Luther Herschel Story MOH

b. 20/07/1932 Buena Vista, Georgia. d. 01/09/1950 Agok, Korea.

DATE OF MOH ACTION: 01/09/1950 Agok, Korea.

Luther H Story MOH

He was born in Buena Vista, Georgia, in 1932 into a family of sharecroppers and grew up in Sumter County. According to his niece, Judy Wade, his family worked in Plains on land owned by James Earl Carter Sr., the father of 39th president Jimmy Carter. The family moved to Americus, Georgia. Luther attended high school there, but left in his sophomore year and enlisted in the Army in 1948. His mother gave the Army a fake birthdate, July 20, 1931, as he was only 16.

In the summer of 1950, he and the 2nd Infantry Division were sent to Korea. On September 1 of that year, he was killed in action near the village of Agok on the Naktong River in the Battle of Yongsan, part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter. His father received his posthumous Medal of Honor at The Pentagon from General Omar N. Bradley on June 21, 1951.

In 1953, remains and prisoners of war were exchanged in Operation Glory, the remains being buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. In June 2021, some of the remains were disinterred and examined by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to try to identify the dead. On April 26, 2023, it was announced that his remains had been identified. He was reinterred at Andersonville National Cemetery on Memorial Day, 2023.

 

MOH CITATION:

Pfc. Story distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action. A savage daylight attack by elements of three enemy divisions penetrated the thinly held lines of the 9th Infantry. Company A beat off several banzai attacks but was bypassed and in danger of being cut off and surrounded. Pfc. Story, a weapons squad leader, was heavily engaged in stopping the early attacks and had just moved his squad to a position overlooking the Naktong River when he observed a large group of the enemy crossing the river to attack Company A. Seizing a machine gun from his wounded gunner he placed deadly fire on the hostile column killing or wounding an estimated 100 enemy soldiers. Facing certain encirclement, the company commander ordered a withdrawal. During the move Pfc. Story noticed the approach of an enemy truck loaded with troops and towing an ammunition trailer. Alerting his comrades to take cover, he fearlessly stood in the middle of the road, throwing grenades into the truck. Out of grenades, he crawled to his squad, gathered up additional grenades, and again attacked the vehicle. During the withdrawal the company was attacked by such superior numbers that it was forced to deploy in a rice field. Pfc. Story was wounded in this action, but, disregarding his wounds, rallied the men about him and repelled the attack. Realizing that his wounds would hamper his comrades, he refused to retire to the next position but remained to cover the company’s withdrawal. When last seen he was firing every weapon available and fighting off another hostile assault. Pvt. Story’s extraordinary heroism, aggressive leadership, and supreme devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon himself and were in keeping with the esteemed traditions of the military service.

 

BURIAL LOCATION: ANDERSONVILLE NATIONAL CEMETERY, GEORGIA.

SECTION I, GRAVE 2400 (PREVIOUSLY HAD A IN MEMORY OF GRAVE IN SECTION MA, GRAVE 9).

LOCATION OF MEDAL: NATIONAL INFANTRY MUSEUM, COLUMBUS, GEORGIA.