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  4. 23
  5. David B. Bleak

Deaths on March 23

David B. Bleak
2006Mar, 23

David B. Bleak

David B. Bleak, American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1932)
David Bruce Bleak (27 February 1932 – 23 March 2006) was a soldier of the United States Army during the Korean War. Bleak rose to the rank of staff sergeant and was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration of the United States, for his actions near Minari-gol, South Korea, on 14 June 1952.

Born in Idaho, Bleak dropped out of school to become a combat medic, and was deployed to Korea with the 40th Infantry Division. During a mission north into Chinese territory, Bleak's patrol came under heavy attack from fortified Chinese positions. Despite being wounded himself, Bleak rushed the Chinese troops multiple times and killed five of them—four using only his hands—before assisting the wounded, and shielding another soldier from a grenade blast. Bleak is credited with saving the patrol's wounded and ensuring that all of its members returned to allied lines. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

In the years preceding and following his military service, Bleak worked numerous jobs around Idaho and Wyoming, working as a rancher, dairy farmer, truck driver, and meat cutter before retiring as a radioactive waste technician at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. He died in 2006 from emphysema, Parkinson's disease, and complications from a hip fracture.

References

  • David B. Bleak
  • Medal of Honor

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Events on 2006

  • 4Jan

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    Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke. His authority is transferred to acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
  • 21Mar

    Twitter

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  • 11Apr

    Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

    Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces Iran's claim to have successfully enriched uranium.
  • 5Jun

    State Union of Serbia and Montenegro

    Serbia declares independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.
  • 29Jun

    Guantanamo Bay detention camp

    Hamdan v. Rumsfeld: The U.S. Supreme Court rules that President George W. Bush's plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violates U.S. and international law.

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