This week's hero is...
Sgt. Ernest Kouma
Ernest Kouma was born on November 23, 1919. He enlisted in the military in 1940 and served in World War II as a tank commander. After World War II ended, Kouma was stationed in Japan as part of an occupation force. When the Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, he once again answered the call to duty. Although Kouma had already been in combat, his tour in Korea would far exceed anything he had previously experienced.
In the first weeks of the war the United Nations' forces were soundly defeated by the North Korean Army. They were eventually pushed back to a small perimeter around the port-city of Pusan (the perimeter would eventually be known as: "the Pusan Perimeter"). Ernest Kouma was part of the 72nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. His tank battalion was positioned at the small village of Agok near the Naktong River. Their objective was to hold their position at the river and to keep the North Koreans from crossing and breaking through the Pusan Perimeter. On the night August 31st, the North Koreans launched their attack.
From midnight until 1:30 in the morning, Kouma and his tank crew continued to fight the advancing North Koreans. At one point during the battle, nearly every American tank at the Naktong river was either knocked out or forced to retreat. Kouma's tank was the only one that remained in the fight. Even after his tank became completely surrounded by the enemy soldiers, Kouma continued to give commands to his crew and personally returned fire at the enemy. He manned his tank's .50 caliber machine gun and repelled numerous attacks. When the gun's ammunition ran out, Sgt. Kouma threw grenades and fired his pistol. He continued to do this even after he was severely wounded. After a total of nine hours he finally gave to order to withdraw back to American lines. For the next eight hours they fought their way through hordes of communist soldiers until they finally reached friendly positions.
During the battle, Sgt. Kouma is believed to have killed at least 250 enemy soldiers. He received the Medal of Honor for his incredible leadership and courage during the battle. He also received the Purple Heart. Ernest Kouma would serve in the army for another 20 years before retiring in the year 1971 after a total of 31 years in the military. For the rest of his life he lived in Kentucky until his death on December 19, 1993.
Sergeant Ernest Kouma's incredible bravery while serving in Korea is truly remarkable. He and his tank crew faced very long odds against a vastly superior force. Despite being wounded, Kouma continued to fight and lead his crew until they were forced to retreat. And even then, he remained in the fight. His story is the stuff of legends. He is definitely someone who deserved the Medal of Honor and someone to be held in high regard.
Further Information:
http://soldiers.dodlive.mil/2015/09/heroes-of-the-naktong/
http://www.military.com/HomePage/TitleHistories/1,10982,100001%7C967848,00.html
http://www.militaryhallofhonor.com/honoree-record.php?id=1189
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