"Eddie Would Be Happy"

The crossfire of enemy machine guns trapped Private Eddie Cleaborn, 18, and his platoon assaulting Communist positions near Kuri. Eddie charged on up the ridge and knocked out the North Korean machine-gun crews to the front. While his platoon recovered the wounded and slowly withdrew, Eddie Cleaborn stood his ground. He fired so often and so fast that hot gun metal seared his hands. The platoon escaped, but Eddie Cleaborn never made it.

This week, in the auditorium of the Negro high school he attended, Private Edward O. Cleaborn will get his posthumous reward--the Distinguished Service Cross, second highest honor the U.S. bestows on its heroes. "Private Cleaborn's heroic self-sacrifice permitted the withdrawal of his platoon to new positions," said the Army citation. "The extraordinary heroism . . . reflects great credit on himself and the military service."

A new housing development was named for Eddie Cleaborn, and Memphis was considering naming a new park after him. Said Eddie's mother: "Eddie would be happy to know this."

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