Hector Albert Cafferata Jr., USMCR (November 4, 1929 – April 12, 2016) was a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War. In November 1950, Private First Class Cafferata single-handedly held off a regimental-strength enemy and saved wounded Marines by hurling away a live grenade that had landed in their midst, at the cost of serious personal injury. Early life Hector Cafferata was born on November 4, 1929, in New York City to Héctor A. Cafferata-Miller, a Peruvian migrant, born in Chacas; and Helen Signey of Montville, New Jersey. His great-grandfather Pedro Cafferata-Battilana was consul of Italy in Huaraz between 1890 and 1900. He grew up in the Lake Hiawatha section of Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey and in nearby Montville, and graduated in 1949 from Boonton High School at Boonton, New Jersey. Starting as a sophomore in high school, he played football for three years, and following graduation, he continued as a semi-pro. In 1943, he was employed by the Sun Dial Corporation of Caldwell, New Jersey. Korean War service Cafferata enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on February 15, 1948. He was a member of the 21st Reserve Infantry Battalion at Dover, New Jersey, until he was called to active duty on September 6, 1950. After additional training at Camp Pendleton, California, Private First Class Cafferata embarked for Korea in October 1950, joining the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Medal of Honor actions Cafferata distinguished himself during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, single-handedly holding off a regimental-sized enemy force and "annihilating two enemy platoons" after nearly all of his fire team had been killed or seriously wounded. Only he and fellow Marine Kenneth Benson were left able to resist, and Benson was temporarily blinded after a grenade went off near his face. Benson kept reloading Cafferata's M-1 rifle for him, while Cafferata, a crack shot, fought the enemy without either his coat or his boots, neither of which he could locate in the early morning darkness. The fight started in the early morning and lasted over five hours. For the rest of the night I was batting hand grenades away with my entrenching tool while firing my rifle at them. I must have whacked a dozen grenades that night with my tool. And you know what? I was the world's worst baseball player.