Medal of Honor recipient Col. Ralph Puckett to receive one final tribute from a grateful nation Monday in Washington, D.C.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (WRBL) — A Columbus resident and Korean War hero will receive one of the nation’s highest honors when his remains lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol on Monday.
Puckett died on April 8 at the age of 97. A Medal of Honor recipient for his actions in November 1950 on a Korean hillside, Puckett was the last of 147 surviving Korean War Medal of Honor recipients.
Col. Ralph Puckett’s ashes will be on display in the Capitol rotunda Monday afternoon, a recognition afforded to less than 50 Americans in the history of the nation.
Earlier this month, the Speaker of the House, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, and Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, extended the honor to Puckett’s family to have his remains lie in honor at the Capitol.
It’s a fitting honor said Britt Slabinski, a Navy Seal who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan.
“And you think about everything that flag represents to us, the red stripes for the blood that was given for it. The white strips for innocence and purity. The blue for justice,” Slabinski said. “But there is a thing in there that holds all of that together. And that’s the thread. The thread woven in and out of all of that fabric that holds our democracy together. That’s Col. Puckett to me.”
Puckett’s widow and wife of 71 years, Jeannie, will lead a family delegation that will be in Washington for the honor.
The formal ceremony begins at 2 p.m. Col. Puckett’s remains will be lying in honor from 4 p.m. to 5:30 with members of the public allowed to walk past and pay respects.
A heavy political and military presence is expected for the event.
There is a subtle difference between Lying in State and Lying in Honor. Lying in state is reserved for political leaders such as presidents. Lying in honor is a recognition given to citizens who did extraordinary things.
Fittingly, the last person to lie in honor in the Capitol was Herschel W. “Woody” Williams, who was the last live World War II Medal of Honor recipient. He was recognized in July 2022.
Less than 50 people have been afforded the honor of lying in honor in the Capitol.
Puckett was commanding the 8th Army Rangers in Korea, when the unit captured Hill 205 behind enemy lines. They lost the hill on the sixth Chinese counterattack. Puckett was seriously injured in the battle and ordered his men to retreat and abandon him.
They refused the order and drug Puckett to safety at the bottom of the hill. Puckett became an iconic figure in the U.S. Army Ranger community.
He served 12 years as the honorary colonel of the 75th Ranger Regiment. He celebrated his 80th birthday during a deployment to Afghanistan.
His mentoring of Army Rangers is legendary. Rangers live and fight by a creed. And Col. J.D. Keirsey, who commands the 75th Ranger Regiment, says there is a part of the creed that Col. Puckett exemplified.
“It is the part of the Creed that says ‘gallantly will I show the world,’” Keirsey said. “I don’t know what gallantly means to everybody else but to us Rangers gallantly defines a quiet confidence. Someone whose presence and judgment extend to everything they do. It’s someone who walks in the room and has that innate dignity that makes you listen to them and understand their message really means something. And the gallantly part of the creed, that defines Col. Puckett.”
Col. Puckett was a native of Tifton, Ga., but has lived in Columbus for more than three decades.
A celebration of Col. Puckett’s life was held at the National Infantry Museum on April 20.
Stay with WRBL on air and online as we bring you the latest from the Washington, D.C. ceremony on Monday.
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