The First Five

On Aug. 31, at Yongsan, Korea, handsome Master Sergeant Travis Watkins, 29, of Gladewater, Texas, took command of 30 infantrymen who had been cut off from their regiment, led them to a defensive position where they held out for four days under unremitting Communist attack. When ammunition ran low on Sept. 2, Watkins shot five North Koreans outside his perimeter, calmly left shelter to get their weapons and ammunition. Although wounded himself, he fired on six other Reds who threatened to enfilade the American position. His back was broken by enemy machine-gun fire, but he continued to fire until all six were killed.

For 48 hours Watkins lay paralyzed in his foxhole, shouting encouragement to the others. Finally, with no hope of reinforcement, he ordered his men to return to friendly lines without him. "When last seen," read an Army report, "he was wearing a smile and was wishing the survivors the best of luck on their way out."

This week, in the White House, President Truman was to present the Medal of Honor to Travis Watkins' widow. On behalf of four other U.S. fighting men, killed or missing in action in Korea, relatives would accept the first five to be awarded in the Korean war.* The other fighting men so honored are ist Lieut. Frederick F. Henry, 33, of Clinton, Okla.; Private ist Class Melvin L. Brown, 20, of Mahaffey, Pa.; Sergeant ist Class Charles W. Turner, 29, of Boston; and Major General William F. Dean, 51, of Berkeley, Calif. Of Dean's now famed exploit in besieged, burning Taejon, when he led bazooka teams against enemy tanks and refused to seek safety (TIME, July 31), the citation said: "General Dean felt it necessary to sustain the courage and resolution of his troops by examples of excessive gallantry committed always at the threatened portions of his front lines."

* The first Medals of Honor were awarded to six U.S. soldiers on March 25, 1863, after authorization by Congress. Since then 3,041 have been given, including 431 in World War II.

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