Medal of Honor: A Korean War era soldier from Mena died a hero on the battlefield near Chungchon on April 22, 1951
- Dennis McCaslin
- Oct 4
- 2 min read
Herbert A. "Hal" Littleton, a son of Polk County, etched his name in history through an extraordinary act of bravery during the Korean War, earning him the Medal of Honor.
The Marine Corps League's Detachment 1261 in Mena was named in his honor in December 2006, as was the Herbert A. Littleton School of Communications, where Marines train as radiomen.
Born in Mena on July 1, 1930, Littleton’s courage on a Korean ridge exemplifies the selflessness that defines a hero.
Raised in a farming family, Littleton moved with his parents to Black Hawk, South Dakota, before enlisting in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1948. He trained as a telephoneman and message center man at Camp Pendleton, California, and was honorably discharged in 1949.
Settling in Nampa, Idaho, he worked as a lineman for Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph. When the Korean War erupted, Littleton reenlisted, serving as a radio operator with Company C, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division.
On April 22, 1951, near Chungchon, Korea, Private First Class Littleton was stationed at a forward observation post on Horseshoe Ridge during a fierce night assault by Chinese forces. As enemy grenades rained down, he alerted his team and helped direct artillery fire.
When a grenade landed among his comrades, Littleton removed his critical radio—reportedly urging, “save the radio”—before throwing himself onto the explosive. His sacrifice shielded his team, preserving communications that enabled an artillery strike to repel the attack.
For this “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity,” President Harry S. Truman posthumously awarded Littleton the Medal of Honor in June 1952, presented to his parents in Boise, Idaho, on August 19, 1952.
He was the 16th Marine to receive the nation’s highest military honor in Korea.
Littleton’s actions resonate deeply in Mena, where his memory is cherished. Littleton’s legacy endures as one of Arkansas’s 29 Medal of Honor recipients, a testament to the valor born in small-town America.
He is buried at Kohlerlawn Cemetery in Nampa, Idaho, where his legacy endures.
