Cornelius H. Charlton

Cornelius H. Charlton

U.S. Army

Quick Facts

Significance:

Korean War Buffalo Soldier and Medal of Honor Recipient

Place of Birth:

East Gulf, West Virginia

Date of Birth:

July 24, 1929

Place of Death:

Chipo-ri, South Korea

Date of Death:

June 2, 1951

Place of Burial:

Arlington, Virginia

Cemetery Name:

Arlington National Cemetery

Cornelius H. Charlton was born on July 24, 1929, in East Gulf, West Virginia. He was one of 17 children born to Van and Clara Charlton. While in West Virginia, Van Charlton supported his ever-growing family by working as a coal miner. In 1944, the Charlton family moved to the Bronx, New York, where Van Charlton worked as an apartment building superintendent. In New York, Cornelius Charlton attended James Monroe High School. Although he expressed a strong desire to enlist and fight in World War II, his parents did not want him to drop out of school to serve. He graduated from high school in 1946 at the age of 17. At that point, his parents relented and signed the papers for him to join the U.S. Army.

Cornelius completed basic training in November 1946 and was sent to Germany as part of the occupation force. On reenlisting, he was assigned to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland before being sent to Japan in 1950 for occupation duty on the island of Okinawa. When the Korean War broke out, he asked for combat duty and was transferred to Company C, First Battalion, Twenty-Fourth Infantry. The Twenty-Fourth was the last of the segregated Buffalo Soldier regiments to be integrated in accordance with Executive Order 9981 issued by President Harry Truman.

Company C’s commander, Captain Gordon E. Gullikson, initially took a dim view of Charlton. Gullikson did not understand why Charlton wanted a combat assignment with the Twenty-fourth Infantry. That skepticism soon faded, as Charlton transformed his squad into an effective fighting unit and their morale improved. Gullikson later promoted Charlton to platoon sergeant of Company C’s third platoon.

On June 2, 1951, as part of Operation Piledriver, Charlton’s platoon was attacking Hill 543. The hill, near the village of Chipo-ri, South Korea, was heavily defended by communist Chinese soldiers. As Charlton and his comrades made it about halfway up the hill, they encountered heavy mortar fire from the Chinese positions. The platoon, including its leader, took heavy causalities. Charlton took command and organized three advances up the hill in the face of strong Chinese opposition. During these attacks, Charlton was wounded numerous times but refused medical evacuation. Charlton and his men were finally able to dislodge the Chinese infantrymen from the crest of Hill 543. When they reached the top of the hill, they noticed Chinese mortar positions on the reverse slope. Charlton charged these positions alone and was able to take them out even though he was again wounded by grenade fragments. Mortally wounded, Charlton died on Hill 543.

Charlton’s remains were returned to his family, and he was initially buried in the segregated Bryant Cemetery in Bramwell, West Virginia. 

Sergeant Cornelius H. Charlton was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on March 12, 1952, at the Pentagon. His parents accepted his Medal of Honor from Secretary of the Army Frank C. Pace. Only two African Americans were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Korean War. On November 12, 2008, Sergeant Charlton was reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.

Charlton’s Medal of Honor citation reads:
“Sgt. Charlton, a member of Company C, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. His platoon was attacking heavily defended hostile positions on commanding ground when the leader was wounded and evacuated. Sgt. Charlton assumed command, rallied the men, and spearheaded the assault against the hill. Personally eliminating two hostile positions and killing six of the enemy with his rifle fire and grenades, he continued up the slope until the unit suffered heavy casualties and became pinned down. Regrouping the men, he led them forward only to be again hurled back by a shower of grenades. Despite a severe chest wound, Sgt. Charlton refused medical attention and led a third daring charge which carried to the crest of the ridge. Observing that the remaining emplacement which had retarded the advance was situated on the reverse slope, he charged it alone, was again hit by a grenade but raked the position with a devastating fire which eliminated it and routed the defenders. The wounds received during his daring exploits resulted in his death, but his indomitable courage, superb leadership, and gallant self-sacrifice reflect the highest credit upon himself, the infantry, and the military service.”