Charles Ernest Hosking, Jr.
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Charles Ernest Hosking, Jr. (May 12, 1924, Ramsey, New Jersey - March 21, 1967) is a Medal of Honor awardee, who was recognized with the nation's highest military honor for events that took place as a United States Army Master Sergeant in Phuoc Long Province, Republic of Vietnam, on March 21, 1967. He was awarded the honor for holding a Viet Cong prisoner with a live grenade, taking the brunt of the blast rather than allowing the prisoner to reach several of his commanders.
Hosking Way, a road off of Darlington Avenue in Ramsey, is named in his honor.
[edit] Citation
MASTER SERGEANT CHARLES E. HOSKING, JR., UNITED STATES ARMY, Detachment A-302, Company A, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, then sergeant first class, distinguished himself on 21 March 1967, as a company advisor in the Civilian Irregular Defense Group Reaction Battalion during combat operations in Phuoc Long Province, Republic of Vietnam. A Viet Cong suspect was apprehended and subsequently identified as a Viet Cong sniper. While Sergeant Hosking was preparing the prisoner for movement back to the base camp, he suddenly grabbed a grenade from Sergeant Hosking’s belt, armed the grenade and started running toward the command group. With utter disregard for his own personal safety, Sergeant Hosking grasped the Viet Cong in a “bear hug,” forced the grenade against the enemy’s chest, and wrestled the prisoner to the ground. Covering the sniper’s body with his own until the grenade detonated, Sergeant Hosking was killed. By absorbing the force of the exploding grenade with his body and that of the enemy, he saved the other members of his command from death or serious injury.
