- On View
- Military History Gallery
- Museum Maps
- Objects in this Location
- Manufactured by
- Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, American, founded 1941
- Subject of
- Sergeant Charlton, Cornelius H., American, 1929 - 1951
- Received by
- Penn Papadopoulus, Fairy Mae, American, died 2010
- Used by
- United States Army, American, founded 1775
- Date
- 1989
- Medium
- metal
- Dimensions
- H x W x D (2015.193.2.1): 2 5/8 × 7/16 × 7/16 in. (6.7 × 1.1 × 1.1 cm)
- H x W x D (2015.193.2.2): 2 9/16 × 7/16 × 7/16 in. (6.5 × 1.1 × 1.1 cm)
- H x W x D (2015.193.2.3): 2 9/16 × 7/16 × 7/16 in. (6.5 × 1.1 × 1.1 cm)
- Caption
- These shell casings held bullets fired during the burial ceremony of Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Cornelius Charlton. Military personnel are honored with a three-volley salute during burial services. The salutes are linked to early battlefield customs that called for a cease-fire to care for the dead and wounded. Sergeant Charlton served in C Company, 24th Infantry Regiment, during the Korean War. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions on June 2, 1951, near Chipo-ri, Korea. After his wounded platoon leader was evacuated during an attack to capture Hill 543, Charlton "rallied the men" and led them on three separate assaults. During the first assault, he eliminated two enemy positions, killing six. Although seriously wounded in the next two assaults, Charlton conducted a fourth assault alone. He was wounded again by a grenade but silenced the enemy guns before he died. Sergeant Charlton was originally buried at Pocahontas Cemetery in Pocahontas, Virginia, before he was re-interred at the American Legion Cemetery in Beckley, West Virginia, in 1990. On November 12, 2008, he was re-interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
- Description
- Three spent cases from a three-volley salute at Sergeant Cornelius H. Charlton's reburial service. Bottom, flat surface, has indented hole in center, surrounded by indented circle. The headstamp reads [LC / 89]. Top of shell casing has been shaped similarly to a dulled 5-point star.
- Place used
- Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States, North and Central America
- Collection title
- Sergeant Cornelius H. Charlton Collection
- Classification
- Sacred and Ceremonial Objects
- Weapons and Ammunition
- Topic
- Funeral customs and rites
- Korean War, 1950-1953
- Military
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of George "Everett" Penn, Jr.
- Object number
- 2015.193.2.1-.3
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




