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Silver
Star Ronnie Dee
(c) Copyright 2026 by Ronnie Dee
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My stepfather's name was Frederick L. Hornung III. He was from Morristown, New Jersey. He married my mother, Thelma Mock/Durbin in the early 1940's. I, Ronnie, was about three and my sister Doris, was eight. We had always lived with my grandmother, my mother's mom, Hazel, or Momboo, as we called her for most of our young lives. Freddie, or Buddy, as we called him until he told us to start calling him Dad, wanted the four of us to live as a family. So when he was stationed at Fort Campbell, we moved to Providence, a hellhole, and then to Henderson, Kentucky.
There was a war going on and sometimes there wasn't enough time for things like adoptions to take place. That was going to be done after we moved to Tokyo, Japan after the war.
Freddie looked strikingly like Gene Kelly, the actor and dancer and my mother looked strikingly like Loretta Young, the actress.
Things were going along well. He was taking me to the post with him on occasion and I loved riding in jeeps and seeing all of the military regalia. He was the post Lightweight Boxing Champion and had a bunch of equipment in our basement. As a result, I was the lightweight boxing champion of our block.
But as it often does, war intervened and Freddie was shipped overseas.
When the fighting was at last over, we were summoned to join him in Tokyo for the reparation of Japan. He had a house and even a dog for Sis and me. Before we left, my mother wanted to have a minor operation done and then we were off. But something went wrong and she died in the hospital. Freddie came home for her funeral and was gone again right after.
The next thing we heard about him was when we received a notice sent from his mother, in 1950, informing us that he was missing in action in Korea. We were surprised because we thought he would have had a desk job by that time, but I guess he didn't want that. Then about a year later, he was presumed dead. We never heard anything more about him for many years.
We were war orphans, but we weren't. It was a bit confusing for years whenever something official came up and we had to have a legal guardian sign something. We got by somehow, but I was too young to understand or care.
Curiosity got the better of me a few years back and I did some elementary research and found that he had been captured on Nov. 25, 1950 and died "in the hands of the enemy on Dec 8, 1951."
My research ended there because I didn't know his full name but my sister did. So she did some research a short time ago (2026) and found out from the Navy Federal Credit Union's, Military Times', HALL OF VALOR that 2nd Lieutenant Frederick L Hornung III, age 33, was awarded the Silver Star on December 22, 1951 for gallantry in action.
I was stunned at the news. Official or not, I consider him my stepfather and I am very saddened, but proud of him for that achievement.
And it only took 76 years for me to find out about it. I don't know why someone in his family didn't notify us of that fact, since it is a very prestigious award. It is the third highest medal the Army can administer. The Army didn't know that my sister and I existed, so it wasn't their fault.
There is a lot to be proud of and a lot of boasting to have done in 76 years.
Over those years I have often wondered what exactly had happened to him on that day and now, at last, I have an idea, seeing as how he previously reacted under fire. Of course, I will probably never know how he died. Trying to escape? An illness? Torture? Execution?
I suppose I should be glad that I know as much as I do. A lot of families lost sons and fathers and other loved ones without any knowledge of the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The following is the presentation for the Silver Star posthumously awarded to my stepfather:
Headquarters,
2d
Infantry Division, General Orders No. 114 (December 22, 1950)
The
President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of
Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star
to Second Lieutenant (Infantry), [then Chief Warrant Officer]
Frederick L. Hornung, III (ASN: 0-2262333), United States Army, for
gallantry in action as a member of Company A, 38th Infantry Regiment,
2d Infantry Division, in action against an armed enemy on 24
September 1950 in the vicinity of Chogye, Korea. On that date his
platoon was leading the battalion in pursuit of the retreating enemy.
Extremely heavy enemy machine gun and small arms fire pinned his
platoon down in a roadside ditch. Despite the intense enemy fire and
with complete disregard for his personal safety, Lieutenant Hornung
moved from man to man, pointing out better positions for them, and
directing targets for their fire. He again exposed himself as he
dashed across the fire-swept road to the company command post and
returned with a M-19 antiaircraft firing vehicle. Upon returning to
the platoon, he found that two of his men had been seriously wounded.
Calling for and not receiving an aid man due to the intensity of the
enemy fire, Lieutenant Hornung again with complete indifference to
the hostile fire, exposed himself and made his way to the company
headquarters. Obtaining two litters, he returned to his platoon and
supervised the evacuation of the wounded. His competent employment of
the firepower of his platoon and the utilization of supporting
weapons were instrumental in forcing the enemy to withdraw, thus
enabling the unit to resume its pursuit and preventing the enemy from
organizing defensive positions. The gallantry and outstanding
leadership displayed by Lieutenant Hornung on this occasion reflect
great credit upon himself and are in keeping with the high traditions
of the military service.