This auction is for a rare authentic, autographed 8x10 picture signed by, Korean War, Medal Of Honor recipient, Bill "Doc" Charette.. Winner will receive a lifetime guarantee C.O.A. from "The Autograph House"..The autograph is guaranteed to pass any authentication service!!!
William R. Charette
William Richard Charette | |
|---|---|
 Medal of Honor recipient William Charette | |
| Born | March 29, 1932 Ludington, Michigan |
| Died | March 18, 2012 (aged 79) Lakeland, Florida |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1951–1977 |
| Rank | Master Chief Hospital Corpsman[1] |
| Unit | F Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart Medal |
William Richard Charette (March 29, 1932 – March 18, 2012) was a United States Navy master chief hospital corpsman who received the nation's highest military decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor. He was awarded the medal for heroic actions "above and beyond the call of duty" on March 27, 1953, while assigned to a Marine Corps rifle company during the Korean War. He retired from the Navy after 26 years of service.
On the night of March 26, 1953, Chinese soldiers in North Korea attacked, and on March 27, overran two of three Marine hill outposts in North Korea manned by Marines and corpsmen from the 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, named Vegas, Carson, and Reno (Vegas and Reno were overrun);[4] Vegas was considered to be the most important outpost and the highest outpost that supported the other two outposts.[2] Late morning that day, a head-on Marine assault was made to try and retake Vegas with the three rifle companies of the 5th Marines taking heavy casualties.[4]
Fox Company, 2/7 Marines (2nd Battalion, 7th Marines were held in reserve) were then committed to the fight for Vegas.[4] Charette and the other Fox Company corpsmen faced a growing number of casualties exposed to hostile small arms and mortar fire when Marines from his rifle company joined in the counterattack on March 27 against "Vegas Hill" with Charette's Third Platoon Commander, 2nd Lieutenant Theodore H. Chenoweth (Navy Cross), leading the assault in hand-to-hand fighting up the south side of the hill.[2][4] When an enemy grenade landed near Charette and a badly wounded Marine he was aiding, he placed himself on top of the Marine in order to shield him from the explosion, and in doing so, the grenade's blast tore off Charette's helmet and destroyed his medical bag and knocked him unconscious.[2] When he awoke, he found his face bleeding from shrapnel wounds and he couldn't see. He recovered enough to continue to aid Marines in the battle using torn parts of his uniform in order to dress battle wounds. In another instance, he removed his battle vest and placed it on another wounded Marine whose vest was destroyed from another explosion.[2] In yet another instance, he attended to five Marines who were wounded in a trench from another explosion, and then stood up in the trench exposing himself to incoming rounds in order to carry the one most serious wounded comrade to safety.[2] Charette sustained painful wounds during the day's battle[3] and was recommended for the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism.[2] While still serving in Korea after the fighting ended there, he learned that he would receive the United States' highest military decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor.
Charette was presented the Medal of Honor from President Dwight D. Eisenhower during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., on January 12, 1954.[3] Only five enlisted sailors were awarded the Medal of Honor for their heroic actions during the Korean War. All were Navy hospital corpsmen attached to the Marine Corps. Of the five (Edward C. Benfold,Richard Dewert, Francis C. Hammond, John E. Kilmer, and Charette), Charette was the only living recipient of the medal