Korean War Medal of Honor Recipient. He was serving as a First Lieutenant with the United States Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.), when he was awarded his Medal of Honor posthumously for service Near Hansan-ni, Korea, on November 26, 1950, during the Korean War. He was born one of three children as Frank Nicias Mitchell in Indian Gap, Texas, to Judson D. Mitchell (1894-1990), and his wife Isabel G. Mitchell (1894-1968), on August 18, 1921. He was educated locally and later attended and graduated from Roaring Springs High School in Roaring Springs, Texas. He also attended the prestigious North Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College in Lubbock, Texas, where he excelled in football, Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, and at the Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado, under the V-12 program, which was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II. During World War II, he decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corps and serve his country beginning in 1939. He was assigned to serve aboard the aircraft carrier the "USS Enterprise" at Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean, and he was assigned to additional service in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, as well as further duty in China. During this time, he also became attached to the Fleet Marine Force Pacific as a member of its rifle and pistol team. His rank was then commissioned to Second Lieutenant in 1945. He was serving with the rank of First Lieutenant and as rifle company platoon commander in the United States Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.), when the 7th Marines were activated at Camp Pendleton, near Oceanside, California, on August 17, 1950, during the Korean War. The 7th Marines then left Camp Pendleton and sailed for Japan on September 1, 1950. They were engaged in heavy fighting for several weeks and on September 21, 1950, the 7th Marines made an amphibious landing at Inchon, South Korea. The 7th Marines then met up with the 1st Marine Division who had made an assault at Inchon, South Korea, a few days earlier on September 15, 1950, and fought with them against the enemy during the Battle of Seoul, which was a battle that resulted in United Nations forces recapturing Seoul from the North Koreans. On September 26, 1950, he personally led his platoon up a well-defended well and overtook the enemy. For these heroic actions and bravery, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" with a citation that read-"For heroic achievement in connections with operations against the enemy while serving with Company A... during the period 24 September 1950 to 4 October 1950." The "Combat "V" which, when worn on certain decorations awarded by the United States Armed Forces, distinguishes an award for heroism or valor in combat instead of for meritorious service or achievement. The 7th Marines then landed at Wonsan, North Korea, on October 27, 1950, and with the 1st Marine Battalion, they headed to Hamhung, North Korea, where their objective was a man-made lake named the Chosin Reservoir. The 7th Marines then continued north to Hamhung, North Korea, where they were to relieve a South Korea Army Unit that had already fought with an estimated two hundred thousand Chinese Communist forces troops that had entered North Korea by secretly crossing the Yalu River on October 19, 1950, and had launched an offensive on October 25, 1950. The first offensive between the United States and the Chinese happened on November 1, 1950. The following day, on November 2, 1950, the 7th Marines had reached the South Koreans with little opposition, but they were soon overrun by Chinese forces. On November 3, 1950, Company A was in a defensive position near Hamhung, North Korea, when his platoon was suddenly hit harder by the Chinese forces and almost overrun. First Lieutenant Frank Nicias Mitchell "rallied his men to repel the attack and he, although painfully wounded in the ensuing action, refused to be evacuated until the danger of a serious break-through was averted." For this heroic act, he was awarded the Silver Star posthumously. The following day, on November 4, 1950, one of his platoon's squad leaders Sergeant James Irsley Poynter, although seriously injured from a bayonet attack ended up taking out three Chinese enemy machine guns with grenades, thereby saving several members of his squad and platoon during a hill fight at Hill 532 in Sudong, North Korea. Sergeant James Irsley Poynter who eventually died from his injuries the same day was also awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic actions and bravery. On November 15, 1950, First Sergeant Frank Nicias Mitchell and the 7th Marines along with the 1st Marine Division continued their objective to move north to Hagaru-ri, North Korea, which was located on the man-made lake, the Chosin Reservoir. The 1st Marine Division then proceeded to go more north to Yudamni, North Korea, which was on the western side of the man-made lake, the Chosin Reservoir, and to seize it from the enemy which was done with little resistance ten days later on November 25, 1950. The following day, on November 26, 1950, First Lieutenant Frank Nicias Mitchell, United States Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.), and A Company was on patrol south of Yudamni, North Korea, when his platoon got hit hard from a Chinese forces ambush near the small village of Hagsang-ni, North Korea, which ended up causing a fierce firefight with the enemy which ended up with many of his platoon members being killed. He immediately took action at the front of his platoon and showed "great personal valor and extraordinary heroism" despite being seriously wounded. Some of the fighting included hand-to-hand combat. He sacrificed his own life to save the lives of the Marines who were wounded in his platoon, and the other outnumbered Marines in his platoon when they were being withdrawn. He was later listed as Missing in Action and his body was never recovered. The following day, on November 27, 1950, the intense fighting continued at The Battle of the man-made, Chosin Reservoir, and the 7th Marines and 4th Marines were counter-attacked by a massive number of Chinese troops which would soon force the surrounded 1st Marine Division in Yudam-ni, North Korea to begin their withdrawal from North Korea. For his leadership and heroic actions during the enemy's attack and counterattack on his platoon that included hand-to-hand fighting, he was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. His Medal of Honor was posthumously presented to Flight Lieutenant Frank Nicias Mitchell's widow and daughter on his behalf by Lieutenant Colonel Henry D. Strunk, the acting director of the 6th Marine Corps Reserve District, at his widow's home in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 6, 1952. His Medal of Honor citation reads-"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as leader of a rifle platoon of Company A, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Leading his platoon in point position during a patrol by his company through a thickly wooded and snow-covered area in the vicinity of Hansan-ni, 1st Lt. Mitchell acted immediately when the enemy suddenly opened fire at point blank range, pinning down his forward elements and inflicting numerous casualties in his ranks. Boldly dashing to the front under blistering fire from automatic weapons and small arms, he seized an automatic rifle from one of the wounded men and effectively trained it against the attackers and, when his ammunition was expended, picked up and hurled grenades with deadly accuracy, at the same time directing and encouraging his men in driving the outnumbering enemy from his position. Maneuvering to set up a defense when the enemy furiously counterattacked to the front and left flank, 1st Lt. Mitchell, despite wounds sustained early in the action, reorganized his platoon under the devastating fire, and spearheaded a fierce hand-to-hand struggle to repulse the onslaught. Asking for volunteers to assist in searching for and evacuating the wounded, he personally led a party of litter bearers through the hostile lines in growing darkness and, although suffering intense pain from multiple wounds, stormed ahead and waged a single-handed battle against the enemy, successfully covering the withdrawal of his men before he was fatally struck down by a burst of small-arms fire. Stouthearted and indomitable in the face of tremendous odds, 1st Lt. Mitchell, by his fortitude, great personal valor and extraordinary heroism, saved the lives of several marines and inflicted heavy casualties among the aggressors. His unyielding courage throughout reflects the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country." Besides, his Medal of Honor Medal, his Silver Star, and his Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" he was also honored with a Combat Action Ribbon, Korean Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Purple Heart, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Republic of Korea Service Medal, and the United Nations Service Medal. To this date, his body has never been recovered. He is remembered on the Honolulu Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the Tablets of the Missing, he is remembered with a cenotaph grave marker at Roaring Springs Cemetery in Roaring Springs, Texas, near the graves of his parents and a sibling, and he is also remembered at the National Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. He was married to Beverly Banks Mitchell and together they had one daughter. The "Mitchell Hall" at The Basic School in Camp Barret, United States Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, is named in his honor.