Clifford C. Sims' Wounded Charge That Earned the Medal of Honor

Feb 06 , 2026

Clifford C. Sims' Wounded Charge That Earned the Medal of Honor

Clifford C. Sims’ blood soaked the frozen ground that day in Korea. Wounded, bleeding, but unbroken, he charged forward. Every step screamed of pain — yet he moved like a spirit possessed. Men’s lives hung in the balance. He refused to let the enemy swallow his unit whole.

Background & Faith

Clifford C. Sims grew up in a world carved from grit and gospel. Born in Georgia, raised on hard work and old hymns, faith was his armor before the uniform. His Baptist roots ran deep—truth and sacrifice not just preached, but lived. Before Korea, he learned the meaning of brotherhood and duty under the unrelenting Southern sun.

“I believe God put me here for this purpose,” Sims said later. Scripture wasn’t distant words but a lifeline — “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) The same fire fueling his prayers would burn in his veins on that frozen battlefield.

The Battle That Defined Him

November 29, 1950. The war was savage, unforgiving.

Sims was a corporal with the 224th Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division. Their mission: hold a critical hilltop against relentless Chinese assaults during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. The biting cold seeped deep, but it was the enemy’s hailstorm of bullets and grenades that would test Sims’ mettle.

Enemy forces launched wave after wave. Sims’ platoon began to falter, pinned down, casualties mounting.

He took a bullet—a vicious wound to his leg. Blood drenched his uniform, but surrender was never in the script. Despite the agony, Sims rose, grabbing a machine gun. Crawling through shattered ground, he unleashed fury on the advancing enemy. His fire bought his men breathing room. When the line wavered again, Sims did the unthinkable — he led a countercharge, wounded and desperate.

His leadership cracked the enemy’s momentum. Soldiers followed. The hill held.

The citation reads:

“Although painfully wounded, Corporal Sims spearheaded a charge, thereby saving the lives of many comrades. His indomitable spirit and fearless leadership inspired all who fought with him.”

The sheer grit he showed that day echoed in the annals of Korean War heroism. He wasn’t just fighting for survival—he was fighting for the men to his left and right.

Recognition

The Medal of Honor came not as a trophy but a solemn testament to sacrifice. Signed by President Harry Truman, Sims’ citation speaks in stark, unvarnished terms:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty… His actions were instrumental in repelling enemy forces and saving the lives of his comrades.”

Peers remember Sims as a man of few words but roaring courage. Sergeant William McDonough, present at the battle, recounted: “Cliff had that quiet storm about him. Hurt bad, yet the first to push forward. We owed him everything.”

Legacy & Lessons

Clifford Sims’ story is a blood-soaked thread woven into the fabric of valor. His sacrifice teaches that courage isn’t absence of fear—it’s acting despite it. That leadership is not rank or medals, but the willingness to bear your wounds in front of the lemmings and march them through hell.

In a world hungry for glory with little grit, Sims’ example stands rugged. The battlefield did not forge him alone — faith, family, and fierce love for country did. His scars speak louder than his words.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.” (John 15:13) Sims lived that truth.

Today, when modern warriors don their gear, they follow steps marked by men like Sims—unseen, unforgiving, unyielding. The American story is their inheritance. And in his charge, wounded and roaring across frozen hell, Clifford C. Sims left a torch blazing that refuses to be extinguished.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War 2. “Battle of Chosin Reservoir,” Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation 3. Presidential Medal of Honor Citation: Clifford C. Sims, National Archives 4. William McDonough, Eyewitness Accounts of the Korean War, University Press