--- title: "The Medal of Honor recipient who fought in a bare-handed berserker rage" description: "Sergeant David Bleak rolled out with 20 soldiers in an American-occupied area of North Korea and berserker attacked the enemy." date: "2022-01-15" modified: "2023-01-19" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/sgt-bleak-korea-medal-honor/" categories: - "Heroes" - "History" - "War History" --- # The Medal of Honor recipient who fought in a bare-handed berserker rage ![]() Sergeant David Bleak was set to go out on a normal patrol. It was 1952 and the young medic was accompanying a [U.S. Army recon patrol with the mission of probing Chinese defenses and capturing an enemy soldier for intel and interrogation](). What he didn't know, however, was that by the patrol's end, he would kill four enemies with his bare hands while saving his comrades. He would have decades to think about that night *after* the war. Bleak rolled out with 20 soldiers in an American-occupied area of North Korea near the front lines. By 1952, the Chinese were fully committed to North Korea, which resulted in what would be, more or less, considered a stalemate for the duration of the war. "WE HAVE AN ARMY" The hill they were traversing, Hill 499, was bare. It lacked significant vegetation after all the weeks of fighting in the area and offered little in the way of concealment, but the enemy was out there and the Army needed more information about their positions. The 21-man unit set off at 0430 to see what they could learn while another company distracted the Chinese on the other side of the hill with a frontal attack ([where another soldier]() was earning the Medal of Honor, strangely enough). Unfortunately, that didn't prove to be enough of a distraction. Bleak's formation was spotted as soon as they began to hike their way up. Quickly, the unit came under [Chinese small arms fire](). A few soldiers were injured immediately. Sgt. Bleak ran up from the rear to treat them just as fast as they were hit. The mission soon continued, as did Sgt. Bleak. ![north korean army]() *"We have an Army!"* Once more they took surprise small arms fire, but this time, Bleak bum-rushed the enemy trench and dove in head-first. He snapped the neck of the first soldier he could get his hands on and then crushed the windpipe of another. As a third Chinese soldier attacked him, Bleak [drew his knife and killed him]() with a stab to the chest. The medic returned to his unit and began treating the soldiers wounded by the second surprise attack. As he worked, a Chinese grenade bounced off the helmet of a man standing over him. Bleak zipped into action, throwing his body over his fellow GI to shield him from the shrapnel. Luckily, no one was injured. ![david bleak berserker]() *"We have a Bleak."* After succeeding in its mission, Bleak's patrol was returning to United Nations lines as they were again ambushed — this time, wounding three. Bleak was shot in the leg as he tried to get to those who needed aid. After treating everyone (including Bleak himself), the group went to leave, but one man was so injured that he couldn't stand. So, Bleak picked him up and carried him out of there. On his way back to base, Sgt. Bleak ran into two Chinese soldiers who tried to assault him with fixed bayonets. Not one to be easily intimidated, Bleak *rushed back at them*. Deftly avoiding being bayoneted, he [smashed the two Chinese men's heads together]() so hard that he broke their skulls. He picked up his patient and returned to friendly lines. Because of Sgt. Bleak, every man of the 20-man patrol that was ambushed multiple times that night came home. Their mission was completed, with captured enemy soldiers and all, and only sustained a few wounds in exchange. Later the next year, President Eisenhower presented Bleak with a well-earned Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony. Bleak would live on until age 74, dying on the same day as fellow Army medic and Medal of Honor recipient, Desmond Doss. ![david bleak after berserker attack]() *Warning: Do not confuse Desmond Doss with David Bleak. David Bleak will f\*cking kill you.* **Read more on WATM:** [**The best military history books of 2022**]() [**Ukraine is getting these 3 armored fighting vehicles from the US, France and Germany**]() [**3 up-and-coming outdoor therapy nonprofits for veterans**]() [**Interview with Glen Powell, ‘Devotion’ actor and producer**]() ## 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]()