Lt. Col. Don C. Faith Jr. returns
ROS Sends us a link from Military Times which reports that the remains of Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Col. Don C. Faith Jr. have been found and identified. LTC Faith was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Chosin Reservoir in 1950. The citation for the award tells the story of that fateful day;
When the enemy launched a fanatical attack against his battalion, Lt. Col. Faith unhesitatingly exposed himself to heavy enemy fire as he moved about directing the action. When the enemy penetrated the positions, Lt. Col. Faith personally led counterattacks to restore the position. During an attack by his battalion to effect a junction with another U.S. unit, Lt. Col. Faith reconnoitered the route for, and personally directed, the first elements of his command across the ice-covered reservoir and then directed the movement of his vehicles which were loaded with wounded until all of his command had passed through the enemy fire. Having completed this he crossed the reservoir himself. Assuming command of the force his unit had joined he was given the mission of attacking to join friendly elements to the south. Lt. Col. Faith, although physically exhausted in the bitter cold, organized and launched an attack which was soon stopped by enemy fire. He ran forward under enemy small-arms and automatic weapons fire, got his men on their feet and personally led the fire attack as it blasted its way through the enemy ring. As they came to a hairpin curve, enemy fire from a roadblock again pinned the column down. Lt. Col. Faith organized a group of men and directed their attack on the enemy positions on the right flank. He then placed himself at the head of another group of men and in the face of direct enemy fire led an attack on the enemy roadblock, firing his pistol and throwing grenades. When he had reached a position approximately 30 yards from the roadblock he was mortally wounded, but continued to direct the attack until the roadblock was overrun. Throughout the 5 days of action Lt. Col. Faith gave no thought to his safety and did not spare himself. His presence each time in the position of greatest danger was an inspiration to his men. Also, the damage he personally inflicted firing from his position at the head of his men was of material assistance on several occasions.
According to the Military Times;
More than half a century later, in 2004, a joint team of personnel from the U.S. and North Korea and “surveyed the area where Faith was last seen. His remains were located and returned to the U.S. for identification,” the department said in a news release.
Scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory determined they were Faith’s through mitochondrial DNA matching Faith’s brother and other means.
LTC Faith will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on April 17th.
Category: Blue Skies, Real Soldiers
A hero returns, honored, and wigh honors.
RIP, LTC Faith. Fair weather and a smooth trail.
wigh = with. Android touch keypad.
Welcome Home Sir! R.I.P.
I gotta say, he really earned his MOH. It’s good that he has been returned to this country for a proper military burial.
Rest in peace, in hollowed ground – and welcome home.
Welcome home, LTC Faith.
LTC Faith was hell bent on joining the Army. He failed a West Point physical and attended (and graduated from) Georgetown University instead. When WW II erupted, he reported for his selective service physical and, again, failed it. He appealed (!) the draft board’s decision and won. He became an officer through OCS and served in Europe and North Africa during the war. His Medal of Honor was approved by Harry Truman and awarded to Mrs. Barbara Faith by General Omar Bradley. He is a member of OCS’s Hall of Fame. And he is home.
Welcome home, and much respect. May you rest in peace.
Giants do indeed walk among us….welcome home.
Rest, finally, in Peace, sir.
Where do such men come from?
I thank my God … as they come from the United States of America!
Welcome home Sir!
SLOW HAND SALUTE…Welcome Home Sir!
My favorite story about him is from a few days before he was killed. (I’m tellin’ this from memory from some of my books about the Reservoir).
Ned Almond flew in to Faith’s CP for a briefing. Faith reported that he had captured guys representing two(?) Chinese divisions near his front line. Almond said that was garbage and there weren’t two Chinese divisions in all of Korea. Completely discounted what Faith was seeing right in front of him.
Then Almond awarded Faith the Silver Star for a prior action. Almond then told Faith to pick two other deserving people to be given the Silver Star. Faith was apparently tired of Almond’s crap, so he picked the first two guys he saw: a cook who was walking by and a slightly wounded Lt who was sitting nearby.
Almond pinned the Silver Star on those two guys, made a comment that Faith shouldn’t “let a bunch of Chinese laundrymen” who were fleeing north or something stop him, climbed into his helo and then flew away.
Faith reportedly ripped the silver star off his parka, threw it on the ground, and went back to getting his defenses ready.
Welcome home, sir. Rest in Peace.
Fellows,
I can proudly say that I was the one while I was on the membership recruiting committee that established the Donald C. Faith KWVA chapter down in Austin. Texas. I still have copies of the first petition I made out to start his chapter, fact of the matter, I started eight (8) of the 13 chapters that are now in Texas, and I am also a member of the Lone Star chapter down in Houston, Texas, so as you can see now why this Ferris matter has really got me pissed off, I’ve worked my ass off to build an organization so all of us that are Korean War Veterans would never be forgotten, as the same with other Military Veterans like your selfs, and to have a joker like Ferris come along and dirty our name with the likes of all his lies, well I think its time we rid these phoneys once and for all. Enough said.
Sam
Thanks for doing all that, Sam. Sad that a few bad seeds can ruin it all for the good ones.
Thank you for posting this…I attended Don C. Faith Junior High School at the Benning School for Boys many, many years ago. I remember his portrait and MOH citatioear the principal’s office. I wonder if it made it to the new Fairh Jr. high? Anyway…he made it home! What a wonderful country we live in that still remembers and brings them home.
Ahhh … RCT 31. As I recall, LTC Faith inherited a fecal sandwich and made the best of it. I wish I could be there at Arlington next week to pay my respects, but next time I’m in the AO, I’ll visit with him and welcome him home.
Welcome home LtC Faith. I pray that we may be worthy of your sacrifice. Too many people do not understand what that means in its totality. It’s not just “taking one” for the country, flag, Army, etc. Its also about getting up and training in the sleet, snow, cold, wet, heat dryness and other “fun weather conditions. Its also about dealing with various “interesting” types of people in management and subordinate positions that you dearly wish you could just walk away from.
In good times and bad you were there. You rest in God’s loving arms this day and all I can say is WELL DONE Godspeed and Fair Winds LtC Faith. Many thanks from a grateful civvie.
WELCOME HOME SIR Yesterday I commented about LTC Faith’s leadership on my Facebook page. I have read a lot about him. Though he died ten years to the day before I was born, he has became one of my heros. He tried to get my cousin out this horrible situation. My cousin also died on December 2. Remains not recovered. CPL Ernest Roy robertson, B BTRY, 57th FA.