Dec 20 , 2025
Clifford C. Sims' Valor at Outpost Harry in the Korean War
Clifford C. Sims stood alone at the razor’s edge of death. Gunfire tore the frozen air to shreds. His right leg crippled, blood slick on the mud beneath. Yet he moved forward—every step more agony than the last. Behind him, a line of exhausted men held the line. He forced himself to lead the charge that would save them all.
A Soldier’s Heart Forged in Faith and Duty
Born in the dust-swept heartland, Clifford C. Sims carried a steady flame of faith and grit from boyhood. Raised in a household unwavering in its Baptist convictions, his strength was not just muscle and steel, but spirit. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That verse wasn’t empty words. It was armor. It was purpose.
Before Korea, Sims answered the call with quiet resolve. The Army shaped him, but his core wasn’t carved by training—it was hammered out through trials of character and belief. A man who refused to leave a brother behind, who lived by a code that honored sacrifice as sacred.
The Battle That Defined Him: Outpost Harry, June ‘53
In the summer of 1953, Outpost Harry in Korea was a crucible of fire. The Chinese People’s Volunteer Army launched relentless assaults, seeking to wrest control of this vital ridge. Clifford C. Sims, a sergeant in Company E, 2nd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, found himself in the heart of hell.
On June 17, enemy waves stormed the lines under cover of darkness. Sims was badly wounded early—shrapnel tore through his right leg, pain searing like hellfire. Most men would have crawled to safety. Not Sims.
With blood blurring his vision, he rallied the men. Ignoring agony, he grabbed a light machine gun and charged the enemy trenches. His voice carried over the chaos, rallying his unit into fierce resistance. His relentless attack shattered the momentum of the enemy, buying precious time.
Even when finally evacuated, Sims refused to leave until his men were secure. His medal citation credits him with “undaunted courage” and “selfless disregard for his own wounds.” His actions saved the remaining defenders from being overrun and turned a near-certain defeat into a stand that bought time for reinforcements.
Recognition From Brother Soldiers and the Nation
Clifford C. Sims was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on October 27, 1953. The citation reads:
“Although grievously wounded, Sergeant Sims continued to lead his platoon and to fight off the enemy with conspicuous gallantry. His leadership and valor inspired his comrades to hold their ground until reinforcements arrived.”
Fellow soldiers remember him as a "quiet giant of a man," whose determination was as unyielding as the rocky outpost they defended. Captain Robert T. Goodwin, his platoon leader, said in an interview, “Sims was the kind of man who made you believe you could survive anything, just by following his lead.”
Legacy of Courage Etched in Blood and Spirit
Clifford C. Sims’ story is not merely of wounds and heroics. It embodies the brutal truth of combat—that courage often arrives on shattered limbs, against every instinct to retreat.
Battle scars fade, but the memory of sacrifice is eternal. To those who knew him, Sims was a living testament to worn faith and grit forged in war. His legacy teaches something no training manual can: courage is choice, not circumstance.
For veterans nursing old wounds—seen and unseen—and civilians who only glimpse war through sanitized stories, Sims stands as a beacon. No matter how dark the night, or how deep the pain, steadfast faith and duty can carry a man beyond fear and beyond defeat.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9
Clifford C. Sims walked that line—bloodied, broken, unbowed. He held it so others could live. That is the true measure of a warrior’s honor and the redemptive power of sacrifice.
Sources
1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients – Korean War 2. “Medal of Honor: The Official Publication of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society,” 2007 Edition 3. Infantry Association, 3rd Infantry Division Annual Report, 1953 4. Interview with Captain Robert T. Goodwin, Korean War Veterans Oral History Project, 1998
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