The Fort Worth Medal of Honor Memorial has been established to remember the three heroes from our city who have earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. Maj.
The City of Fort Worth has been presented an 8,000-pound red granite monument as a gift from The National Leadership Foundation in honor of these three brave men who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. The memorial was made possible by contributions from The Heather and Elliot Goldman Charitable Fund, the Amon G. Carter Foundation, Lockheed Martin, Hillwood Development Company, Bell
Helicopter, and the Airpower Foundation. The mission of the National Leadership Foundation is to educate people about and preserve the history of America’s greatest natural resource – its leaders. The Foundation achieves this by working to support soldiers and veterans, develop primary and secondary educational curriculum on the topic of leadership, facilitate and fund leadership lecture series, expand its collection of historical artifacts, initiate programs to honor current and past service of the military. Learn more at www.nationalleadershipfoundation.org
ABOUT HORACE S. CARSWELL
Major Horace S. Carswell piloted a B-24 bomber in a one-place strike against a Japanese convoy in the South China Sea on the night of October 26, 1944 during WWII. Taking the enemy force of 12 ships and at least two destroyers by surprise he made two bombing runs at 600 feet. Upon the second run, Maj. Carswell’s plane sustained heavy damage from Japanese guns that destroyed two engines and crippled the third. In a magnificent display of skill, Maj. Carswell steered the plan toward mountainous terrain in the hopes of reaching a base before the third engine failed. He ordered the crew to bail out while he struggled to maintain altitude, and refusing to save himself, chose to remain with a wounded comrade and attempt a crash landing. Carswell died when the airplane struck a mountainside and burned. Carswell gave his life to save all members of his crew. His sacrifice was in keeping with the traditional bravery of America’s war heroes. ABOUT CHARLES F. PENDLETON
Corporal Charles F. Pendleton was a machine gunner with Company D during the Korean War. After establishing a defense perimeter on a key terrain feature, Company D was attacked by a large hostile force. Unable to protect the flanks because of the narrow confines of the trench, Cpl. Pendleton removed the machine gun and, exposed to enemy observation, positioned it on his knee to improve his firing vantage. He inflicted such heavy casualties on the enemy force that they retreated and regrouped. Later, when a hostile gr***de landed nearby, Cpl. Pendleton retrieved and hurled it back at the enemy force. Although he was burned by the hot shells ejecting from his weapon and wounded by a gr***de, he refused evacuation and continued to fire on the assaulting force. As enemy action increased, a gr***de destroyed his machine gun, but Cpl. Pendleton continued his defense until he was mortally wounded by a mortar burst. Cpl. Pendleton’s courage, self-sacrifice and devotion to duty uphold the finest traditions of the military service. ABOUT ROBERT D. LAW
Sp4c. Robert D. Law distinguished himself while serving with Company I on a reconnaissance patrol in Tinh Phuoc Thanh Province during the Vietnam War. Upon meeting a small enemy patrol and exchanging fire, Sp4c. Law maneuvered to a perilously exposed position flanking his comrades and began placing suppressive fire on the hostile troops. Although his team was disadvantaged by a low supply of ammunition and an unidentified irritating gas in the air, Sp4c. Law’s spirited defense and counter assault rallied his fellow soldiers against the well-equipped hostile troops. When a gr***de landed in his team’s position, Sp4c. Law, instead of diving into the safety of a stream behind him, threw himself on the gr***de to save the life of his friends and comrades. Sp4c. Law’s extraordinary courage and profound concern for his fellow soldiers reflect great credit on himself, his unit and the U.S. Army.
