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The Rutherford County Community Based Outpatient Clinic (RCCBOC) has been renamed the Master Sergeant Jerry K. Crump VA Clinic after a Forest City native and Soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War.
He received the Medal of Honor for his actions on September 6 and 7, 1951.
According to the Medal of Honor Society website, (Jerry Kirt Crump | Korean War | U.S. Army | Medal of Honor Recipient (cmohs.org)), As a corporal, Crump distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy.
During the night a numerically superior hostile force launched an assault against his platoon on Hill 284, overrunning friendly positions and swarming into the sector.
Cpl. Crump repeatedly exposed himself to deliver effective fire into the ranks of the assailants, inflicting numerous casualties. Observing two enemy soldiers endeavoring to capture a friendly machine gun, he charged and killed both with his bayonet, regaining control of the weapon.
Returning to his position, now occupied by four of his wounded comrades, he continued to fire into enemy troops surrounding his emplacement. When a hostile soldier hurled a grenade into the position, Cpl. Crump immediately flung himself over the missile, absorbing the blast with his body and saving his comrades from death or serious injury.
His aggressive actions had so inspired his comrades that a spirited counterattack drove the enemy from the perimeter.
For Cpl. Crump's heroic devotion to duty, indomitable fighting spirit, and willingness to sacrifice himself to save his comrades reflect the highest credit upon himself, the infantry, and the U.S. Army.
Crump survived the battle and was presented the Medal of Honor by then President, Harry S. Truman, in the Rose Garden at the White House on June 27, 1952. He went on to rise to the rank of Master Sergeant.
He died, Jan. 10, 1977, and was buried at Mt. Zion Methodist Church in Cornelius. His Medal of Honor is located at the Lincolnton Museum in Lincolnton.
The Master Sergeant Jerry K. Crump VA Clinic is part of the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System, which also includes Charles George VA Health Care System in Asheville and community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) in Franklin and Hickory, North Carolina.
The Health Care System plans a renaming ceremony at the Master Sergeant Jerry K. Crump VA Clinic in Forest City tentatively scheduled in early June. More information will be released once final plans are in place.
The renaming of the clinic was enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress effective Dec. 19, 2022.
