At one point, he called out in Mandarin in an attempt to confuse the enemy. He was wounded, but the tactic worked, allowing his unit to reposition and drive back the Chinese. Awarded the Navy Cross, the second-highest honor a Marine can receive, he was cited for “extraordinary heroism.”

“Despite serious wounds sustained as he pushed forward,” the citation read, “First Lieutenant Lee charged directly into the face of the enemy fire and, by his dauntless fighting spirit and resourcefulness, served to inspire other members of his platoon to heroic efforts in pressing a determined counterattack and driving the hostile forces from the sector.”

Less than a month later, while Lieutenant Lee was recovering in a field hospital from a gunshot wound to an arm, tens of thousands of Chinese forces surged into the region, overwhelming 8,000 American troops fighting as United Nations forces.

His arm was still in a sling when he and a sergeant left the hospital against orders, commandeered an Army jeep and returned to the front. Over the next two weeks, Lieutenant Lee helped lead his unit of several hundred Marines across snowy mountain passes at night, using only a compass, to find and reinforce a smaller group that had been surrounded. His unit then repeatedly drove back Chinese soldiers, ensuring that the vastly outnumbered Americans were able to retreat to the sea.

A final wound during the fighting ended his combat duty in Korea. For this action he was awarded the Silver Star.

“First Lieutenant Lee’s platoon was pinned down by intense hostile fire while attacking south on the main service road from Koto-Ri,” the citation said. “Observing that the heavy fire was inflicting numerous casualties, he exposed himself to the deadly fire to move among his troops, shouting words of encouragement and directing a withdrawal to covered positions. Assured that the last of his wounded was under cover, he was seeking shelter for himself when he was struck down and severely wounded by a burst of enemy machine-gun fire.”

Some who either served with Major Lee or knew of him said they believed he was deserving of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award.