Retired U.S. Army Col. Ralph Puckett, Jr., the last living Medal of Honor recipient for acts performed during the Korean War, will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda on April 29, thanks to congressional passage of a bipartisan concurrent resolution offered earlier this month by U.S. Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) and U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA).
“Col. Ralph Puckett was a friend and mentor to many service members, including me, and he will be dearly missed,” Sen. Ernst posted April 8 on X, formerly known as Twitter, when Puckett died at the age of 97. “His acts of bravery and selfless service during the Korean War will continue to inspire generations to come.”
Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate on April 17 passed the concurrent resolution authorizing the use of the Capitol Rotunda for the lying in honor of the remains of Puckett.
Born in Tifton, Ga., in December 1926, Puckett led the Eighth Army Ranger Company during the Korean War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on Nov. 25, 1950, when his company of 51 Rangers was attacked by several hundred Chinese soldiers at the battle for Hill 205.
Sen. Ernst on April 17 sponsored Senate Concurrent Resolution 33 with nine original cosponsors, including U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) as the companion to House Concurrent Resolution 103, which Rep. Womack cosponsored on April 12 alongside sponsor U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-GA).
“Allowing [Col. Puckett] to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda will pay tribute to his remarkable heroism and provide an opportunity for all Americans to express their appreciation and respect for his service,” Rep. Womack said on Tuesday. “I’m proud to join my friend Congressman Bishop in this bipartisan effort to underscore our collective recognition of Col. Puckett’s — and all Korean War veterans’ — service and sacrifice.”