Colonel Melvin Garten passes

David sends us a link to the sad news that Melvin Garten has passed. Colonel Garten was described as the most decorated colonel in the Army at the time he retired. He began his military service as an enlisted soldier during World War II. In the ensuing years, he says that his wife had received notice of him being wounded, missing or dead seven times. According to the Fayetteville Observer;

When Col. Garten retired at Fort Bragg, he held many of the Army’s top medals, including the nation’s second highest award – the Distinguished Service Cross, as well as three Silver Stars, five Purple Hearts, four Bronze Stars, the Legion of Merit, two Joint Commendation Medals and two Air Medals.

His last position was as chief of staff for the 12th Support Brigade.

According to the Oregonian, Colonel Garten was involved in the rescue of American POWs at Los Banos Japanese prison camp in the phillipines and earned the DSC for his actions on Pork Chop Hill during the Korean War. The citation for his DSC reads;

[W]hile serving with Company K, 3d Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division[,] Captain Garten distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces near Surang-ni, Korea, on 30 October 1952. On that date, observing that assault elements of Companies F and G were pinned down by withering fire on a dominant hill feature, Captain Garten voluntarily proceeded alone up the rugged slope and, reaching the besieged troops, found that key personnel had been wounded and the unit was without command. Dominating the critical situation through sheer force of his heroic example, he rallied approximately eight men, assigned four light machine guns, distributed grenades and, employing the principle of fire and maneuver, stormed enemy trenches and bunkers with such tenacity that the foe was completely routed and the objective secured. Quickly readying defensive positions against imminent counterattack he directed and coordinated a holding action until reinforcements arrived. Major Garten’s inspirational leadership, unflinching courage under fire and valorous actions reflect the highest credit upon himself and are in keeping with the cherished traditions of the military service.

Category: Blue Skies, Real Soldiers