Ronald Rosser, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the Korean War, died on Wednesday in Tennessee. He was 90.
Ronald was born in Columbus and the oldest of 17 children.
After enlisting in the Army at the end of World War II, he served for three years before returning to his hometown.
But he reenlisted after his younger brother, Richard, was killed in combat during the Korean War.
He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions with the 38th Infantry Regiment in January 1952.
During an interview with 10TV in 2014, he said he remembered every second, facing heavy fire from a formidable Chinese enemy in Korea's Iron Triangle.
With dozens of men already killed or dying on the battlefield, he volunteered to lead a new charge.
“The captain looked at me and said, ‘how are you going to do it?’ ‘Only one way, captain, go straight in shooting and hit 'em hard and fast, and if we make it to the trench, we got a chance,’” Rosser remembered. “And he said, ‘you know you're not going to make it.’"
But he did. When he reached the trench of the enemy line, he looked back and saw that he was the only one.
Singlehandedly, he killed at least a dozen of the enemy, beating them to death with his gun and shooting the rest. He also cleared a machine-gun bunker with a grenade.
He then returned to help his fallen comrades, still lying on the battlefield, as enemy fire whizzed by him. He only sustained a few minor wounds.
He was presented with the medal by President Harry S. Truman on June 27, 1952.
After his tour in Korea, Ronald fulfilled multiple assignments for 22 years with the Army.
He decided to retire after his brother Gary was killed in the Vietnam War. He requested to reenlist again but was not allowed to enter combat.
He retired at the rank of Sergeant First Class. He was also awarded the Purple Heart among many others.
