Medal of Honor Monday: Army Pfc. Noah Knight

When Army Pfc. Noah Odell Knight saw three enemy soldiers carrying explosives that could have annihilated several members of his company, he didn’t think twice about trying to stop them. Knight lost his life in that endeavor, but his heroics led to a posthumous Medal of Honor.

Knight was born on Oct. 29, 1929, in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. He was one of eight children raised by Jarvis and Sophronia Knight. Few other details about his youth have been published.

Knight enlisted in the Army in October 1948. After training in the U.S., he was sent to Korea in August 1951 to serve with the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.

In November 1951, Knight was with Company F, which was occupying a key position along a defensive perimeter set up near Kowang-San — an area also known as Hill 355, which United Nations troops had taken from the enemy nearly two months prior.

On the afternoon of Nov. 23, a large Chinese force tried to take the hill back, sending waves of enemy troops toward Company F’s position. Enemy artillery scored two direct hits on Knight’s bunker, demolishing it and wounding him with shrapnel.

Knight quickly positioned himself in a shallow depression to get a better vantage point for firing his weapon. When that proved to be ineffective, he left that shelter and pushed his way through heavy fire. In full view of the enemy, he fired into the enemy’s ranks, inflicting enough casualties to momentarily stem the tide of the attack.

Later, when Knight saw another enemy squad infiltrating U.S. defenses, he jumped into action, killing or wounding the entire group.

Just as Knight ran out of ammunition, he noticed three enemy soldiers with demolition charges breaching a friendly position. Knight knew they were going to try to blow the explosives and kill his comrades, so, disregarding his own safety, he rushed forward and knocked out two of the enemy soldiers with the butt of his rifle. He tried to get to the third man, but before he could do so, that man exploded one of the devices. All three enemy soldiers were killed, and Knight was mortally wounded.

For his fearlessness and valor, Knight received a posthumous Medal of Honor. His widow, Bechey Knight, who he married shortly before deploying to Korea, received the award on his behalf during a Pentagon ceremony on Jan. 7, 1953. His father and at least one of his brothers were in attendance.

Knight is buried at Union Hill Baptist Church in Pageland, South Carolina.

Knight’s Medal of Honor is on display at the U.S. Army Basic Combat Training Museum at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.  

This article is part of a weekly series called “Medal of Honor Monday,” in which we highlight one of the more than 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients who have received the U.S. military’s highest medal for valor.