Jack Dinkel

Jack Dinkel was a First Lieutenant in the United States Army during the Korean War. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

His award citation reads:


 * The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Jack L. Dinkel (ASN: 0-062270), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with an Infantry Company of the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. First Lieutenant Dinkel distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Sobang-san, Korea, on the evening of 23 June 1951. On that date, Lieutenant Dinkel placed the men of his company in defensive positions on a newly captured hill in anticipation of an enemy counterattack. In the early morning hours of 24 June 1951, the large hostile force facing the friendly troops began to launch sporadic attacks. Each was supported by intense small-arms and mortar fire and an extremely heavy barrage of grenades, but each was repulsed by the friendly troops under the inspiring leadership of Lieutenant Dinkel, who constantly moved among his men, completely exposed to the heavy fire, directing the defense and offering words of encouragement. Incensed by the defiance exhibited by the small group of defenders, the enemy gathered their entire strength and hurled wave after wave at the perimeter. Realizing that his men could not hold in the face of such tremendous odds, Lieutenant Dinkel ordered a withdrawal. Their ammunition almost completely expended, the friendly troops began to fall back but Lieutenant Dinkel remained in his position to hurl the remainder of his grenades at the on-rushing enemy. The hostile troops concentrated their fire on the lone officer and he was painfully wounded by exploding grenades. Despite his wounds, Lieutenant Dinkel began to pour a deadly accurate stream of rifle fire into the enemy ranks and, at the same time, he shouted to his men to complete their withdrawal while he held the hostile troops back. Firing rapidly, he halted the charging enemy but, just as the friendly troops reached safety, the hostile force saturated the slope with a tremendous mortar barrage and Lieutenant Dinkel was killed in his position.

Dinkel was born in 1923, his official residence was listed as Eau Claire, Wisconsin.