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This week's hero is...
David Bleak
David Bruce Bleak was born on February 27, 1932, in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He grew up working on ranches and railroads (he wasn't very good at school). His time working on the farm turned into a very tall and muscular man. When he enlisted the US Army in 1950, many in his family were concerned that his large size would make him an easy target in combat (Bleak stood six feet five inches tall and weighed 250 pounds). He rose to the rank of a sergeant and became the medic of his squad. Although many soldiers considered him to be a "gentle giant", all of that changed on June 14, 1952.
That day, Sergeant Bleak was with a squad of 20 soldiers from the 40th Infantry Division (Sunburst Division). The squad was probing enemy lines along the 38th Parallel for potential prisoners to capture for interrogation. A handful of Chinese soldiers had been spotted on a sparsely vegetated hill designated, Hill 499. As the squad began to ascend the hill, the Chinese opened fire from hidden positions around 499.
The 20-man squad had walked into a deadly ambush. They found themselves severely outnumbered and receiving fire from three sides. Almost every man was hit within seconds. Sergeant Bleak was the only one who wasn't hit in this burst of fire. He immediately ran to the nearest comrade and provided first aid. He worked his way towards the men in the front (they had been hit the worst). As he began treating the wounded, he was shot at by enemy soldiers from the crest of Hill 499.
Sergeant Bleak charged the crest and jumped into the enemy trench. Almost immediately a Chinese soldier charged him with a fixed bayonet. He evaded the thrust, grabbed the man's face, and snapped his neck. Another enemy soldier charged him, Bleak grabbed his throat and crushed his larynx (windpipe). When a third enemy soldier came at him, Bleak pulled his trench knife and dimembolwed him.
After this, Sergeant Bleak immediately returned to his fallen comrades (who were beginning to retreat off the hill). He was able to treat all of the wounded so that they could evacuate. As they were retreating, more of them got hit by Chinese soldiers who had snuck behind them. One man got hit so badly that he could not walk and got left behind in the confusion. Bleak instantly turned around and headed back up Hill 499.
As he reached his wounded comrade, an enemy bullet shattered one of his legs. However, he ignored the wound and picked up the fallen American. As he was carrying him down, an enemy grenade landed nearby. Bleak dove on top of his comrade and intercepted the blast. He then continued to carry his comrade down the Hill 499. Before he could rejoin the squad, two more Chinese soldiers charged him with bayonets (forcing Bleak to drop his comrade). He once again, evaded the thrusts, grabbed the two soldiers' heads, and smashed them together (crushing their skulls). He then picked up his comrade and carried him down the hill. An airstrike was then called in that obliterated the enemy fortifications of Hill 499.
When it was finally over, all twenty American soldiers had been hit by enemy fire. But directly due to the valor of Sergeant David Bleak, no American lives were lost. He had successfully treated all of the wounded and enabled them to escape the ambush. For his incredible valor on June 14, 1952, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart. He was one of only three servicemen from the 40th Infantry Division to receive the medal (and the only survivor).
After being discharged from the Army, David Bleak returned to Idaho where he worked as a rancher and a truck driver. He was an active member of the Mormon Church and seldom spoke of his military service. He died on March 23, 2006, at the age of 74. Today, he is remembered as one of the bravest and heroic soldiers to have ever served in the US Army.
https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/sgt-bleak-korea-medal-honor/
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-mar-31-me-bleak31-story.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/03/27/soldier-david-bleak/d0548ecd-828a-4964-add5-07aec37a825a/
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