractor made frequent stops and Sgt. Libby helped more wounded aboard. Refusing first aid, he continued to shield the driver and return the fire of the enemy when another roadblock was encountered. Sgt. Libby received additional wounds but held his position until he lost consciousness. Sgt. Libby's sustained, heroic actions enabled his comrades to reach friendly lines. His dauntless courage and gallant self-sacrifice reflect the highest credit upon himself and uphold the esteemed traditions of the U.S. Army."

Sgt. Libby's bullet-riddled body was returned to the United States. He was buried with full military honors in section 34 of Arlington National Cemetery.

As Sgt. Libby was a member of an engineering battalion, it was fitting that the 84th Engineering Battalion built a lengthy bridge that bears his name across the Imjin River in Korea; additionally, an elementary school in California and a monument in Waterbury are named after him.

After war broke out on the Korean peninsula, President Truman's Secretary of State — Middletown, CT, native Dean Acheson — had this to say about the Korean War: "If the best minds in the world had set out to find us the worst possible location to fight this war, the unanimous choice would have been Korea."

Technically, there still is no peace agreement for the Korean War, only a ceasefire arrangement agreed to at Panmunjon 60 years ago this week. Few people realize that the "forgotten war" was among the bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century. More than 5 million people died within a period of 37 months — more than half of them civilians. Among those dead were 326 servicemen from Connecticut, including a military hero from Waterbury — Sgt. George Dalton Libby.


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