A Tribute
Tibor Rubin
Holocaust Survivor · Korean War Hero · Medal of Honor Recipient
1929 – 2015
His Story
Some lives are so extraordinary they defy belief. Tibor Rubin's is one of them. He survived the Holocaust as a teenager, immigrated to America with nothing, fought in Korea with uncommon valor, endured years as a prisoner of war — and waited fifty-five years for his country to fully honor what he had done.
This is his story.
Hungary, 1944
A Boy Who Made a Promise
Tibor Rubin was fourteen years old when the Nazis came for his family in Pápa, Hungary. Separated from his parents and sisters, he was transported to Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria — one of the most brutal in the Nazi system.
He survived through sheer will, cunning, and an unbreakable spirit. When American soldiers liberated the camp in May 1945, Tibor made a silent vow: one day, he would wear that uniform.
America, 1948
Coming to America
Three years after liberation, Tibor immigrated to the United States. He spoke almost no English, had no money, and knew almost no one. He settled in Garden City, New York, and immediately tried to enlist in the Army.
He failed the English language test. He studied, tried again. Failed again. He kept trying — and finally passed. He was in. He was keeping his promise.
Korea, 1950
One Man on a Hill
By July 1950, Corporal Rubin was fighting in South Korea with the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. An antisemitic sergeant repeatedly assigned him the most dangerous missions, hoping to get him killed. Instead, Tibor distinguished himself at every turn.
In one legendary stand near Unsan, North Korea, he single-handedly defended a hill for 24 hours against waves of North Korean soldiers — slowing the enemy advance long enough for his entire regiment to withdraw safely. He was recommended for the Medal of Honor four times. Each time, his sergeant buried the paperwork.
In His Own Words
Hear It From Tibor Himself
No one tells this story better than the man who lived it. In his own words — with his trademark humor, humility, and heart — Tibor Rubin recounts a life that defied all the odds.
Portraits of Valor — Tibor Rubin Story
An Original Song
The Ballad of Tibor Rubin
Tibor Rubin was put up for the Congressional Medal of Honor not once, not twice, but four separate times. Because of antisemitism, Tibor received his medal some fifty-five years late — on September 23, 2005. I wrote an original song for him and created this music video based on his life and how he earned this honor, to preserve his legacy.
Written and performed by Jess Mei
Prisoner of War, 1950–1953
The Man Who Saved Forty Lives
On November 2, 1950, Tibor was captured by Chinese forces near Unsan and force-marched to a camp the Americans called 'Death Valley' — the Pukchin Mining POW Camp — where extreme cold, starvation, and disease killed men daily. He was later moved to Camp 5 in Pyoktong.
For nearly thirty months, Tibor slipped out at night to steal food and medicine from enemy stores, smuggled them back to his fellow prisoners, and used everything he had learned surviving Mauthausen to keep men alive. His captors, impressed by his battlefield ferocity, offered him freedom and safe passage to communist Hungary. He refused every time.
Forty men survived that camp who would not have without him. On April 21, 1953, Tibor was released under Operation Little Switch — the exchange of sick and wounded prisoners — and came home.
Washington D.C., 2005
Fifty-Five Years Late
In 2002, Congress launched an investigation into whether Jewish and Hispanic soldiers had been systematically denied the Medal of Honor due to discrimination. Tibor Rubin's name was at the top of the list.
On September 23, 2005 — fifty-five years after his one-man stand on that Korean hill — President George W. Bush placed the Medal of Honor around Tibor Rubin's neck. Tibor was 76 years old.
Medal of Honor Citation
"Corporal Rubin's extraordinary heroism and indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army."
— President George W. Bush, September 23, 2005
He Is Not Forgotten
Tibor Rubin passed away on December 5, 2015, in Garden City, California. He was 86 years old.
He survived the Holocaust. He survived Korea. He survived a POW camp. He came to America with nothing and gave everything.
He is missed every day.
For more information please go to TiborRubin.com