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As Marine Corps Sgt. James Irsley Poynter's platoon was being surrounded by enemy troops in Korea, he refused to let his men become overwhelmed. Poynter managed to break his trapped comrades out of the chaos through heroics that took his life. For that valor, he posthumously received the Medal of Honor.
Poynter was born Dec. 1, 1916, in Bloomington, Illinois, to Eugene and Molly Poynter. In February 1942, when he was 25, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served in the Pacific during World War II, taking part in campaigns that included Guadalcanal, Saipan and Okinawa. He was discharged in February 1946 after the war ended.
At some point, Poynter moved to Downey, California. He was married twice and had four children.
When the Korean War broke out in the summer of 1950, Poynter felt he needed to return to service, so he reenlisted in the Marine Corps. At age 33, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division.
According to Marine Corps University, he was sent to Korea in time to aid in the recapture of Seoul after the Inchon landing. During a campaign in late September and early October, he earned the Bronze Star.
By November 1950, after hearing that Chinese troops had entered the conflict and attacked South Korean units, the 7th Marines were directed to march into North Korea toward the Chosin Reservoir.
On Nov. 4, 1950, Poynter was the squad leader for a rifle platoon in Company A near Sudong, Korea, when they were attacked by a much larger force. His platoon hastily tried to defend its position, Hill 532, and Poynter led the charge, directing fire toward the oncoming enemy.
The hostile force quickly gained momentum, surrounding the Marines' position. Several members of Poynter's platoon had fallen, and he had also been critically injured, but he refused to give up. He grabbed a bayonet and jumped into bitter hand-to-hand combat as the fight continued.
When Poynter noticed three machine guns closing in from about 25 yards out, he grabbed hand grenades from fallen Marines and charged the emplacements. In rapid succession, he killed the crews of two of the nests and put the third out of action before he collapsed from his injuries and died.
Poynter's sacrifice inspired the men around him to push harder to repel the enemy. Eventually, they were able to break through the encirclement and find a better tactical position to defend themselves.
For Poynter's heroic actions, his widow, Kathern, posthumously received the Medal of Honor on his behalf during a Pentagon ceremony on Sept. 4, 1952.
Poynter is buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego.
His son, Byron, was born after Poynter went to Korea. Byron Poynter followed in his father's footsteps by enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1967.
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.
