Appalachian Figures
From Harlan to the Army
Carl Henry Dodd was born in Harlan County and came of age in a coal camp world that sent many young men into uniform. Before his eighteenth birthday he worked for the Black Mountain Coal Company, then enlisted in the Army at 18, beginning a career that would stretch across World War II and the Korean War.
Company E on Hill 256
By the winter of 1951 Dodd was a young officer in the 24th Infantry Division. On January 30 and 31, near Subuk, Korea, he led 2nd Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment against a key height known as Hill 256. The official Army Medal of Honor citation describes how he moved among faltering soldiers under heavy small arms, mortar, and artillery fire, reorganized them, then personally charged and knocked out enemy positions. At daybreak he pushed forward again through fog, leading with bayonets and grenades until Hill 256 was taken. The citation carries General Orders No. 37 dated June 4, 1951.
The Defense Department’s official roster confirms Dodd as a U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipient for the Korean War, placing him alongside other soldiers who earned the nation’s highest award during that conflict.
Ceremony at the White House
On May 19, 1951, President Harry S. Truman presented the Medal of Honor to Lieutenant Dodd in Washington. Contemporary photographs and captions from the Harry S. Truman Library identify the place, the Oval Office at the White House, and record those present, including Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall and fellow recipients John A. Pittman and Ernest R. Kouma. These images are dated and cataloged by the National Archives through the Truman Library.
Some later summaries say the presentation occurred at Blair House. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society profile, for example, lists Blair House for the May 19 presentation. The primary evidence from the Truman Library’s dated photographs, however, places Dodd in the Oval Office that day, which resolves the discrepancy in favor of the White House.
After the war
Dodd stayed in uniform through a twenty-one year Army career, rising to the rank of major before retiring in 1965. He lived in southeastern Kentucky and was buried at Cumberland Memorial Gardens in Laurel County. The Medal of Honor Society’s entry records his dates and burial, details echoed in Kentucky historical markers that commemorate him in the community of Lily beside the cemetery.
A contemporary obituary in Louisville’s Courier-Journal noted his age and Medal of Honor service at the time of his death in 1996.
Why it matters here
Dodd’s story is local and national at the same time. He grew up in Harlan County, worked the mines, and then led mountain boys and mainland boys alike on a Korean hillside that became a test of nerve and leadership. The ceremony that followed placed a young lieutenant from Kenvir in the Oval Office with a president from Missouri. That path, coal town to White House, is part of the Appalachian story of service that spans wars and generations.
Sources and further reading
President Truman with Lt. Carl Dodd, Sgt. John A. Pittman, and M. Sgt. Ernest R. Kouma in the Oval Office, May 19, 1951, Truman Library Accession 77-1633, with caption confirming the White House setting. Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
President Truman viewing Dodd’s Medal of Honor with Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall, May 19, 1951, Truman Library Accession 77-1634. Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
U.S. Army, Korean War Medal of Honor citation for 1st Lt. Carl H. Dodd, Company E, 5th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, with General Orders No. 37, June 4, 1951. U.S. Army
Department of Defense, official roster of Army Medal of Honor recipients, listing Dodd under the Korean War. Valor Awards
Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, photograph records dated May 19, 1951, identifying the Oval Office ceremony with Dodd, Truman, Marshall, Pittman, and Kouma. Harry S. Truman Library and Museum+1
Congressional Medal of Honor Society profile for Carl Henry Dodd, including unit details, dates, burial information, and presentation location noted as Blair House. Congressional Medal of Honor Society
ExploreKYHistory, Kentucky Historical Society companion entry noting Dodd’s Harlan County roots, coal work at Black Mountain Coal Company, and enlistment at 18. Explore Kentucky History
Historical Marker Database, “First Lt. Carl H. Dodd / Medal of Honor Winner,” text and photos of Kentucky Marker No. 2033 at Lily, Kentucky, beside Cumberland Memorial Gardens. HMDB
Courier-Journal (Louisville) obituary notice reporting Dodd’s death at age 71 and his Medal of Honor service. Newspapers
Defense Department feature on Dodd that summarizes the Subuk action and includes a National Archives photo of the May 19, 1951 White House event. U.S. Department of War
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