Corporal Tibor Rubin, A Soldier's Story - Korean War
Corporal Tibor Rubin, A Soldier's Story
Corporal Tibor Rubin was born on June 18, 1929, in Paszto, Hungary. In March 1944, as Nazi forces began their occupation of Hungary, his parents attempted to send him to Switzerland in hopes of sparing him from imprisonment. Their efforts failed. Rubin was captured and deported to the Mauthausen concentration camp, one of the most brutal camps in the Nazi system.
He was liberated by American forces on May 5, 1945. By war’s end, Rubin had lost his father, stepmother, and youngest sister, all of whom perished in Nazi camps. At just sixteen years old, he emerged from the Holocaust alone, having survived starvation, forced labor, and daily brutality.
In May 1948, Rubin immigrated to the United States, settling in the Los Angeles area. He found work as a butcher and began rebuilding a life interrupted by war. In February 1950, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, later remarking that he did so out of gratitude to the American soldiers who had freed him years earlier.
Trained as a rifleman, Corporal Rubin deployed to Korea with the 1st Cavalry Division. On October 30, 1950, during intense combat near Unsan, his unit was overrun by enemy forces. Rubin volunteered to remain behind, manning a defensive position along the Taegu–Pusan road for 24 hours, holding off repeated attacks so that his unit could withdraw. His actions delayed the enemy advance and prevented further casualties.
On November 2, 1950, Rubin was seriously wounded and captured by Chinese forces. He spent the next 30 months as a prisoner of war. Despite severe malnutrition and mistreatment, he repeatedly risked punishment and death by sneaking into enemy food stores and medical facilities. He distributed stolen rations to fellow prisoners and provided care to the sick and wounded. His actions are credited with saving the lives of more than forty American POWs.
Rubin was liberated in April 1953 and discharged from the U.S. Army that July. He returned to Los Angeles, where he partnered with his brother to open a liquor store and quietly resumed civilian life. He traveled extensively throughout Europe, Scandinavia, and Mexico, but rarely spoke publicly about his wartime experiences.
Although repeatedly nominated for the Medal of Honor by fellow soldiers, Rubin did not receive the award until 2005. Advocacy by the Jewish War Veterans of the USA, over more than 25 years, helped overcome discrimination and antisemitism within his former chain of command that had delayed formal recognition of his heroism.
Corporal Tibor Rubin died on December 5, 2015. He is buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California. His life stands as a testament to endurance, humility, and an unshakable belief in the country that once saved him, and that he later served at extraordinary personal cost.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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