Hospital Corpsman Third Class Edward Clyde Benfold, A Sailor's Story
Hospital Corpsman Third Class Edward Clyde Benfold, A Sailor's Story
Hospital Corpsman Third Class Edward Clyde Benfold was born on January 15, 1931, in Staten Island, New York. His family later relocated to New Jersey, where he attended Audubon High School and graduated in 1949. Shortly after graduation, Benfold enlisted in the United States Navy, choosing a path of service that would place him directly alongside combat troops.
Following recruit training and Hospital Corpsman schooling at Great Lakes, Illinois, Benfold received his first assignment at the Naval Hospital in Newport, Rhode Island. In July 1951, as the Korean War intensified, he returned to active training at Camp Lejeune, completing combat field preparation alongside Marine Corps units. He was briefly assigned to the 3rd Marine Division before receiving orders to serve with E Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division.
In July 1952, Hospital Corpsman Third Class Benfold deployed to Korea, where Navy corpsmen routinely served on the front lines, providing lifesaving medical care under enemy fire. His role required him to move with infantry units, treating wounded Marines amid relentless combat conditions.
On September 5, 1952, after spending the night administering medical aid to wounded Marines while exposed to enemy fire, Benfold was caring for two severely wounded men in a crater when enemy soldiers launched a sudden grenade attack. Without hesitation and fully aware of the danger, Hospital Corpsman Third Class Benfold seized the grenades, leapt from the crater, and forced the explosives against the attacking enemy soldiers, sacrificing his life to protect the wounded Marines and those nearby.
For his extraordinary valor, complete disregard for personal safety, and unwavering devotion to duty, Hospital Corpsman Third Class Edward Clyde Benfold was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
He is laid to rest at Beverly National Cemetery, remembered as one of the many Navy corpsmen who embodied the Marine Corps motto they lived by so often: no man left behind.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
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