When Ralph Puckett was chosen to lead a new Ranger company in 1950, he said a prayer: “Dear God, don't let me get a bunch of guys — good guys — killed.”
In late November 1950, the then-Army lieutenant was leading the 8th Ranger Company in a daring assault against entrenched North Korean machine guns near the town of Unsan. His extraordinary heroics allowed the Rangers to overwhelm the positions. After a powerful, hourslong counterattack, they faced being overrun themselves. Puckett was wounded and boldly told his men to leave him behind, an order they refused. Instead, they dragged him off the hill to safety, saving his life and ensuring he would not only survive the war, but fight again another day.
For his decisive and brave leadership fighting North Korean troops, he received the Distinguished Service Cross. Some 71 years later, that award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor, and now-retired Col. Ralph Puckett was still alive to receive the medal from President Joe Biden in a May 2021 White House ceremony.
On Nov. 29, 2022, Hiroshi Miyamura died, leaving Puckett the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient of the Korean War. Puckett died in his sleep on April 8, 2024. He was 97 years old.
Born in Tifton, Georgia, in 1926, Puckett attended a military high school before enrolling at Georgia Tech in 1943 at just 16 years old. He joined the Army Enlisted Reserves soon after and he attempted to get a pilot's position in the Army…
