Unseasonably warm weather and the chirping of several species of birds puts off of a soothing vibe as you stand amongst the gazebos and monuments at the Annabelle Farmer Park in Vian. Although the picturesque park sets on the heavily traveled main street in Vain, the stillness and the silence at times can almost be deafening.
For one Sequoyah County native who went off to serve his country during the Korean War and never returned home, the sedentary park seems like a likely spot for one of several monuments to the Medal of Honor winner who distinguished himself on September 1, 1950 at the Second Battle of Nakong Bulge in South Korea.
Born in Vian on September 23,1919 as one of four children of James P. Henry and his wife Ida Mae, Frederick Funston Henry was bitten by the military bug during the early stages of World War II and enlisted in the United States Army on September 16th, 1940.
Deciding to make the military his career, Henry had obtained the rank of First Lieutenant with Company F of the 38th Infantry Regiment and found himself in charge of a platoon that was located just a few klicks south of Andong, South Korea just three months into the war with the Asian nation.
After three weeks of furious fighting to try and establish a position a position along the Nakong River, a series of attacks an counterattacks had caused a geographic division of American troops and a flanking maneuver by forces under the leadership of KPA (Korean People's Army) Major General Pak Kyo Sam had isolated Company F. KPA forces, many of which were dressed in American uniforms of previous casualties. had overrun several of these vulnerable pockets of American troops.
Just after dawn on September 1 , was suddenly attacked by a numerically superior enemy force. First Lt. Henry was was seriously wounded in the initial the surprise attack and ordered his men to withdraw from the area after ordering them to bring him all their spare weapons and ammunition.
Staying behind to cover their retreat, Henry single-handedly held the attackers at bay until he was eventually killed. One eyewitness account said the frenzied Oklahoma native fought to the bitter end before finally exhausting all of his resources and being overrun by the KPA forces.
For his heroic actions and bravery, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor a few months after his death on February 16, 1951 by President Harry S. Truman. His body was never recovered.
Henry's Medal of Honor citation reads;
"1st Lt. Henry, Company F, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action. His platoon was holding a strategic ridge near the town when they were attacked by a superior enemy force, supported by heavy mortar and artillery fire. Seeing his platoon disorganized by this fanatical assault, he left his foxhole and moving along the line ordered his men to stay in place and keep firing. Encouraged by this heroic action the platoon reformed a defensive line and rained devastating fire on the enemy, checking its advance. Enemy fire had knocked out all communications and 1st Lt. Henry was unable to determine whether or not the main line of resistance was altered to this heavy attack. On his own initiative, although severely wounded, he decided to hold his position as long as possible and ordered the wounded evacuated and their weapons and ammunition brought to him. Establishing a l-man defensive position, he ordered the platoon's withdrawal and despite his wound and with complete disregard for himself remained behind to cover the movement. When last seen he was single-handedly firing all available weapons so effectively that he caused an estimated 50 enemy casualties. His ammunition was soon expended and his position overrun, but this intrepid action saved the platoon and halted the enemy's advance until the main line of resistance was prepared to throw back the attack. 1st Lt. Henry's outstanding gallantry and noble self-sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty reflect the highest honor on him and are in keeping with the esteemed traditions of the U.S. Army."
In addition to the Medal of Honor he was also awarded the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, Combat Infantryman's Badge, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, Republic of Korea War Service Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
In his honor, United States Army facility in Daegu, South Dakota, was named Camp Henry in May of 1960.
Sadly, over the years family members and former friends and relations either relocated to other parts pf the country or died out, and Henry's legacy was basically forgotten as a hometown hero. In 2004 Mayor Kenneth Johnson was contacted by a historian out of Kansas who did research on Medal of Honor winners. That initial conversation spurred Johnson to rectify the local lack of recognition for Henry.
On October 20, 2004, a large crowd came together at Annabelle Farmer Park in Vian, to pay respects to the long-lost hometown.
"Many were townspeople acting on an opportunity to honor the local man whose heroism in combat was long missing from their city's history; some were state, military, and local officials who felt it their duty to honor the Army lieutenant last seen defending his platoon from a fast-approaching wave of North Korean forces, and more than a dozen ventured into the Sequoyah County city as representatives of a relative taken in war, whose goodness survived through the lives he protected."
A memorial dedicated to 1st Lt. Henry and his service in the United States Army was unveiled at the ceremony.
1st Lt, Henry was married to Billie Jo Hosler Henry but the couple divorced in 1940 and they had no children.
He was also married to Phyllis Lavon Southam Henry (1924-1966), in Augsburg, Oklahoma, on September 26, 1946, who was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on March 7, 1924, and who had served as a First Lieutenant, with the Army Nurse Corps, during World War II.
She passed away in Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 7, 1966, at the age of 42.
While 1st Lt. Henry's body was recovered and he is remembered with a cenotaph marker in Salt Lake City Utah Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah, which is on the lot with Phyllis Levon Southam Henry in Plot R, Row 29, Lot 15, Grave 5E,
He is also remembered on the Honolulu Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Courts of the Missing Court 6, and his name is inscribed on the National Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
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