Tibor Rubin - Medal of Honor Winner

A few years ago, our Pastor did a series of sermons titled, “What would you do if you only had a month to live?” This story is also a story of the passion of an American Soldier and of those who lived because of his bravery. Memorial Day is a good day to tell the story of Cpl. Tibor Rubin.

 

A Passion for Honor and Thanks

Tibor Rubin was born in Hungary on June 18, 1929. He and his family were orthodox Jews. In 1943 when he was thirteen years old, Nazi soldiers came. He was captured with his parents and two sisters. The family was sent to Mauthausen Concentration Camp. His parents and his sisters were murdered in the camp. Tibor survived.

On May 6, 1945, American tanks rolled into the camp and soldiers with tears in their eyes took the living for help while enlisting local townspeople and the guards to bury the thousands of dead. Tibor never forgot the kindness of the soldiers towards him that day.  He fell in love with the country that had rescued him.

In 1948, Tibor came to America. He studied hard, and finally learned enough English to pass the induction tests for the Calvary of the United States Army. Within months, American fighting forces were traveling to Korea. PFC Tibor Rubin was one of them. The danger didn’t matter. This was his chance to thank America and the American Army, for freeing him from from the hell that was Mauthausen.

Unfortunately, Tibor fell under the command of an anti-Semitic first sergeant. It was common practice and knowledge among the other men, that Tibor was constantly volunteered for the most dangerous missions. The young man’s repeated profound bravery led to him being nominated twice for the Medal of Honor. The sergeant never followed through, and the officers who had made the recommendations were killed in battle.

In October of 1950, the Chinese attacked and Rubin’s regiment was nearly wiped out. Severely wounded, Rubin was taken to a prisoner of war camp, where he would spend the next 30 months. Not only had Rubin determined not to die, but he intended to keep his fellow prisoners alive. His goal was to return to the United States of America and obtain his American Citizenship. He kept several dozen men not only alive, but refused to let them sink into depression.

The Koreans and Chinese were allies of Russia. Since Tibor was from Hungary, he was offered his freedom. He refused, instead, becoming like every other prisoner in the camp.

At night, he called on the skills learned in the Nazi Death Camp. He snuck out of the camp and returned with food and medicine. He knew that if he were caught he would be tortured and killed, but he refused to watch anyone die as long as he had breath.

 When they were finally freed, dozens of men came forward with testimonies and filled out all the necessary paperwork recommending Rubin for the Medal of Honor again, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Silver Star. All that he actually got was his discharge.

The men who had been saved by his actions, refused to rest quietly in the face of this great injustice. For decades, it became their passion to see that Tibor Rubin received the recognition that he so richly deserved.

In the 1990’s, it came to light that in two World Wars, not one African American or Asian had been awarded the Medal of Honor. A review was ordered by Bill Clinton, President of the United States.

Seven African Americans were awarded the Medal, though only one was still living. Twenty two Asians were awarded the Medal. Two years later, a new president took office, and the files on Jewish soldiers were opened.

As the old records came forward and great wrongs were righted, the survivors of the POW camp in Korea insisted on the files of Tibor Rubin being examined.

Finally, on September 23, 2005, Cpl. Tibor Rubin was presented with The Congressional Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush, and was inducted into the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes.

In part, the citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:

Corporal Tibor Rubin distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism during the period from July 23, 1950, to April 20, 1953, while serving as a rifleman with Company I, 8th Cavalry Regiment, and 1st Cavalry Division in the Republic of Korea.   While his unit was retreating to the Pusan Perimeter, Corporal Rubin was assigned to stay behind to keep open the vital Taegu-Pusan Road link used by his withdrawing unit. During the ensuing battle, overwhelming numbers of North Korean troops assaulted a hill defended solely by Corporal Rubin.   He inflicted a staggering number of casualties on the attacking force during his personal 24-hour battle, single-handedly slowing the enemy advance and allowing the 8th Cavalry Regiment to complete its withdrawal successfully.   Following the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter, the 8 Th Cavalry Regiment proceeded northward and advanced into North Korea.   During the advance, he helped capture several hundred North Korean soldiers. On October 30, 1950, Chinese forces attacked his unit at Unsan, North Korea, during a massive nighttime assault.

 

  That night and throughout the next day, he manned a .30 caliber machine gun at the south end of the unit's line after three previous gunners became casualties.   He continued to man his machine gun until his ammunition was exhausted.   His determined stand slowed the pace of the enemy advance in his sector, permitting the remnants of his unit to retreat southward.   As the battle raged, Corporal Rubin was severely wounded and captured by the Chinese.   Choosing to remain in the prison camp despite offers from the Chinese to return him to his native Hungary, Corporal Rubin disregarded his own personal safety and immediately began sneaking out of the camp at night in search of food for his comrades.   Breaking into enemy food storehouses and gardens, he risked certain torture or death if caught.   Corporal Rubin provided not only food to the starving Soldiers, but also desperately needed medical care and moral support for the sick and wounded of the POW camp.   His brave, selfless efforts were directly attributed to saving the lives of as many as forty of his fellow prisoners.   Corporal Rubin's gallant actions in close contact with the enemy and unyielding courage and bravery while a prisoner of war are in the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.” http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/rubin/citation/index.html

 

When he returned to the United States in 1953, Tibor Rubin proudly became a citizen of the United States of America.

 

Forgotten and ignored for nearly fifty years, Tibor Rubin never stopped praising the courage of the soldiers of the American Army who freed him, and he never for a moment stopped loving his country.