Dean's Defiance KW (id:#63171)

(Winter Offensive Bonus Pack 2018 ID: WO 28)   [next]   [previous]

Taejon, South Korea 1950-07-22 (2 others)

Overview:

On July 19, North Korean forces entered Taejon, the site of the 24th Infantry Division's headquarters. William Dean personally led the division in its stand at Taejon. The North Koreans quickly surrounded the city and moved in from the west, north and south. For two days, the 34th Infantry fought the advancing North Koreans in bitter house-to-house fighting. North Korean soldiers continued to infiltrate the city, often disguised as farmers. The remaining elements of the 24th Infantry Division were pushed back block by block. Without radios, and unable to communicate with the remaining elements of the division, Dean joined the men on the front lines, hunting the T-34 tanks with the help of the new shaped-charge, armor-piercing 3.5 inch "Super Bazookas", which had only been put into production two weeks before the war. At one point, Dean personally attacked a tank with a hand grenade, destroying it. He also repeatedly directed the fire of US armor in the city while being exposed to North Korean fire. In 1951, Congress voted to award Dean the Medal of Honor for his actions during the defense of Taejon.

Defender: American (24th Infantry Division, and A Company, 78th Tank Battalion)  

Errata (source)