Korean War Medal of Honor Recipient. Raised in Depression-era Belleville, New Jersey, he dropped out of high school to help support his family. His two older brothers served in the military in the late 1940s, and once he reached recruitment age he felt compelled to follow suit. He enlisted in the US Army in November 1951 and served as a rifleman with Company F, 32d Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. On June 12, 1952, Private Svehla was killed leading an assault on Hill 472, later known as Outpost Charlie, in the vicinity of Ponggil-Li, Korea (mistakenly identified as Pyongony in some of his military records). He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions. His remains were never recovered and he is listed as missing in action; a cenotaph was placed for him at Arlington National Cemetery in the 1960s. In 2009 the Defense Authorization Act upgraded Svehla's DSC to the Medal of Honor, following several years of requests from his family. His Medal of Honor citation reads in part: "Private First Class Svehla distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces at Pyongony, Korea, on 12 June 1952. That afternoon, while Private First Class Svehla and his platoon were patrolling a strategic hill to determine enemy strength and positions, they were subjected to intense enemy automatic weapons and small arms fire at the top of the hill. Coming under heavy fire, the platoon's attack began to falter. Realizing the success of mission and the safety of the remaining troops were in peril, Private First Class Svehla leapt to his feet and charged the enemy positions, firing his weapon and throwing grenades as he advanced. In the face of this courage and determination, the platoon rallied to attack with renewed vigor. Private First Class Svehla, utterly disregarding his own safety, destroyed enemy positions and inflicted heavy casualties, when suddenly, fragments from a mortar round exploding nearby seriously wounded him in the face. Despite his wounds, Private First Class Svehla refused medical treatment and continued to lead the attack. When an enemy grenade landed among a group of his comrades, Private First Class Svehla, without hesitation and undoubtedly aware of extreme danger, threw himself upon the grenade. During this action, Private First Class Svehla was mortally wounded. Private First Class Svehla's extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army". Svehla was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama on May 2, 2011, in a White House ceremony.