A Soldier's Story: Corporal Tibor Rubin - Korean War

 



Corporal Tibor Rubin was born on June 18, 1929, in Paszto, Hungary. In March 1944, when Nazi forces began their occupation of Hungary, his parents unsuccessfully tried to send him to Switzerland to avoid imprisonment. However, he was captured and sent to the Mauthausen Concentration camp. Corporal Tibor Rubin was liberated by American forces on May 5, 1945. Unfortunately, his father, stepmother, and youngest sister all died in Nazi camps.

He emigrated to the Los Angeles area in May 1948 and worked as a butcher until February 1950, when he entered the US Army. Corporal Tibor Rubin trained as a rifleman and deployed to Korea with the 1st Cavalry Division.

On October 30, 1950, with his unit overwhelmed, Corporal Rubin singlehandedly defended the Raegu-Pusan road for 24 hours so that his unit could withdraw. Eventually, on November 2, 1950, Corporal Rubin was severely injured and captured by the Chinese. He would spend the next 30 months as a prisoner of war. 

During his imprisonment, Corporal Rubin routinely snuck into food stores and medical supplies, supplementing the meager prison rations and providing medical care for injured soldiers. His efforts saved the lives of more than 40 prisoners.

He was liberated in April 1953 and was released from the US Army in July.

Corporal Rubin returned to Los Angeles and partnered with his brother to open a liquor store. He also traveled extensively in Europe, Scandinavia, and Mexico. 

He was finally awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2005. Despite his heroism during the Korean War and the number of nominations by fellow soldiers, the Jewish War Veteran of the USA lobbied for more than 25 years to overcome his unit's leadership's antisemitism.

Corporal Tibor Rubin died on December 5, 2015, and rests at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California.


* Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here*

****************************************

a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller currently living in Salem, Virginia. 

In addition to the travel writings at www.takethebackroads.com, you can also read her book reviews at www.riteoffancy.com and US military biographies at www.everydaypatriot.com

Her online photography gallery can be found at shop.takethebackroads.com

#TaketheBackRoads

Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sponsors, visiting my webshop, or buying me coffee!




Location: Pásztó, Hungary

Popular posts from this blog

A Soldier's Story: Lieutenant Sorrell Booke - Korean War

Image
Lieutenant Sorrell Booke was born on January 4, 1930, in Buffalo, New York. Always a performer, he made impressions for the local radio stations while attending Bennet High School, where he graduated class valedictorian in 1948. After high school, Lieutenant Sorrell Booke attended Columbia University, then moved to Yale University to receive his master's degree. However, his college education was briefly interrupted by his enlistment in the US Army during the Korean War, where Lieutenant Booke served as a counterintelligence officer. In 1960, after many years spent on the stage, Lieutenant Sorrell Booke made his way to Hollywood. He took on several roles in film, including one in the movie Black Like Me, before focusing on television roles. Lieutenant Sorrell Booke was nominated for an Emmy for his role in Dr. Kildare. He also appeared on M*A*S*H and All in the Family before landing his most famous role, that of Boss Hogg, in the television series Dukes of Hazzard, a part h
Read more

An Airman's Story: Staff Sergeant Francis Pershing McNamara

Image
Staff Sergeant Francis Pershing McNamara was born on February 19, 1943, in Pollagh, Ireland. He immigrated to the U.S. at one-month-old aboard the USS Baltic and grew up in Parma, Ohio. Staff Sergeant Francis McNamara enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Services on March 19, 1942, in response to World War II and was trained as an ariel gunner. He was assigned to the 11th Bombardment Group and deployed to the Pacific theater. On May 27, 1943, during a rescue mission, the plane he was on, the Green Hornet, crashed into the Pacific. Staff Sergeant Francis McNamara, First Lieutenant Russell Allen Phillips, and First Lieutenant Louis Zamperini were the only survivors and were adrift in the ocean. After 33 days, on June 30, 1943, Staff Sergeant Francis Pershing McNamara succumbed to starvation and exposure and was buried at sea. He is memorialized in the Court of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* ****************************
Read more

A Soldier's Story: Sergeant James Oliver Rigney Jr - Vietnam War

Image
Sergeant James Oliver Rigney Jr was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on October 17, 1948. After his high school graduation, he attended Clemson University and played collegiate football. Sergeant Rigney left college after one year to enlist in the US Army. Training as a gunner, Sergeant James Oliver Rigney Jr. deployed twice to Vietnam with the 68th Assault Helicopter Squadron.   He returned to the US in 1970 and enrolled at The Citadel, where he studied physics. Sergeant James Oliver Rigney Jr. graduated in 1974 and began working for the US Navy at the Charleston Naval Shipyard.  In 1977, Sergeant James Oliver Rigney fell from a submarine in drydock, severely injuring his leg and requiring the reconstruction of his knee. His recovery process was long and was complicated by blood clots. Sergeant Rigney decided during his convalescence to become a writer. He began writing historical works under Reagan O'Neal before writing Western novels as Jackson O'Reilly. Sergeant James Ol
Read more