Texan's sacrifice in Korea earns Medal of Honor

On this day in 1952, Benito Martinez of Fort Hancock, Texas, died in action in Korea. Corporal Martinez was a machine gunner with Company A, Twenty-seventh Infantry Regiment, Twenty-fifth Infantry Division, near Satae-ri, Korea. On the night of the sixth he was manning an advanced listening post when he was encircled by a strong enemy force. He remained at his post and refused to allow any attempts to reach him because of the danger to any rescuers. The next morning his body was found with an empty ammunition clip in his left hand and a .45 caliber pistol in his right. Because of his stand, friendly forces were able to regain key terrain. His posthumous Medal of Honor was presented to his mother by the secretary of the army at the Pentagon in Washington.