785:
armed enemy of the United
Nations while serving as Commanding Officer of the 3d Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. Lieutenant Colonel Corley distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces near Haman, Korea, during the period 21 through 23 August 1950. Two of Colonel Corley's companies had as their objective the key hill to the regimental sector, Battle Mountain. Company L led off the attack, gained the objective and while attempting to secure the position was driven back by a counterattack. Quickly estimating the situation, Colonel Corley moved from his forward command post under small-arms, machine-gun and mortar fire to a position about two hundred yards from the summit of Battle Mountain to reorganize Company L. He stopped the retreat and reorganized the position. The counterattack was checked, Colonel Corley stayed on this position until the enemy attack had been repelled. He called for artillery fire, but the liaison officer was unable to communicate with his guns. Colonel Corley returned to his command post and obtained communications through Regiment to the guns. He then directed fire on the right flank of Battle Mountain where the enemy was in the process of regrouping. This fire was effective. He then ordered Company L to retake Battle Mountain. Colonel Corley moved from his command post to Company L, where he coordinated small- arms, mortar, and artillery fire. When the attack of Company L was stopped, he directed Company I to move through Company L. Company I gained the approach ridge but later was forced to withdraw. Again Colonel Corley reorganized the men and placed Company I in reserve behind Company L. On 23 August 1950, the companies completed the mission of capturing Battle Mountain. The extraordinary heroism and inspirational leadership displayed by Colonel Corley reflects the highest credit upon himself and the military service.
342:, a segregated regiment composed of black enlisted men and mostly white officers. Corley led his troops in close combat and earned an oak leaf cluster for his Distinguished Service Cross and three additional clusters for his Silver Star between August and November 1950. By 10 August 1950, he had earned his sixth Silver Star Medal when he again moved to the front to coordinate the attack under heavy small-arms and mortar fire. When a radio man was injured, he personally administered first aid and carried him back for evacuation. Near Haman, Korea, his battalion was fighting to take hilly and mountainous terrain when it came under a withering North Korean counter-attack. On multiple occasions when his company was beaten back by superior numbers, Corley rushed to the front and personally reorganized the retreating men to halt the enemy advance. Under heavy fire, he personally called for fire missions with brutal accuracy and devastating effect on the enemy. Corley went on to earn two additional Silver Stars in Korea. His later Silver Star citations noted that Corley would only return from the front when the division commander ordered him to do so.
285:. As a major, he landed with the Big Red One in North Africa and two days later earned a Silver Star, America's third highest award for valor, for action in Oran, Algeria. Corley earned the first of his eight Silver Stars when he braved heavy small arms fire to scout out observation points for artillery observers. In March 1943, during fighting at El Guettar, Tunisia, a well-entrenched machine gun nest halted the advance of his battalion, Corley crawled to its rear under heavy fire and personally threw the grenade that silenced the gun, allowing his troops to take the hilltop. This action earned Corley the
570:
403:
672:
665:
604:
517:
394:
579:
656:
526:
510:
100:
629:
588:
150:
492:
462:
433:
296:, in Mateur, Tunisia, Corley was wounded. He recovered and went on to fight at the front in Sicily. As the 1st Division pushed through North Africa and eventually invading Sicily, Corley picked up his second Silver Star in July 1943 when he remained at the front of an assault force to maneuver his men in an attack against heavy resistance when other units had faltered and held back. From November the 26th Infantry Regiment was commanded by Colonel
543:
681:
453:
80:
486:
479:
472:
447:
427:
420:
388:
413:
650:
643:
503:
623:
616:
598:
564:
557:
550:
536:
125:
690:
784:
The
President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Service Cross to John Thomas Corley (0-21325), Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an
362:
He and his wife, Mrs. Mary
Buckley Corley, would have 4 sons (John, James, Robert and Michael) and 3 daughters (Mary, Ellen, and Carol). One son, 1LT John Thomas Corley, Jr., USMA 1967, would be killed in Vietnam. Two of his children, Michael and Ellen served as officers in the active duty army; both
351:
Georgia, in June 1962, and he was assigned as chief of staff, 1st Army in New York, in June 1964. His final assignment was as deputy commanding general at the U.S. Army's
Infantry Training Center, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, from January 1966 until his retirement from the Army on 30 September 1966.
267:
began in Europe. He had a twin sister Ellen (August 4, 1914 - October 3, 1919) and a younger brother James (September 18, 1915 - January 4, 1987). He attended high school at St. Francis
Preparatory High School, in Brooklyn and graduated from the class of 1932 and he is also a member of that High
350:
Infantry School's Ranger
Department at Fort Benning, Georgia, from August 1957 to May 1960. He next served as deputy chief of staff, Allied Land Forces, with SHAPE in Denmark from June 1960 to May 1962. Gen Corley became assistant division commander of the 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Benning,
272:
at West Point in 1938, where he also was an accomplished boxer prior to his active duty service. One story states that after his graduation from West Point he was assigned to the Army Air Corps; where he then flew an airplane under the
Brooklyn Bridge and was then reassigned to the infantry.
345:
After Korea, Corley served as chief of the
Infantry Branch before graduating from Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, in 1954. He served with 7th Army in Europe from August 1954 to August 1957, and then served as director of the
31:
303:
He landed at
Normandy during D-Day and fought at the Hurtgen Forest during late 1944. He also accepted the first unconditional surrender of a German city during the war, when he accepted the surrender of Aachen by Col.
1269:
376:
1284:
1264:
865:
1249:
331:
General Corley was one of twenty-one commanders personally requested by
General Douglas MacArthur for duty in the Far East shortly after the invasion of South Korea by North Korea.
1244:
858:
1289:
1239:
743:
1279:
851:
703:
286:
192:
1254:
838:
833:
1294:
1274:
289:, America's second highest award for valor. In May 1943, Corley was promoted to lieutenant colonel, just five years after graduating from West Point.
259:
immigrant parents (Bridget Beatrice Surdival b. December 31, 1876 in Belcarra, County Mayo and John J. Corley b. 1872 in Castlebar, County Mayo) in
707:
763:
354:
General Corley died at the age of 62 on 16 April 1977. In 2003, Brigadier General Corley was posthumously inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame.
1259:
339:
293:
168:
164:
1234:
1001:
315:. He then returned to West Point to teach as a tactical officer, followed by staff positions with the 1st Army, and graduation from the
347:
316:
233:
128:
153:
755:
735:
269:
767:
569:
1051:
402:
1191:
1141:
747:
542:
282:
671:
485:
478:
471:
446:
426:
419:
387:
664:
412:
1086:
771:
751:
699:
220:
1081:
649:
642:
921:
739:
731:
622:
615:
597:
563:
556:
549:
778:. He also has the a Korean Presidential Unit Citation for the defense of the port of Pusan, Korea in 1950.
603:
516:
308:. Corley added four oak leaf clusters to his Silver Star for a total of five Silver Stars in World War II.
335:
981:
951:
946:
906:
535:
393:
680:
578:
1229:
1224:
1196:
1176:
1061:
759:
655:
1171:
1116:
971:
525:
509:
1156:
1056:
1006:
991:
240:
105:
875:
806:
723:
202:
149:
1166:
1161:
1151:
1146:
1131:
1101:
1091:
1041:
628:
211:
843:
1121:
1106:
1031:
961:
941:
931:
320:
312:
297:
54:
587:
1111:
1066:
1026:
966:
911:
891:
719:
491:
461:
432:
206:
1136:
1126:
1036:
916:
452:
135:
1218:
1186:
305:
85:
1096:
1071:
1021:
1011:
956:
896:
727:
502:
256:
244:
216:
178:
1076:
1046:
996:
926:
886:
715:
711:
264:
197:
766:
with silver stars, for those who had been mentioned at the division level, the
1016:
901:
775:
225:
182:
1181:
124:
986:
976:
698:
Brigadier General Corley's individual awards and decorations include two
260:
50:
689:
30:
834:
National Infantry Museum General John T. Corley – Cases 224, 223
847:
375:
1270:
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
247:. He was also noted for his contributions to army training.
1285:
United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni
839:
National Infantry Museum General John T. Corley – Case 225
311:
After the war, Corley served in a supporting role at the
1265:
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
781:
His 2nd Distinguished Service Cross Citation reads:
188:
174:
159:
144:
134:
119:
111:
91:
73:
61:
37:
21:
762:with two campaign stars, the World War II French
746:with eight campaign stars and an arrowhead, the
239:(August 4, 1914 – April 16, 1977) was a career
1250:United States Army personnel of the Korean War
744:European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
859:
268:School's Hall of Fame. He graduated from the
8:
1245:United States Army personnel of World War II
866:
852:
844:
29:
18:
334:He served as battalion commander of the
801:
799:
797:
793:
263:, New York, on August 4, 1914, the day
243:officer who served with distinction in
1290:United States Army War College alumni
1240:United States Military Academy alumni
807:"Valor Awards for John Thomas Corley"
7:
292:While commanding the 3rd Battalion,
281:He fought in World War II with the
14:
1280:Recipients of the Soldier's Medal
1255:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
363:retiring at the rank of Colonel.
317:Command and General Staff College
1295:Military personnel from Brooklyn
1275:American people of Irish descent
708:Army Distinguished Service Medal
688:
679:
670:
663:
654:
648:
641:
627:
621:
614:
602:
596:
586:
577:
568:
562:
555:
548:
541:
534:
524:
515:
508:
501:
490:
484:
477:
470:
460:
451:
445:
431:
425:
418:
411:
401:
392:
386:
374:
148:
123:
98:
78:
1207:Names are in alphabetical order
756:National Defense Service Medals
255:John Thomas Corley was born to
736:American Defense Service Medal
270:United States Military Academy
1:
1260:Recipients of the Silver Star
704:Distinguished Service Crosses
768:United Nations Service Medal
1235:United States Army generals
1052:Charles Andrew MacGillivary
287:Distinguished Service Cross
193:Distinguished Service Cross
1311:
1192:Samuel Tankersley Williams
1142:Joseph Warren Stilwell Jr.
770:and the Republic of Korea
754:with "Germany" clasp, two
748:World War II Victory Medal
16:United States Army general
1205:
882:
700:Combat Infantryman Badges
687:
678:
373:
28:
1087:Thomas Alexander Parrott
774:(Posthumously), and the
772:Korean War Service Medal
752:Army of Occupation Medal
221:Combat Infantryman Badge
922:William Francis Buckley
740:American Campaign Medal
732:Army Commendation Medal
367:Awards and decorations
340:25th Infantry Division
336:24th Infantry Regiment
294:26th Infantry Regiment
169:24th Infantry Regiment
165:26th Infantry Regiment
982:Edith Ellen Greenwood
947:Theodore Leslie Futch
907:James Leroy Bondsteel
764:Croix De Guerre Medal
283:1st Infantry Division
112:Years of service
1197:Walter K. Wilson Jr.
1062:Charles J. McDonnell
760:Korean Service Medal
1172:Leon L. Van Autreve
1117:Stephen Silvasy Jr.
972:David E. Grange Jr.
1157:Clarence L. Tinker
1082:José Antonio Muñiz
1057:William A. Matheny
1007:Patrick J. Hessian
992:William W. Hartzog
937:John Thomas Corley
874:Recipients of the
241:United States Army
237:John Thomas Corley
106:United States Army
23:John Thomas Corley
1212:
1211:
1167:Alfred Valenzuela
1162:Jack L. Treadwell
1152:Hugh Thompson Jr.
1147:Thomas Tackaberry
1132:Christopher Speer
1102:Edwin W. Rawlings
1092:Frank D. Peregory
1042:Richard L. Lawson
811:militarytimes.com
696:
695:
348:Infantry School's
234:Brigadier General
231:
230:
129:Brigadier General
1302:
1122:John K. Singlaub
1107:Richard Scholtes
1032:Melbourne Kimsey
962:Hershel W. Gober
942:Wayne A. Downing
932:Lawrence Colburn
868:
861:
854:
845:
822:
821:
819:
817:
803:
692:
683:
674:
667:
658:
652:
645:
631:
625:
618:
606:
600:
590:
581:
572:
566:
559:
552:
545:
538:
528:
519:
512:
505:
494:
488:
481:
474:
464:
455:
449:
435:
429:
422:
415:
405:
396:
390:
378:
371:
370:
321:Fort Leavenworth
313:Nuremberg Trials
298:John F. R. Seitz
152:
127:
104:
102:
101:
93:
84:
82:
81:
68:
47:
45:
33:
19:
1310:
1309:
1305:
1304:
1303:
1301:
1300:
1299:
1215:
1214:
1213:
1208:
1201:
1112:Preston Schoyer
1067:Jack N. Merritt
1027:Otto Kerner Jr.
1002:Anthony Herbert
967:John F. Goodman
912:Leonard Boswell
892:Glenn Andreotta
878:
876:Soldier's Medal
872:
830:
825:
815:
813:
805:
804:
795:
791:
724:Soldier's Medal
720:Legion of Merit
660:
659:
653:
646:
633:
632:
626:
619:
608:
607:
601:
574:
573:
567:
560:
553:
546:
539:
496:
495:
489:
482:
475:
457:
456:
450:
437:
436:
430:
423:
416:
398:
397:
391:
369:
360:
329:
279:
253:
224:
219:
215:
210:
207:Legion of Merit
205:
203:Soldier's Medal
201:
196:
181:
167:
163:3rd Battalion,
154:Infantry Branch
99:
97:
79:
77:
66:
57:, United States
49:
43:
41:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1308:
1306:
1298:
1297:
1292:
1287:
1282:
1277:
1272:
1267:
1262:
1257:
1252:
1247:
1242:
1237:
1232:
1227:
1217:
1216:
1210:
1209:
1206:
1203:
1202:
1200:
1199:
1194:
1189:
1184:
1179:
1174:
1169:
1164:
1159:
1154:
1149:
1144:
1139:
1137:Donn A. Starry
1134:
1129:
1127:Alek Skarlatos
1124:
1119:
1114:
1109:
1104:
1099:
1094:
1089:
1084:
1079:
1074:
1069:
1064:
1059:
1054:
1049:
1044:
1039:
1037:Darwin K. Kyle
1034:
1029:
1024:
1019:
1014:
1009:
1004:
999:
994:
989:
984:
979:
974:
969:
964:
959:
954:
949:
944:
939:
934:
929:
924:
919:
917:Allison Brooks
914:
909:
904:
899:
894:
889:
883:
880:
879:
873:
871:
870:
863:
856:
848:
842:
841:
836:
829:
828:External links
826:
824:
823:
792:
790:
787:
694:
693:
685:
684:
676:
675:
668:
661:
647:
640:
639:
638:
635:
634:
620:
613:
612:
611:
609:
595:
594:
593:
591:
583:
582:
575:
561:
554:
547:
540:
533:
532:
531:
529:
521:
520:
513:
506:
498:
497:
483:
476:
469:
468:
467:
465:
458:
444:
443:
442:
439:
438:
424:
417:
410:
409:
408:
406:
399:
385:
384:
383:
380:
379:
368:
365:
359:
356:
328:
325:
278:
275:
252:
249:
229:
228:
190:
186:
185:
176:
172:
171:
161:
157:
156:
146:
142:
141:
138:
136:Service number
132:
131:
121:
117:
116:
113:
109:
108:
95:
89:
88:
75:
71:
70:
69:(aged 62)
65:April 16, 1977
63:
59:
58:
48:August 4, 1914
39:
35:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1307:
1296:
1293:
1291:
1288:
1286:
1283:
1281:
1278:
1276:
1273:
1271:
1268:
1266:
1263:
1261:
1258:
1256:
1253:
1251:
1248:
1246:
1243:
1241:
1238:
1236:
1233:
1231:
1228:
1226:
1223:
1222:
1220:
1204:
1198:
1195:
1193:
1190:
1188:
1187:Brad Wenstrup
1185:
1183:
1180:
1178:
1175:
1173:
1170:
1168:
1165:
1163:
1160:
1158:
1155:
1153:
1150:
1148:
1145:
1143:
1140:
1138:
1135:
1133:
1130:
1128:
1125:
1123:
1120:
1118:
1115:
1113:
1110:
1108:
1105:
1103:
1100:
1098:
1095:
1093:
1090:
1088:
1085:
1083:
1080:
1078:
1075:
1073:
1070:
1068:
1065:
1063:
1060:
1058:
1055:
1053:
1050:
1048:
1045:
1043:
1040:
1038:
1035:
1033:
1030:
1028:
1025:
1023:
1020:
1018:
1015:
1013:
1010:
1008:
1005:
1003:
1000:
998:
995:
993:
990:
988:
985:
983:
980:
978:
975:
973:
970:
968:
965:
963:
960:
958:
955:
953:
950:
948:
945:
943:
940:
938:
935:
933:
930:
928:
925:
923:
920:
918:
915:
913:
910:
908:
905:
903:
900:
898:
895:
893:
890:
888:
885:
884:
881:
877:
869:
864:
862:
857:
855:
850:
849:
846:
840:
837:
835:
832:
831:
827:
812:
808:
802:
800:
798:
794:
788:
786:
782:
779:
777:
773:
769:
765:
761:
757:
753:
749:
745:
741:
737:
733:
729:
725:
721:
717:
713:
709:
705:
701:
691:
686:
682:
677:
673:
669:
666:
662:
657:
651:
644:
637:
636:
630:
624:
617:
610:
605:
599:
592:
589:
585:
584:
580:
576:
571:
565:
558:
551:
544:
537:
530:
527:
523:
522:
518:
514:
511:
507:
504:
500:
499:
493:
487:
480:
473:
466:
463:
459:
454:
448:
441:
440:
434:
428:
421:
414:
407:
404:
400:
395:
389:
382:
381:
377:
372:
366:
364:
357:
355:
352:
349:
343:
341:
337:
332:
326:
324:
322:
318:
314:
309:
307:
306:Gerhard Wilck
301:
299:
295:
290:
288:
284:
276:
274:
271:
266:
262:
258:
250:
248:
246:
242:
238:
235:
227:
222:
218:
213:
208:
204:
199:
194:
191:
187:
184:
180:
177:
173:
170:
166:
162:
158:
155:
151:
147:
143:
139:
137:
133:
130:
126:
122:
118:
114:
110:
107:
96:
90:
87:
86:United States
76:
72:
64:
60:
56:
52:
40:
36:
32:
27:
20:
1097:Colin Powell
1072:Leo J. Meyer
1022:Eli D. Hoyle
1012:Don Holleder
957:Elmer Gedeon
936:
897:Clift Andrus
814:. Retrieved
810:
783:
780:
728:Purple Heart
722:medals, the
716:bronze stars
712:Silver Stars
697:
361:
353:
344:
333:
330:
310:
302:
291:
280:
277:World War II
254:
245:World War II
236:
232:
217:Purple Heart
179:World War II
175:Battles/wars
67:(1977-04-16)
1230:1977 deaths
1225:1914 births
1077:Henry Mucci
1047:Reis Leming
997:Mike Hayden
952:John Galvin
927:Max Cleland
887:Marty Allen
702:, two Army
265:World War I
212:Bronze Star
198:Silver Star
1219:Categories
1177:David Wade
1017:Bob Hoover
902:Aaron Bank
789:References
776:Ranger Tab
327:Korean War
251:Early life
226:Ranger tab
183:Korean War
74:Allegiance
44:1914-08-04
1182:Ron Welch
816:25 August
115:1938–1966
987:Bo Gritz
977:Ed Grady
730:and the
710:, eight
261:Brooklyn
160:Commands
92:Service/
55:New York
51:Brooklyn
714:, four
140:0-21325
758:, the
734:. The
726:, the
718:, two
706:, the
358:Family
189:Awards
103:
94:branch
83:
257:Irish
818:2017
145:Unit
120:Rank
62:Died
38:Born
319:at
223:(2)
214:(4)
209:(2)
200:(8)
195:(2)
1221::
809:.
796:^
750:,
742:,
738:,
338:,
323:.
300:.
53:,
867:e
860:t
853:v
820:.
46:)
42:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
