Congressional Medal of Honor Society Announces Passing of Medal of Honor Recipient Robert E. Simanek at 92

Earned Nation's Highest Award for Valor during the Korean War

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C., Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Congressional Medal of Honor Society regretfully announces that Robert E. Simanek, Medal of Honor recipient, passed away Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, in Novi, Michigan, at the age of 92.

On Aug. 17, 1952, at Outpost Irene, Korea, Simanek was a private first class with 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), when he threw himself on a grenade to protect his fellow Marines. He was treated for seven months in military hospitals before being medically discharged from the Marine Corps due to his injuries.

President Dwight Eisenhower presented his Medal of Honor on Oct. 23, 1953, at a White House ceremony.

Simanek was born in Detroit, Michigan, on April 26, 1930, the third of four sons. He briefly worked for Ford Motor Company and General Motors after graduating from Mackenzie High School in Detroit. He joined the Marine Corps in August 1951. He returned to Michigan after the war and earned a degree in business management.

He is survived by a daughter. Burial arrangements are pending.

There are 65 living Medal of Honor recipients.

About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor and its Recipients, inspiring Americans, and supporting the Recipients as they connect with communities across the country.  

Chartered by Congress in 1958, its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. There are 65 living Recipients.   

The Society carries out its mission through outreach, education and preservation programs, including the Medal of Honor Museum, Congressional Medal of Honor Outreach Programs, the Congressional Medal of Honor Character Development Program, and the Congressional Medal of Honor Citizen Honors Awards for Valor and Service. The Society's programs and operations are funded by donations. 

As part of Public Law 106-83, the Medal of the Honor Memorial Act, the Medal of Honor Museum, which is co-located with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's headquarters on board the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was designated as one of three national Medal of Honor sites.  

Learn more about the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's initiatives at cmohs.org. 

Kathleen Blomquist
[email protected]

SOURCE Congressional Medal of Honor Society