"Loyalty" and "Fidelity": Medal of Honor Recipient Lieutenant (j.g.) John Kelvin Koelsch (USN)

Quick answer: Who was John Kelvin Koelsch?

Lt. (j.g.) John "Jack" Koelsch was a Navy helicopter pilot who, on July 3, 1951, flew an unarmed helicopter through fog near Wonsan, North Korea, to rescue a downed Marine pilot. Shot down and captured, he refused to cooperate with his captors and died in captivity that October. He was the first helicopter pilot to receive the Medal of Honor.

Walking through Section 30 of Arlington National Cemetery with his son, John came upon the grave of Jack Koelsch, and the two words that came to mind were loyalty and fidelity. Born in London in 1923 to an American banker's family and raised in Westchester County, Koelsch studied English at Princeton and planned on law school. He trained as a naval aviator in World War II and flew torpedo bombers, then learned to fly the Sikorsky HO3S helicopter. In Korea he commanded a rescue detachment aboard a converted landing ship off the coast and plucked downed pilots from the sea. Rather than go home with his squadron, he asked to stay. Late on July 3, 1951, Marine Captain James Wilkins was shot down south of Wonsan. Koelsch and his crewman, George Neal, took off in mist and low cloud in a slow, unarmed helicopter. Fog kept their fighter cover away, and they went below it, under fire, to find Wilkins. They got him aboard before the helicopter was shot down. The three evaded for days before they were captured. In prison, Koelsch refused to give the enemy anything and kept caring for other prisoners until he died in October 1951. His example is often cited in the origins of the Code of Conduct.

Why it matters for leaders: Loyalty shows most clearly in what someone is willing to risk for others, and what they refuse to give up when no one is watching.

Q: What did Koelsch receive the Medal of Honor for?

A: His July 3, 1951 attempt to rescue Marine Capt. James Wilkins near Wonsan, flying an unarmed helicopter through fog and enemy fire, and his conduct as a prisoner afterward.

Q: What happened to Koelsch after capture?

A: He resisted interrogation, cared for fellow prisoners, and died in captivity in October 1951. His remains were returned and buried at Arlington.

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By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation