Carl L Sitter
Carl grew up in Pueblo, Colorado, but was born in Syracuse, Missouri, on the 2nd of December, 1922. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps on the 22nd of June, 1940. Before deploying to the South Pacific to fight in the Wallis Islands, Carl served in Iceland for eight months. On the 12th of December, 1942, he received a field commission to Second Lieutenant and went on to fight in the Marshall and Marianas Islands. He was wounded twice, and the second time was during actions very similar to that which would later earn him the Medal of Honor. Exposing himself to the enemy in Guam earned him the Silver Star and he had refused medical treatment and to be evacuated until the mission had been completed.
By the time Carl was deployed to Korea, he was a Captain and his actions during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir would this time earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of Company G, Third Battalion, First Marines, First Marine Division (Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces at Hagaru-ri, Korea, on 29 and November 30, 1950. Ordered to break through enemy-infested territory to reinforce his Battalion the early morning of November 29, Captain Sitter continuously exposed himself to enemy fire as he led his company forward and, despite twenty-five percent casualties suffered in the furious action, succeeded in driving through to his objective. Assuming the responsibility of attempting to seize and occupy a strategic area occupied by a hostile force of regiment strength deeply entrenched on a snow-covered hill commanding the entire valley southeast of the town, as well as the line of march of friendly troops withdrawing to the south, he reorganized his depleted units the following morning and boldly led them up the steep, frozen hillside under blistering fire, encouraging and redeploying his troops as casualties occurred and directing forward platoons as they continued the drive to the top of the ridge. During the night when a vastly outnumbering enemy launched a sudden, vicious counterattack, setting the hill ablaze with mortar, machine-gun, and automatic weapons fire and taking a heavy toll in troops, Captain Sitter visited each foxhole and gun position, coolly deploying and integrating reinforcing units consisting of service personnel unfamiliar with infantry tactics into a coordinated combat team and instilling in every man the will and determination to hold his position at all costs. With the enemy penetrating his lines in repeated counterattacks which often required hand-to-hand combat and, on one occasion infiltrating to the command post with hand grenades, he fought gallantly with his men in repulsing and killing the fanatic attackers in each encounter. Painfully wounded in the face, arms and chest by bursting grenades, he staunchly refused to be evacuated and continued to fight on until a successful defense of the area was assured with a loss to the enemy of more than fifty percent dead, wounded and captured. His valiant leadership, superb tactics and great personal valor throughout thirty-six hours of bitter combat reflect the highest credit upon Captain Sitter, and the United States Naval Service.
Carl returned to the States in February of 1951 and he received the Medal of Honor in a ceremony at the White House on the 29th of October, 1951. This was a joint ceremony as it was shared with Reginald Myers, whom Carl became lifelong friends with. In June of 1954, he became the executive and then commanding officer of the 2nd Marine Division and went on to serve as the Regimental S-3, or staff operations, for the 6th Marines. In November of 1956, he was assigned a three year task of being an Inspector-Instructor with the 11th Infantry Battalion in Cleveland, Ohio, and he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel shortly after.
Carl earned his bachelors of art degree from University of Maryland's European Division while he was stationed in London when he was a Marine Representative to the Director of the Naval Security Group. He was promoted to Colonel in August of 1964 and one of the final assignments he had was as the Director of Installation Services for Defense General Supply Center in Richmond, Virginia. Carl retired from the Marine Corps after thirty years in 1970 and went on to work for the Virginia Department of Social Services. He retired from that position in 1985 and seven years later, at the age of 75, Carl returned to college and graduated the following year. He and his wife Ruth had three children and Carl Leonard Sitter died on the 4th of April, 2000, at the age of 77. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery: Plot 7A-57-A.
