George H. Ramer

Who was George H. Ramer?

Second Lieutenant George Henry Ramer was a United States Marine Corps officer who posthumously received the Medal of Honor — the United States’ highest military decoration for heroism — for his actions in Korea on September 12, 1951, when he sacrificed his life during a fearless attack on an enemy position. He was the 27th Marine to receive the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Korean War.

Second Lieutenant Ramer, who had been an enlisted U.S. Navy sailor during World War II, was cited after leading an attack by the third platoon of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Although he and most of his men were wounded while fighting their way through vicious machine-gun, mortar and small-arms fire, he continued to lead the assault on the enemy-held hilltop, personally destroying an enemy bunker and directing his capture of the position.

When the enemy immediately began an overwhelming counter-attack, he ordered his men to withdraw and fought single-handedly to cover the withdrawal and the evacuation of three fatally wounded Marines.