One of America’s small number of heroes who’ve received the Congressional Medal of Honor has passed, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
The group announced that Robert E. Simanek, 92, passed away Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, in Novi, Michigan. The veteran was a card-carrying military hero, having proved his extraordinary courage during the Korean War.
Amazingly, Simanek threw himself on a grenade to protect his fellow Marines while he served with 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein) at Outpost Irene, Korea.
Robert E. Simanek, Medal of Honor recipient, passed away today, Aug. 1, in Novi, Michigan, at the age of 92.
Pfc. Simanek was awarded the #MedalOfHonor in 1952 for shielding fellow Marines from a grenade blast at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the Korean War.
Semper Fidelis pic.twitter.com/f5EJU6RqaU
— U.S. Marines (@USMC) August 1, 2022
The hero would then spend the next seven months of his life in military hospitals recovering from his critical wounds, before finally being medically discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps.
It was on Oct. 23, 1953 that President Dwight Eisenhower presented Simanek with the nation’s highest military honor — the Medal of Honor.
“Simanek was born in Detroit, Michigan, on April 26, 1930, the third of four sons. He briefly worked for Ford Motor Company and General Motors after graduating from Mackenzie High School in Detroit. He joined the Marine Corps in August 1951. He returned to Michigan after the war and earned a degree in business management,” a press release stated.
We join the nation in mourning the loss of Robert E. Simanek, Medal of Honor Recipient. He was awarded the medal for his heroic and selfless actions on 17 AUG 1952, during the Korean War. We had the honor and privilege of meeting him in June 2008. R.I.P. #CMOHS #MoH #KoreanWar pic.twitter.com/UFvnvN5vb8
— ArmedForcesCenterMSP (@ArmedForcCtrMSP) August 1, 2022
Simanek is survived by a daughter.