Hero of the Week 105

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Raymond Harvey

Raymond "Ray" Harvey was born on March 1, 1920. A native of the Chickasaw tribe, Harvey grew up in the city of Sulphur, Oklahoma. After graduating high school in 1939, he enlisted in the US Army. During World War II, he saw combat in the Invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. He was decorated numerous times for incredible courage in valor. 

By the end of the war, he had received the Distinguished Service Cross (second-highest award for valor), two silver stars, two bronze stars, and two purple hearts. Despite being offered an honorable discharge for his service, Harvey chose to return to active duty in 1948. Little did he know that just two years later, he would answer another call to duty. 

In June of 1950, war broke out on the Korean peninsula between the Communist North and the Republic of South Korea. Harvey (now a captain) was serving with the American 7th Infantry Division at the time. During the first year of the conflict, he saw combat at the Landing at Inchon (where he received his third Silver Star). However, his experience and leadership would be put to the ultimate test on March 9, 1951.

That day, Captain Harvey was leading Company C of the 17th Infantry Regiment to launch an attack on enemy fortifications near the Korean village of, Taemi-Dong. The North Korean and Chinese forces held the high ground on a hill (Hill 1232) overlooking the village and had been using it to snipe and launch assaults on strategic positions along the 38th Parallel. Although Ray and his company expected to face heavy resistance what they encountered caught them completely off guard. As soon as they approached the hill, hidden enemy machine-guns opened fire. 

At least half the company was cut down in the initial burst of enemy fire. The rest found themselves pinned down by the murderous fire. Unwilling to watch his men die, Captain Harvey launched a one-man attack. He ran to the nearest enemy machine gun and threw two grenades which killed the crew. He then ran through a gauntlet of enemy fire to the next fortification and killed it's occupants with rifle fire. As he charged a third enemy position a bullet struck him directly in the chest, puncturing his lung. Despite nearly choking on his own blood, Harvey crawled under the enemy fire and eventually reached the third position and killed all five enemy soldiers with his rifle.

Captain Harvey's one-manned attack had successfully broken through the first line of the North Korean defense on Hill 1232. After knocking out the third enemy position, his company was able to join him up on the hill and press the attack. Despite losing almost half his blood volume and being unable to move, Captain Ray Harvey refused to be evacuated until Hill 1232 had been captured. 

For his incredible courage and valor on March 9, Captain Raymond Harvey received the Congressional Medal of Honor and his third Purple Heart from President Harry Truman. He was the first and remains the only Chickasaw Native American to receive the medal in American history. He officially retired from the US Army in 1962. He spent much of his later life as a military technical advisor to war movies like Fixed Bayonets and The Big Red One. He died on November 16, 1996, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He is remembered today, as one of America's finest soldiers.

https://hof.chickasaw.net/Members/2017/Raymond-Harvey.aspx

https://www.oklahoman.com/article/3356699/story-of-chickasaw-hero-lt-col-raymond-harvey-emerges-into-spotlight

https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/raymond-harvey