--- title: "The first Medals of Honor received for a foreign conflict happened in Korea" date: "2025-03-10" modified: "2026-02-24" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/the-first-medals-of-honor-received-for-a-foreign-conflict-happened-in-korea/" categories: - "Heroes" - "History" - "Medal of Honor" tags: - "America250" - "Military History" --- # The first Medals of Honor received for a foreign conflict happened in Korea ![first foreign medal of honor sujagi flag nara]() *Cpl. Charles Brown and Pvt. Hugh Purvis capture the Sujagi flag at Fort McKee in the attacks on the Salee River Forts in Korea, June 10 and 11, 1871. (U.S. Marine Corps)* Ah, Korea: the one place in the world that the United States can’t lose. Or win. Or ignore. For the last 70-plus years, North Korea and America have been locked in an ideological and sometimes violent struggle for supremacy on the Korean Peninsula. It turns out that the headbutting between Washington and Korea began long before [Kim Il-Sung]() and his children ruled that communist state up north. **Related: [North Korea's ‘supreme leader' actually died twice]()** The Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest award for military valor, was established during the Civil War. It was just 12 years after the end of the Civil War that American troops began receiving the award for overseas conflicts. Whether it was an isolated coincidence or a harbinger of events to come, those Medals of Honor were awarded to sailors and Marines in combat against Korea. In 1866, Korea wasn’t the Stalinist communist dictatorship it is today, but it was just as isolated. The [Joseon Dynasty](), which ruled the peninsula at the time, had enacted a policy of strict isolationism. That policy not only cut off contact from China and Japan, but also Western ships and missionaries. The Joseon even went so far as to regularly cull Catholics in Korea. That's exactly what they did in 1866. ### Not for Sale ![Matthew Perry Japan]() *The United States' naval expedition to Japan in the 1850s. (Library of Congress)* So when the American merchant vessel General Sherman sailed up the Taedong River that same year, the local Koreans believed it was a French warship, ready to dole out just punishment for the killing of Catholics and missionaries. The Americans, however, were not looking for a fight; they were looking for a market. The ship picked up a cargo of valuables in China before setting out for Korea and was looking to sell to anyone who might buy. The problem was that many Asian nations at the time weren’t looking for trading partners; they didn’t want partners of any kind. China had a history of banning trade with and travel for foreigners. Japan had a similar isolationist policy under the [Tokugawa Shogunate](), one that ended in 1853 when [American Commodore Matthew Perry]() arrived in the islands and opened Japan by force. Korean isolationism would soon meet a similar fate. Korea told the General Sherman's crew it could not trade and ordered the ship to leave, but the merchants stayed. Things devolved quickly from there. The Americans took a hostage, so the Koreans set out to capture the ship. When that didn’t work, the crew fired the ship's guns on the shore. In response, the Koreans set fire to the General Sherman. When the crew abandoned ship and swam to shore, they were killed. In 1871, the U.S. dispatched a squadron of five ships and 650 men to determine the General Sherman's fate. When they arrived on the peninsula to ask about the merchants, the Koreans demurred, so the U.S. ships sailed up the Han River over the objections of the Korean government. ### Throwing Rocks and Fighting with Swords As they did, a series of five Korean forts fired on them. When the forts refused to apologize, Adm. John Rogers ordered a full-scale assault. Korean troops guarding the forts on the Salee River didn’t stand much of a chance. They were still using the kind of firearms the Americans had used in the [War of 1812](), while the Americans were veterans of the Civil War and had revised their tactics and weapons for years. The Koreans were so outgunned and outmatched, they ran out of ammunition. When they did, they resorted to throwing rocks and fighting with swords. The fight, now known as the Battle of Ganghwa, was all over in 15 minutes. After destroying two of the forts, American artillery and naval guns pounded the third and final one before U.S. troops attacked it en masse. The battle resulted in 243 Koreans and just three Americans killed in action. ### Taking Control of the Fort ![first medal of honor foreign korean campaign]() *A captured Sujagi aboard the USS Colorado. From right to left: U.S. Marine Corporal Charles Brown, U.S. Marine Private Hugh Purvis, and the sailor on the left is believed to be Cyrus Hayden. All three were awarded the Medal of Honor. (National Archives)* Cpl. Charles Brown and Pvt. Hugh Purvis seized the command standard (called a *sujagi*) of Korean garrison commander Gen. Eo Jae-yŏn. Pvt. James Dougherty actually killed Gen. Eo. Cyrus Hayden, a sailor and carpenter, planted the American flag on top of the fort's ramparts as the battle raged. All four of these men and five others received the Medal of Honor for their actions. It was the first time the medal was bestowed for an overseas battle. Captive Koreans were held as a bargaining chip for potential negotiations, but when the Koreans didn’t actually want their men back, the Americans just let them go. Though decisive, the battle changed nothing for the Koreans. They called for their better-equipped troops to come fight the Americans. Upon realizing they were soon outnumbered (by troops with better weapons), the U.S. Navy left. Korea would stay closed to foreigners until 1876, when it began trading with Japan, but remained closed to the United States until 1882. ### Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty ##### **• [5 facts about the Korean War: 70 years later]()** ##### **• [Here’s what you should know about the Inchon Landing Operation]()** ##### **• [‘M\*A\*S\*H’ made television history while keeping Korean War history alive]()** ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()