For all you Michigan natives, this one is for you. Duane Edgar Dewey was born in Grand Rapids on November 16, 1931. After high school, Dewey worked for several years as foundry worker. As the Korean war was heating up, Dewey signed up with the Marines in 1951 for an "indefinite enlistment" (the duration of the war plus 6 months). By September of that year, he was on his way to Korea with the men of E Co. 2/5.
On April 16, 1952, near Panmunjom, Korea, while serving as leader of a machine gun squad, Dewey had been wounded by a grenade that had exploded at his feet,and was being treated by a Corpsman when an enemy grenade landed at the squad’s position. Yanking the corpsman to the ground and warning members of the squad, Cpl. Dewey flung himself on the grenade shouting, "Doc, I got it in my hip pocket!" The grenade exploded, lifting Dewey off the ground and inflicting gaping shrapnel wounds throughout the lower part of his body. In addition, he sustained a bullet wound to the stomach...and survived.
For his actions, Cpl. Dewey was awarded the Medal of Honor, and the first MOH presented by Pres. Eisenhower. After presenting the Medal, Eisenhower said to him: "You must have a body of steel." Today, Dewey is 86 and still kicking ass. #stayzero #zerofoxtrot #marines #badass