
The President of the United States
in the name of The Congress
takes pleasure in presenting the
Medal of Honor
to
*KOELSCH, JOHN KELVIN.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant (j.g.),
U.S. Navy, Navy helicopter rescue unit. Place and date: North Korea, 3 July 1951.
Entered service at: Los Angeles, Calif. Birth: London, England.
Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the
call of duty while serving with a Navy helicopter rescue unit. Although darkness was
rapidly approaching when information was received that a marine aviator had been shot down
and was trapped by the enemy in mountainous terrain deep in hostile territory, Lt. (j.g.)
Koelsch voluntarily flew a helicopter to the reported position of the downed airman in an
attempt to effect a rescue. With an almost solid overcast concealing everything below the
mountain peaks, he descended in his unarmed and vulnerable aircraft without the
accompanying fighter escort to an extremely low altitude beneath the cloud level and began
a systematic search. Despite the increasingly intense enemy fire, which struck his
helicopter on 1 occasion, he persisted in his mission until he succeeded in locating the
downed pilot, who was suffering from serious burns on the arms and legs. While the victim
was being hoisted into the aircraft, it was struck again by an accurate burst of hostile
fire and crashed on the side of the mountain. Quickly extricating his crewmen and the
aviator from the wreckage, Lt. (j.g.) Koelsch led them from the vicinity in an effort to
escape from hostile troops, evading the enemy forces for 9 days and rendering such medical
attention as possible to his severely burned companion until all were captured. Up to the
time of his death while still a captive of the enemy, Lt. (j.g.) Koelsch steadfastly
refused to aid his captors in any manner and served to inspire his fellow prisoners by his
fortitude and consideration for others. His great personal valor and heroic spirit of
self-sacrifice throughout sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval
Service.
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