Col. Ralph Puckett received the Medal of Honor, America’s highest military award, in 2021 for his actions during the Korean War.

His remains lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda this week, following his April 8 death at the age of 97.

He died in Columbus, Georgia.

He was born in Tifton.

I interviewed Col. Puckett for The Tifton Gazette and The Valdosta Daily Times in 2021 after he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

He was 94 years old then. He had trouble hearing on a few occasions but he was clear and concise in his answers. He was gracious, good-humored and friendly throughout the conversation.

Col. Puckett was the exception to the rule that meeting one’s heroes can be disappointing. He was a pleasure to meet, even if just in a phone interview. I was honored that he and his family agreed to the interview.

Though recommended for the Medal of Honor while recovering from injuries in the early 1950s, he was instead awarded the prestigious Distinguished Service Cross.

In the 2021 interview, Col. Puckett said he never sought the Medal of Honor but credited John Lock, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, for making the medal and the White House ceremony possible.

“He was studying past Medal of Honor recommendations when he came across mine,” Puckett said of Lock. “He believed I should have received it and he worked for nearly 20 years to get me upgraded to the Medal of Honor.”

In the interview, Col. Puckett shared memories of growing up in Tifton.

Ralph Puckett Jr. was born Dec. 8, 1926.

He was the second child of Ralph Puckett Sr. and Clara Stedman Puckett. Ralph was a middle child. Sister Clara Puckett Winston was about a dozen years older than him; his younger brother, Tommy Puckett, was several years younger than him, he said. He grew up on the 800 block of College Avenue in Tifton, he added.

“There were always a lot of friendly people in Tifton,” Col. Puckett said. “Everybody knew everybody. It was hard to be a young boy there because I couldn’t get away with anything. Before I could even get home, my mom was on the porch asking me what I had done.”

He said he lived in Tifton through his 10th grade of school before attending prep school in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He graduated Baylor School in the early 1940s. He boxed at Baylor and he boxed at West Point, where he graduated in 1949.

In the Army, Puckett “was commissioned Infantry,” according to his Medal of Honor website. “Assigned to occupation duty in Okinawa, he volunteered, instead, for the newly conceived Eighth Army Ranger Company that was being formed shortly after the Korean Conflict began in 1950.”

On Nov. 25, 1950, daylight in Korea, they were outnumbered 10 to one. Then-1st Lt. Puckett and his Rangers were part of Task Force Dolvin. They were leading the advance of the 25th Infantry Division.

They attacked and secured Hill 205, near the Chongch’on River, about 60 miles from the China border. The enemy fired mortars, machine guns and small arms at Puckett and the Rangers.

“To obtain supporting fire, 1st Lt. Puckett mounted the closest tank exposing himself to the deadly enemy fire,” according to the Medal of Honor website. “Leaping from the tank, he yelled, ‘Let’s go!’ and began to lead his Rangers in the attack.”

They were hit with heavy enemy machine gun fire as soon as they moved. One platoon was pinned down.

Puckett ran across an open area, drawing enemy fire three times. He knew it put him at risk but his actions led Rangers to pinpoint the machine gun positions, leading them to destroy the machine guns.

The company seized Hill 205. Day turned to night. Temperatures dropped to near 0.

The enemy counter-attacked.

“During the next four hours, the 57-man company, inspired and motivated by the extraordinary leadership and courageous example exhibited by Lt. Puckett, repulsed five human wave attacks by a 500-man battalion assaulting behind intense mortar barrages,” according to the Medal of Honor website. “Continually directing ‘danger close’ artillery support that decimated attacking enemy formations, repeatedly abandoning positions of relative safety to make his way from foxhole to foxhole to check the perimeter, interceding at each point of decision in the battle, redistributing ammunition and keeping only one eight-round clip for his own rifle, 1st Lt. Puckett’s encouragement and dauntless will instilled in his men an unfailing desire and perseverance to resist.”

It came at a cost.

Puckett had suffered a thigh wound from a grenade fragment during the first assault. He refused evacuation. He would be wounded again in this battle.

He again intentionally exposed himself to enemy fire. This time, a sniper fired on the Rangers. Puckett exposed himself to sniper fire three times. The sniper was located and killed.

But they were unable to get artillery support. On the sixth enemy assault, the enemy overrun the Rangers.

“Two mortar rounds detonated in 1st Lt. Puckett’s foxhole inflicting severe wounds to his feet, buttocks and left arm,” according to citations. “Though the wounds to his right foot were so severe the doctors considered amputation for several months, 1st Lt. Puckett maintained the presence of mind to report that his command was being overrun by the enemy.”

Unable to move, horribly wounded, Puckett ordered his Rangers to leave him behind and go.

“Two of his Rangers fought their way to his position killing three enemy who were only 10 yards from where 1st Lt. Puckett lay defenseless. Although 1st Lt. Puckett ordered his Rangers to leave him behind, they refused.

“Later as the enemy fired at the rescuers Puckett again ordered his men to leave him to ensure their safety. Finally secure at the bottom of Hill 205 and despite the seriousness and pain of his wounds, 1st Lt. Puckett maintained the presence of mind to direct a heavy concentration of artillery fire on the enemy now on top of the hill.”

While recovering from his war wounds, he met his wife, Jean. They had three children.

Though offered a medical discharge, Puckett refused it and continued serving in the Army.

He volunteered “for a combat tour in Vietnam where he served as the commander of the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 101st Airborne Division. Assigned the moniker ‘Ranger,’ Lt. Col. Puckett would personally lead his Soldiers in combat, appearing when and where they needed him most. For his valor, Lt. Col. Puckett would receive another Distinguished Service Cross and two Silver Stars,” according to his biography on the Medal of Honor website.

He retired in 1971 as a colonel and eventually returned to Georgia, where he lived in Columbus. Not too many miles from where he was born in Tifton nearly a century ago.

In 2021, John Lock called Col. Puckett, telling him to expect official notification that his Distinguished Service Cross had been upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

On May 21, 2021, Col. Ralph Puckett, Jean Puckett, their children, grandchildren and family, along with Lock and others, traveled to the White House.

The then-94-year-old Puckett was ushered into the ceremony in a wheelchair. With help, he rose from the wheelchair and was escorted to a chair. He rose for President Joe Biden who presented the Medal of Honor.

“He leads from the front. He leads by example. He leads with heart,” President Biden said. “He is a Ranger and that’s how Rangers lead — that’s how you lead.”

Col. Puckett’s military awards included the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars with V device for valor, five Purple Hearts, 10 Air Medals, the Army Commendation Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

He has the Combat Infantryman’s Badge with star, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Wings, Glider Badge and Columbian Lancero Ranger Badge.

While the Medal of Honor was a long time coming, the award exemplifies Ralph Puckett’s life as much as it does his actions during two days of combat.

As retired Gen. Jay Hendrix said of Col. Puckett: “He feared no man, he feared no situation and he feared no enemy. Clearly a unique, courageous Soldier in combat and even more importantly, in my opinion, Col. Puckett was an ultimate Infantry leader.”

Dean Poling is a former editor with The Valdosta Daily Times and The Tifton Gazette.