Korean War Army Col. Ralph Puckett, 97, recipient of Medal of Honor, lies in honor at Capitol ceremony
By STEPHEN GROVES | Stars & Stripes
Congress gave one of its highest final tributes on Monday — a lying in honor ceremony at the Capitol — to Ralph Puckett Jr., who led an outnumbered company in battle during the Korean War and was the last surviving veteran of that war to receive the Medal of Honor.
Puckett, who retired as an Army colonel, died earlier this month at the age of 97 at his home in Columbus, Ga. He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2021, the nation’s highest military honor, seven decades after his actions during the war.
The lying in honor ceremony at the Capitol is reserved for the nation’s most distinguished private citizens. Only seven others have received the honor, and the latest, in 2022, was Hershel W. “Woody” Williams, who was the last surviving Medal of...