MARM, WALTER JOSEPH, JR.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant (then 2d Lt.), U.S. Army,
Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).
place and date: Vicinity of la Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam,
14 November 1965. Entered service at: pittsburgh, pa. Born: 20 November
1941, Washington, pa. G.O. No.: 7, 15 February 1967. Citation: For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above
and beyond the call of duty. As a platoon leader in the 1st Cavalry
Division (Airmobile), 1st Lt. Marm demonstrated indomitable courage
during a combat operation. His company was moving through the valley
to relieve a friendly unit surrounded by an enemy force of estimated
regimental size. 1st Lt. Marm led his platoon through withering
fire until they were finally forced to take cover. Realizing that
his platoon could not hold very long, and seeing four enemy soldiers
moving into his position, he moved quickly under heavy fire and
annihilated all 4. Then, seeing that his platoon was receiving intense
fire from a concealed machine gun, he deliberately exposed himself
to draw its fire. Thus locating its position, he attempted to destroy
it with an antitank weapon. Although he inflicted casualties, the
weapon did not silence the enemy fire. Quickly, disregarding the
intense fire directed on him and his platoon, he charged 30 meters
across open ground, and hurled grenades into the enemy position,
killing some of the 8 insurgents manning it. Although severely wounded,
when his grenades were expended, armed with only a rifle, he continued
the momentum of his assault on the position and killed the remainder
of the enemy. 1st Lt. Marm's selfless actions reduced the fire on
his platoon, broke the enemy assault, and rallied his unit to continue
toward the accomplishment of this mission. 1st Lt. Marm's gallantry
on the battlefield and his extraordinary intrepidity at the risk
of his life are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect
great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
*MARTINI, GARY W.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps,
Company F, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. place
and date: Binh Son, Republic of Vietnam, 21 April 1967. Entered
service at: portland, Oreg. Born: 21 September 1948, Lexington,
Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On 21 April 1967,
during Operation UNION* elements of Company F, conducting offensive
operations at Binh Son, encountered a firmly entrenched enemy force
and immediately deployed to engage them. The marines in Pfc. Martini's
platoon assaulted across an open rice paddy to within 20 meters
of the enemy trench line where they were suddenly struck by hand
grenades, intense small arms, automatic weapons, and mortar fire.
The enemy onslaught killed 14 and wounded 18 marines, pinning the
remainder of the platoon down behind a low paddy dike. In the face
of imminent danger, Pfc. Martini immediately crawled over the dike
to a forward open area within 15 meters of the enemy position where,
continuously exposed to the hostile fire, he hurled hand grenades,
killing several of the enemy. Crawling back through the intense
fire, he rejoined his platoon which had moved to the relative safety
of a trench line. From this position he observed several of his
wounded comrades Lying helpless in the fire-swept paddy. Although
he knew that 1 man had been killed attempting to assist the wounded,
Pfc. Martini raced through the open area and dragged a comrade back
to a friendly position. In spite of a serious wound received during
this first daring rescue, he again braved the unrelenting fury of
the enemy fire to aid another companion Lying wounded only 20 meters
in front of the enemy trench line. As he reached the fallen marine,
he received a mortal wound, but disregarding his own condition,
he began to drag the marine toward his platoon's position. Observing
men from his unit attempting to leave the security of their position
to aid him, concerned only for their safety, he called to them to
remain under cover, and through a final supreme effort, moved his
injured comrade to where he could be pulled to safety, before he
fell, succumbing to his wounds. Stouthearted and indomitable, Pfc.
Martini unhesitatingly yielded his life to save 2 of his comrades
and insure the safety of the remainder of his platoon. His outstanding
courage, valiant fighting spirit and selfless devotion to duty reflected
the highest credit upon himself, the Marine Corps, and the U.S.
Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
*MAXAM, LARRY LEONARD
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company D,
1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division (Rein), FMF. place
and date: Cam Lo District, Quang Tri province, Republic of Vietnam,
2 February 1968. Entered service at: Los Angeles, Calif. Born: 9
January 1948, Glendale, Calif. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call
of duty while serving as a fire team leader with Company D. The
Cam Lo District Headquarters came under extremely heavy rocket,
artillery, mortar, and recoilless rifle fire from a numerically
superior enemy force, destroying a portion of the defensive perimeter.
Cpl. Maxam, observing the enemy massing for an assault into the
compound across the remaining defensive wire, instructed his assistant
fire team leader to take charge of the fire team, and unhesitatingly
proceeded to the weakened section of the perimeter. Completely exposed
to the concentrated enemy fire, he sustained multiple fragmentation
wounds from exploding grenades as he ran to an abandoned machine
gun position. Reaching the emplacement, he grasped the machine gun
and commenced to deliver effective fire on the advancing enemy.
As the enemy directed maximum firepower against the determined marine,
Cpl. Maxam's position received a direct hit from a rocket propelled
grenade, knocking him backwards and inflicting severe fragmentation
wounds to his face and right eye. Although momentarily stunned and
in intense pain, Cpl. Maxam courageously resumed his firing position
and subsequently was struck again by small-arms fire. With resolute
determination, he gallantly continued to deliver intense machine
gun fire, causing the enemy to retreat through the defensive wire
to positions of cover. In a desperate attempt to silence his weapon,
the North Vietnamese threw hand grenades and directed recoilless
rifle fire against him inflicting 2 additional wounds. Too weak
to reload his machine gun, Cpl. Maxam fell to a prone position and
valiantly continued to deliver effective fire with his rifle. After
11/2 hours, during which he was hit repeatedly by fragments from
exploding grenades and concentrated small-arms fire, he succumbed
to his wounds, having successfully defended nearly half of the perimeter
single-handedly. Cpl. Maxam's aggressive fighting spirit, inspiring
valor and selfless devotion to duty reflected great credit upon
himself and the Marine Corps and upheld the highest traditions of
the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
McCLEERY, FINNIS D.
Rank and organization: platoon Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A,
1st Battalion, 6th U.S. Infantry. place and date: Quang Tin province,
Republic of Vietnam, 14 May 1968. Entered service at: San Angelo,
Tex. Born: 25 December 1927, Stephenville, Tex. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty. P/Sgt. McCleery, U.S. Army, distinguished
himself while serving as platoon leader of the 1st platoon of Company
A. A combined force was assigned the mission of assaulting a reinforced
company of North Vietnamese Army regulars, well entrenched on Hill
352, 17 miles west of Tam Ky. As P/Sgt. McCleery led his men up
the hill and across an open area to close with the enemy, his platoon
and other friendly elements were pinned down by tremendously heavy
fire coming from the fortified enemy positions. Realizing the severe
damage that the enemy could inflict on the combined force in the
event that their attack was completely halted, P/Sgt. McCleery rose
from his sheltered position and began a 1-man assault on the bunker
complex. With extraordinary courage, he moved across 60 meters of
open ground as bullets struck all around him and rockets and grenades
literally exploded at his feet. As he came within 30 meters of the
key enemy bunker, P/Sgt. McCleery began firing furiously from the
hip and throwing hand grenades. At this point in his assault, he
was painfully wounded by shrapnel, but, with complete disregard
for his wound, he continued his advance on the key bunker and killed
all of its occupants. Having successfully and single-handedly breached
the enemy perimeter, he climbed to the top of the bunker he had
just captured and, in full view of the enemy, shouted encouragement
to his men to follow his assault. As the friendly forces moved forward,
P/Sgt. McCleery began a lateral assault on the enemy bunker line.
He continued to expose himself to the intense enemy fire as he moved
from bunker to bunker, destroying each in turn. He was wounded a
second time by shrapnel as he destroyed and routed the enemy from
the hill. P/Sgt. McCleery is personally credited with eliminating
several key enemy positions and inspiring the assault that resulted
in gaining control of Hill 352. His extraordinary heroism at the
risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, was in keeping
with the highest standards of the military service, and reflects
great credit on him, the Americal Division, and the U.S. Army.
*McDONALD, PHILL G.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company
A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. place and
date: Near Kontum City, Republic of Vietnam, 7 June 1968. Entered
service at: Beckley, W . Va. Born: 13 September 1941. Avondale,
W. Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Pfc.
McDonald distinguished himself while serving as a team leader with
the 1st platoon of Company A. While on a combat mission his platoon
came under heavy barrage of automatic weapons fire from a well concealed
company-size enemy force. Volunteering to escort 2 wounded comrades
to an evacuation point, Pfc. McDonald crawled through intense fire
to destroy with a grenade an enemy automatic weapon threatening
the safety of the evacuation. Returning to his platoon, he again
volunteered to provide covering fire for the maneuver of the platoon
from its exposed position. Realizing the threat he posed, enemy
gunners concentrated their fire on Pfc. McDonald's position, seriously
wounding him. Despite his painful wounds, Pfc. McDonald recovered
the weapon of a wounded machine gunner to provide accurate covering
fire for the gunner's evacuation. When other soldiers were pinned
down by a heavy volume of fire from a hostile machine gun to his
front, Pfc. McDonald crawled toward the enemy position to destroy
it with grenades. He was mortally wounded in this intrepid action.
Pfc. McDonald's gallantry at the risk of his life which resulted
in the saving of the lives of his comrades, is in keeping with the
highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit
upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
McGINTY, JOHN J. III
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant (then S/Sgt.), U.S. Marine
Corps, Company K, 3d Battalion, 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division,
Fleet Marine Force. place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 18 July
1966. Entered service at: Laurel Bay, S.C. Born: 2 1 January 1940,
Boston, Mass. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 2d Lt.
McGinty's platoon, which was providing rear security to protect
the withdrawal of the battalion from a position which had been under
attack for 3 days, came under heavy small arms, automatic weapons
and mortar fire from an estimated enemy regiment. With each successive
human wave which assaulted his 32-man platoon during the 4-hour
battle, 2d Lt. McGinty rallied his men to beat off the enemy. In
1 bitter assault, 2 of the squads became separated from the remainder
of the platoon. With complete disregard for his safety, 2d Lt. McGinty
charged through intense automatic weapons and mortar fire to their
position. Finding 20 men wounded and the medical corpsman killed,
he quickly reloaded ammunition magazines and weapons for the wounded
men and directed their fire upon the enemy. Although he was painfully
wounded as he moved to care for the disabled men, he continued to
shout encouragement to his troops and to direct their fire so effectively
that the attacking hordes were beaten off. When the enemy tried
to out-flank his position, he killed 5 of them at point-blank range
with his pistol. When they again seemed on the verge of overrunning
the small force, he skillfully adjusted artillery and air strikes
within 50 yards of his position. This destructive firepower routed
the enemy, who left an estimated 500 bodies on the battlefield.
2d Lt. McGinty's personal heroism, indomitable leadership, selfless
devotion to duty, and bold fighting spirit inspired his men to resist
the repeated attacks by a fanatical enemy, reflected great credit
upon himself, and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps
and the U.S. Naval Service.
McGONAGLE, WILLIAM L.
Rank and organization: Captain (then Comdr.) U.S. Navy, U.S.S.
Liberty (AGTR-5). place and date: International waters, Eastern
Mediterranean, 8-9 June 1967. Entered service at: Thermal, Calif.
Born: 19 November 1925, Wichita, Kans. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty. Sailing in international waters, the Liberty was
attacked without warning by jet fighter aircraft and motor torpedo
boats which inflicted many casualties among the crew and caused
extreme damage to the ship. Although severely wounded during the
first air attack, Capt. McGonagle remained at his battle station
on the badly damaged bridge and, with full knowledge of the seriousness
of his wounds, subordinated his own welfare to the safety and survival
of his command. Steadfastly refusing any treatment which would take
him away from his post, he calmly continued to exercise firm command
of his ship. Despite continuous exposure to fire, he maneuvered
his ship, directed its defense, supervised the control of flooding
and fire, and saw to the care of the casualties. Capt. McGonagle's
extraordinary valor under these conditions inspired the surviving
members of the Liberty's crew, many of them seriously wounded, to
heroic efforts to overcome the battle damage and keep the ship afloat.
Subsequent to the attack, although in great pain and weak from the
loss of blood, Captain McGonagle remained at his battle station
and continued to command his ship for more than 17 hours. It was
only after rendezvous with a U.S. destroyer that he relinquished
personal control of the Liberty and permitted himself to be removed
from the bridge. Even then, he refused much needed medical attention
until convinced that the seriously wounded among his crew had been
treated. Capt. McGonagle's superb professionalism, courageous fighting
spirit, and valiant leadership saved his ship and many lives. His
actions sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval
Service. (Captain McGonagle earned the Medal of Honor for actions
that took place in international waters in the Eastern Mediterranean
rather than in Vietnam.)
*McKlBBEN, RAY
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Troop B, 7th Squadron
(Airmobile), 17th Cavalry. place and date: Near Song Mao, Republic
of Vietnam, 8 December 1968. Entered service at: Atlanta, Ga. Born:
27 October 1945. Felton, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty, Sgt. McKibben distinguished himself in action
while serving as team leader of the point element of a reconnaissance
patrol of Troop B, operating in enemy territory. Sgt. McKibben was
leading his point element in a movement to contact along a well-traveled
trail when the lead element came under heavy automatic weapons fire
from a fortified bunker position, forcing the patrol to take cover.
Sgt. McKibben, appraising the situation and without regard for his
own safety, charged through bamboo and heavy brush to the fortified
position, killed the enemy gunner, secured the weapon and directed
his patrol element forward. As the patrol moved out, Sgt. McKibben
observed enemy movement to the flank of the patrol. Fire support
from helicopter gunships was requested and the area was effectively
neutralized. The patrol again continued its mission and as the lead
element rounded the bend of a river it came under heavy automatic
weapons fire from camouflaged bunkers. As Sgt. McKibben was deploying
his men to covered positions, he observed one of his men fall wounded.
Although bullets were hitting all around the wounded man, Sgt. McKibben,
with complete disregard for his safety, sprang to his comrade's
side and under heavy enemy fire pulled him to safety behind the
cover of a rock emplacement where he administered hasty first aid.
Sgt. McKibben, seeing that his comrades were pinned down and were
unable to deliver effective fire against the enemy bunkers, again
undertook a single-handed assault of the enemy defenses. He charged
through the brush and hail of automatic weapons fire closing on
the first bunker, killing the enemy with accurate rifle fire and
securing the enemy's weapon. He continued his assault against the
next bunker, firing his rifle as he charged. As he approached the
second bunker his rifle ran out of ammunition; however, he used
the captured enemy weapon until it too was empty, at that time he
silenced the bunker with well placed hand grenades. He reloaded
his weapon and covered the advance of his men as they moved forward.
Observing the fire of another bunker impeding the patrol's advance,
Sgt. McKibben again single-handedly assaulted the new position.
As he neared the bunker he was mortally wounded but was able to
fire a final burst from his weapon killing the enemy and enabling
the patrol to continue the assault. Sgt. McKibben's indomitable
courage, extraordinary heroism, profound concern for the welfare
of his fellow soldiers and disregard for his personal safety saved
the lives of his comrades and enabled the patrol to accomplish its
mission. Sgt. McKibben's gallantry in action at the cost of his
life above and beyond the call of duty are in the highest traditions
of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his
unit, and the U.S. Army.
*McMAHON, THOMAS J.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company
A, 2d Battalion, 1st Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade, Americal
Division. place and date: Quang Tin province, Republic of Vietnam,
19 March 1969. Entered service at: portland, Maine. Born: 24 June
1948, Washington, D.C. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.
Sp4c. McMahon distinguished himself while serving as medical aid
man with Company A. When the lead elements of his company came under
heavy fire from well-fortified enemy positions, 3 soldiers fell
seriously wounded. Sp4c. McMahon, with complete disregard for his
safety, left his covered position and ran through intense enemy
fire to the side of 1 of the wounded, administered first aid and
then carried him to safety. He returned through the hail of fire
to the side of a second wounded man. Although painfully wounded
by an exploding mortar round while returning the wounded man to
a secure position, Sp4c. McMahon refused medical attention and heroically
ran back through the heavy enemy fire toward his remaining wounded
comrade. He fell mortally wounded before he could rescue the last
man. Sp4c. McMahon's undaunted concern for the welfare of his comrades
at the cost of his life are in keeping with the highest traditions
of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his
unit, and the U.S. Army.
McNERNEY, DAVID H.
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 1st
Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. place and date:
polei Doc, Republic of Vietnam, 22 March 1967. Entered service at:
Fort Bliss, Tex. Born: 2 June 1931, Lowell, Mass. Citation: 1st
Sgt. McNerney distinguished himself when his unit was attacked by
a North Vietnamese battalion near polei Doc. Running through the
hail of enemy fire to the area of heaviest contact, he was assisting
in the development of a defensive perimeter when he encountered
several enemy at close range. He killed the enemy but was painfully
injured when blown from his feet by a grenade. In spite of this
injury, he assaulted and destroyed an enemy machinegun position
that had pinned down 5 of his comrades beyond the defensive line.
Upon learning his commander and artillery forward observer had been
killed, he assumed command of the company. He adjusted artillery
fire to within 20 meters of the position in a daring measure to
repulse ??enemy assaults. When the smoke grenades used to mark the
position were gone, he moved into a nearby clearing to designate
the location to friendly aircraft. In spite of enemy fire he remained
exposed until he was certain the position was spotted and then climbed
into a tree and tied the identification panel to its highest branches.
Then he moved among his men readjusting their position, encouraging
the defenders and checking the wounded. As the hostile assaults
slackened, he began clearing a helicopter landing site to evacuate
the wounded. When explosives were needed to remove large trees,
he crawled outside the relative safety of his perimeter to collect
demolition material from abandoned rucksacks. Moving through a fusillade
of fire he returned with the explosives that were vital to the clearing
of the landing zone. Disregarding the pain of his injury and refusing
medical evacuation 1st Sgt. McNerney remained with his unit until
the next day when the new commander arrived. First Sgt. McNerney's
outstanding heroism and leadership were inspirational to his comrades.
His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S.
Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces
of his country.
*MCWETHY, EDGAR LEE, JR.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fifth Class, U.S. Army, Company
B, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).
place and date: Binh Dinh province, Republic of Vietnam, 21 June
1967. Entered service at: Denver, Colo. Born: 22 November 1944,
Leadville, Colo. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.
Serving as a medical aidman with Company B, Sp5c. McWethy accompanied
his platoon to the site of a downed helicopter. Shortly after the
platoon established a defensive perimeter around the aircraft, a
large enemy force attacked the position from 3 sides with a heavy
volume of automatic weapons fire and grenades. The platoon leader
and his radio operator were wounded almost immediately, and Sp5c.
McWethy rushed across the fire-swept area to their assistance. Although
he could not help the mortally wounded radio operator, Sp5c. McWethy's
timely first aid enabled the platoon leader to retain command during
this critical period. Hearing a call for aid, Sp5c. McWethy started
across the open toward the injured men, but was wounded in the head
and knocked to the ground. He regained his feet and continued on
but was hit again, this time in the leg. Struggling onward despite
his wounds, he gained the side of his comrades and treated their
injuries. Observing another fallen rifleman Lying in an exposed
position raked by enemy fire, Sp5c. McWethy moved toward him without
hesitation. Although the enemy fire wounded him a third time, Sp5c.
McWethy reached his fallen companion. Though weakened and in extreme
pain, Sp5c. McWethy gave the wounded man artificial respiration
but suffered a fourth and fatal wound. Through his indomitable courage,
complete disregard for his safety, and demonstrated concern for
his fellow soldiers, Sp5c. McWethy inspired the members of his platoon
and contributed in great measure to their successful defense of
the position and the ultimate rout of the enemy force. Sp5c. McWethy's
profound sense of duty, bravery, and his willingness to accept extraordinary
risks in order to help the men of his unit are characteristic of
the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great
credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
*MICHAEL, DON LESLIE
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company
C, 4th Battalion, 503d Infantry, 1 73d Airborne Brigade. place and
date: Republic of Vietnam, 8 April 1967. Entered service at: Montgomery,
Ala. Born: 31 July 1947, Florence, Ala. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty. Sp4c. Michael, U.S. Army, distinguished himself
while serving with Company C. Sp4c. Michael was part of a platoon
which was moving through an area of suspected enemy activity. While
the rest of the platoon stopped to provide security, the squad to
which Sp4c. Michael was assigned moved forward to investigate signs
of recent enemy activity. After moving approximately 125 meters,
the squad encountered a single Viet Cong soldier. When he was fired
upon by the squad's machine gunner, other Viet Cong opened fire
with automatic weapons from a well-concealed bunker to the squad's
right front. The volume of enemy fire was so withering as to pin
down the entire squad and halt all forward movement. Realizing the
gravity of the situation, Sp4c. Michael exposed himself to throw
2 grenades, but failed to eliminate the enemy position. From his
position on the left flank, Sp4c. Michael maneuvered forward with
2 more grenades until he was within 20 meters of the enemy bunkers,
when he again exposed himself to throw 2 grenades, which failed
to detonate. Undaunted, Sp4c. Michael made his way back to the friendly
positions to obtain more grenades. With 2 grenades in hand, he again
started his perilous move towards the enemy bunker, which by this
time was under intense artillery fire from friendly positions. As
he neared the bunker, an enemy soldier attacked him from a concealed
position. Sp4c. Michael killed him with his rifle and, in spite
of the enemy fire and the exploding artillery rounds, was successful
in destroying the enemy positions. Sp4c. Michael took up pursuit
of the remnants of the retreating enemy. When his comrades reached
Sp4c. Michael, he had been mortally wounded. His inspiring display
of determination and courage saved the lives of many of his comrades
and successfully eliminated a destructive enemy force. Sp4c. Michael's
actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military
service and reflect the utmost credit upon himself and the U.S.
Army.
MILLER, FRANKLIN D.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 5th Special Forces
Group, 1st Special Forces. place and date: Kontum province, Republic
of Vietnam, 5 January 1970. Entered service at: Albuquerque, N.
Mex. Born: 27 January 1945, Elizabeth City, N.C. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Miller, 5th Special Forces Group,
distinguished himself while serving as team leader of an American-Vietnamese
long-range reconnaissance patrol operating deep within enemy controlled
territory. Leaving the helicopter insertion point, the patrol moved
forward on its mission. Suddenly, 1 of the team members tripped
a hostile booby trap which wounded 4 soldiers. S/Sgt. Miller, knowing
that the explosion would alert the enemy, quickly administered first
aid to the wounded and directed the team into positions across a
small stream bed at the base of a steep hill. Within a few minutes,
S/Sgt. Miller saw the lead element of what he estimated to be a
platoon-size enemy force moving toward his location. Concerned for
the safety of his men, he directed the small team to move up the
hill to a more secure position. He remained alone, separated from
the patrol, to meet the attack. S/Sgt. Miller single-handedly repulsed
2 determined attacks by the numerically superior enemy force and
caused them to withdraw in disorder. He rejoined his team, established
contact with a forward air controller and arranged the evacuation
of his patrol. However, the only suitable extraction location in
the heavy jungle was a bomb crater some 150 meters from the team
location. S/Sgt. Miller reconnoitered the route to the crater and
led his men through the enemy controlled jungle to the extraction
site. As the evacuation helicopter hovered over the crater to pick
up the patrol, the enemy launched a savage automatic weapon and
rocket-propelled grenade attack against the beleaguered team, driving
off the rescue helicopter. S/Sgt. Miller led the team in a valiant
defense which drove back the enemy in its attempt to overrun the
small patrol. Although seriously wounded and with every man in his
patrol a casualty, S/Sgt. Miller moved forward to again single-handedly
meet the hostile attackers. From his forward exposed position, S/Sgt.
Miller gallantly repelled 2 attacks by the enemy before a friendly
relief force reached the patrol location. S/Sgt. Miller's gallantry,
intrepidity in action, and selfless devotion to the welfare of his
comrades are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military
service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S.
Army.
*MILLER, GARY L.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company A,
1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. place and date:
Binh Duong province, Republic of Vietnam, 16 February 1969. Entered
service at: Roanoke, Va. Born: 19 March 1947, Covington, Va. Citation:
For conspicuous intrepidity and gallantry in action at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty. First Lt. Miller,
Infantry, Company A, was serving as a platoon leader at night when
his company ambushed a hostile force infiltrating from Cambodian
sanctuaries. After contact with the enemy was broken, 1st Lt. Miller
led a reconnaissance patrol from their prepared positions through
the early evening darkness and dense tropical growth to search the
area for enemy casualties. As the group advanced they were suddenly
attacked. First Lt. Miller was seriously wounded. However, the group
fought back with telling effect on the hostile force. An enemy grenade
was thrown into the midst of the friendly patrol group and all took
cover except 1st Lt. Miller. who in the dim light located the grenade
and threw himself on it, absorbing the force of the explosion with
his body. His action saved nearby members of his patrol from almost
certain serious injury. The extraordinary courage and selflessness
displayed by this officer were an inspiration to his comrades and
are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
MODRZEJEWSKI, ROBERT J.
Rank and organization: Major (then Capt.), U.S. Marine Corps, Company
K, 3d Battalion, 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division, FMF. place and
date: Republic of Vietnam, 15 to 18 July 1966. Entered service at:
Milwaukee, Wis. Born: 3 July 1934, Milwaukee, Wis. Citation: For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty. On 15 July, during Operation HASTINGS,
Company K was landed in an enemy-infested jungle area to establish
a blocking position at a major enemy trail network. Shortly after
landing, the company encountered a reinforced enemy platoon in a
well-organized, defensive position. Maj. Modrzejewski led his men
in the successful seizure of the enemy redoubt, which contained
large quantities of ammunition and supplies. That evening, a numerically
superior enemy force counterattacked in an effort to retake the
vital supply area, thus setting the pattern of activity for the
next 2 1/2 days. In the first series of attacks, the enemy assaulted
repeatedly in overwhelming numbers but each time was repulsed by
the gallant marines. The second night, the enemy struck in battalion
strength, and Maj. Modrzejewski was wounded in this intensive action
which was fought at close quarters. Although exposed to enemy fire,
and despite his painful wounds, he crawled 200 meters to provide
critically needed ammunition to an exposed element of his command
and was constantly present wherever the fighting was heaviest, despite
numerous casualties, a dwindling supply of ammunition and the knowledge
that they were surrounded, he skillfully directed artillery fire
to within a few meter* of his position and courageously inspired
the efforts of his company in repelling the aggressive enemy attack.
On 18 July, Company K was attacked by a regimental-size enemy force.
Although his unit was vastly outnumbered and weakened by the previous
fighting, Maj. Modrzejewski reorganized his men and calmly moved
among them to encourage and direct their efforts to heroic limits
as they fought to overcome the vicious enemy onslaught. Again he
called in air and artillery strikes at close range with devastating
effect on the enemy, which together with the bold and determined
fighting of the men of Company K, repulsed the fanatical attack
of the larger North Vietnamese force. His unparalleled personal
heroism and indomitable leadership inspired his men to a significant
victory over the enemy force and reflected great credit upon himself,
the Marine Corps, and the U.S. Naval Service.
*MOLNAR, FRANKIE ZOLY
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 1st
Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. place and date:
Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, 20 May 1967. Entered service
at: Fresno, Calif. Born: 14 February 1943, Logan, W. Va. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Molnar distinguished
himself while serving as a squad leader with Company B, during combat
operations. Shortly after the battalion's defensive perimeter was
established, it was hit by intense mortar fire as the prelude to
a massive enemy night attack. S/Sgt. Molnar immediately left his
sheltered location to insure the readiness of his squad to meet
the attack. As he crawled through the position, he discovered a
group of enemy soldiers closing in on his squad area. His accurate
rifle fire killed 5 of the enemy and forced the remainder to flee.
When the mortar fire stopped, the enemy attacked in a human wave
supported by grenades, rockets, automatic weapons, and small-arms
fire. After assisting to repel the first enemy assault, S/Sgt. Molnar
found that his squad's ammunition and grenade supply was nearly
expended. Again leaving the relative safety of his position, he
crawled through intense enemy fire to secure additional ammunition
and distribute it to his squad. He rejoined his men to beat back
the renewed enemy onslaught, and he moved about his area providing
medical aid and assisting in the evacuation of the wounded. With
the help of several men, he was preparing to move a severely wounded
soldier when an enemy hand grenade was thrown into the group. The
first to see the grenade, S/Sgt. Molnar threw himself on it and
absorbed the deadly blast to save his comrades. His demonstrated
selflessness and inspirational leadership on the battlefield were
a major factor in the successful defense of the American position
and are in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Army.
S/Sgt. Molnar's actions reflect great credit upon himself, his unit,
and the U.S. Army.
*MONROE, JAMES H.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Headquarters
and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry
Division (Airmobile). Place and date: Bong Son, Hoai Nhon Province,
Republic of Vietnam, 16 February 1967. Entered service at: Chicago,
Ill. Born: 17 October 1944, Aurora, Ill. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty. His platoon was deployed in a night
ambush when the position was suddenly subjected to an intense and
accurate grenade attack, and 1 foxhole was hit immediately. Responding
without hesitation to the calls for help from the wounded men Pfc.
Monroe moved forward through heavy small-arms fire to the foxhole
but found that all of the men had expired. He turned immediately
and crawled back through the deadly hail of fire toward other calls
for aid. He moved to the platoon sergeant's position where he found
the radio operator bleeding profusely from fragmentation and bullet
wounds. Ignoring the continuing enemy attack, Pfc. Monroe began
treating the wounded man when he saw a live grenade fall directly
in front of the position. He shouted a warning to all those nearby,
pushed the wounded radio operator and the platoon sergeant to one
side, and lunged forward to smother the grenade's blast with his
body. Through his valorous actions, performed in a flash of inspired
selflessness, Pfc. Monroe saved the lives of 2 of his comrades and
prevented the probable injury of several others. His gallantry and
intrepidity were in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army, and
reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
*MORGAN, WILLIAM D.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps. Company H,
2d Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Quang
Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 25 February 1969. Entered service
at: Pittsburgh, Pa. Born: 17 September 1947, Pittsburgh, Pa. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a squad leader
with Company H, in operations against the enemy. While participating
in Operation DEWEY CANYON southeast of Vandergrift Combat Base,
1 of the squads of Cpl. Morgan's platoon was temporarily pinned
down and sustained several casualties while attacking a North Vietnamese
Army force occupying a heavily fortified bunker complex. Observing
that 2 of the wounded marines had fallen in a position dangerously
exposed to the enemy fire and that all attempts to evacuate them
were halted by a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire and rocket-propelled
grenades. Cpl. Morgan unhesitatingly maneuvered through the dense
jungle undergrowth to a road that passed in front of a hostile emplacement
which was the principal source of enemy fire. Fully aware of the
possible consequences of his valiant action, but thinking only of
the welfare of his injured companions, Cpl. Morgan shouted words
of encouragement to them as he initiated an aggressive assault against
the hostile bunker. While charging across the open road, he was
clearly visible to the hostile soldiers who turned their fire in
his direction and mortally wounded him, but his diversionary tactic
enabled the remainder of his squad to retrieve their casualties
and overrun the North Vietnamese Army position. His heroic and determined
actions saved the lives of 2 fellow marines and were instrumental
in the subsequent defeat of the enemy. Cpl. Morgan's indomitable
courage, inspiring initiative and selfless devotion to duty upheld
the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S. Naval
Services. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
MORRIS, CHARLES B.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant (then Sgt.), U.S. Army, Company
A, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade
(Separate). Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 29 June 1966. Entered
service at: Roanoke, Va. Born: 29 December 1931, Carroll County,
Va. C.O. No.: 51, 14 December 1967. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call
of duty. Seeing indications of the enemy's presence in the area,
S/Sgt. Morris deployed his squad and continued forward alone to
make a reconnaissance. He unknowingly crawled within 20 meters of
an enemy machinegun, whereupon the gunner fired, wounding him in
the chest. S/Sgt. Morris instantly returned the fire and killed
the gunner. Continuing to crawl within a few feet of the gun, he
hurled a grenade and killed the remainder of the enemy crew. Although
in pain and bleeding profusely, S/Sgt. Morris continued his reconnaissance.
Returning to the platoon area, he reported the results of his reconnaissance
to the platoon leader. As he spoke, the platoon came under heavy
fire. Refusing medical attention for himself, he deployed his men
in better firing positions confronting the entrenched enemy to his
front. Then for 8 hours the platoon engaged the numerically superior
enemy force. Withdrawal was impossible without abandoning many wounded
and dead. Finding the platoon medic dead, S/Sgt. Morris administered
first aid to himself and was returning to treat the wounded members
of his squad with the medic's first aid kit when he was again wounded.
Knocked down and stunned, he regained consciousness and continued
to treat the wounded, reposition his men, and inspire and encourage
their efforts. Wounded again when an enemy grenade shattered his
left hand, nonetheless he personally took up the fight and armed
and threw several grenades which killed a number of enemy soldiers.
Seeing that an enemy machinegun had maneuvered behind his platoon
and was delivering the fire upon his men, S/Sgt. Morris and another
man crawled toward the gun to knock it out. His comrade was killed
and S/Sgt. Morris sustained another wound, but, firing his rifle
with 1 hand, he silenced the enemy machinegun. Returning to the
platoon, he courageously exposed himself to the devastating enemy
fire to drag the wounded to a protected area, and with utter disregard
for his personal safety and the pain he suffered, he continued to
lead and direct the efforts of his men until relief arrived. Upon
termination of the battle, important documents were found among
the enemy dead revealing a planned ambush of a Republic of Vietnam
battalion. Use of this information prevented the ambush and saved
many lives. S/Sgt. Morris' gallantry was instrumental in the successful
defeat of the enemy, saved many lives, and was in the highest traditions
of the U.S. Army.
*MURRAY, ROBERT C.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 4th
Battalion, 31st Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade, 23d Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near the village of Hiep Duc, Republic of Vietnam,
7 June 1970. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Born: 10 December
1946, Bronx, N.Y. Citation: S/Sgt. Murray distinguished himself
while serving as a squad leader with Company B. S/Sgt. Murray's
squad was searching for an enemy mortar that had been threatening
friendly positions when a member of the squad tripped an enemy grenade
rigged as a booby trap. Realizing that he had activated the enemy
booby trap, the soldier shouted for everybody to take cover. Instantly
assessing the danger to the men of his squad, S/Sgt. Murray unhesitatingly
and with complete disregard for his own safety, threw himself on
the grenade absorbing the full and fatal impact of the explosion.
By his gallant action and self sacrifice, he prevented the death
or injury of the other members of his squad. S/Sgt. Murray's extraordinary
courage and gallantry, at the cost of his life above and beyond
the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of
the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit,
and the U.S. Army.
*NASH, DAVID P.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company
B, 2d Battalion, 39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. Place and
date: Giao Duc District, Dinh Tuong Province, Republic of Vietnam,
29 December 1968. Entered service at: Louisville, Ky. Born: 3 November
1947, Whitesville, Ky. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.
Pfc. Nash distinguished himself while serving as a grenadier with
Company B, in Giao Duc District. When an ambush patrol of which
he was a member suddenly came under intense attack before reaching
its destination, he was the first to return the enemy fire. Taking
an exposed location, Pfc. Nash suppressed the hostile fusillade
with a rapid series of rounds from his grenade launcher, enabling
artillery fire to be adjusted on the enemy. After the foe had been
routed, his small element continued to the ambush site where he
established a position with 3 fellow soldiers on a narrow dike.
Shortly past midnight, while Pfc. Nash and a comrade kept watch
and the 2 other men took their turn sleeping, an enemy grenade wounded
2 soldiers in the adjacent position. Seconds later, Pfc. Nash saw
another grenade land only a few feet from his own position. Although
he could have escaped harm by rolling down the other side of the
dike, he shouted a warning to his comrades and leaped upon the lethal
explosive. Absorbing the blast with his body, he saved the lives
of the 3 men in the area at the sacrifice of his life. By his gallantry
at the cost of his life are in the highest traditions of the military
service, Pfc. Nash has reflected great credit on himself, his unit,
and the U.S. Army.
*NEWLIN, MELVIN EARL
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps,
2d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place
and date: Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, 4 July 1967.
Entered service at: Cleveland, Ohio. Born: 27 September 1948, Wellsville,
Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the
risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving
as a machine gunner attached to the 1st Platoon, Company F, 2d Battalion,
on 3 and 4 July 1967. Pfc. Newlin, with 4 other marines, was manning
a key position on the perimeter of the Nong Son outpost when the
enemy launched a savage and well coordinated mortar and infantry
assault, seriously wounding him and killing his 4 comrades. Propping
himself against his machinegun, he poured a deadly accurate stream
of fire into the charging ranks of the Viet Cong. Though repeatedly
hit by small-arms fire, he twice repelled enemy attempts to overrun
his position. During the third attempt, a grenade explosion wounded
him again and knocked him to the ground unconscious. The Viet Cong
guerrillas, believing him dead, bypassed him and continued their
assault on the main force. Meanwhile, Pfc. Newlin regained consciousness,
crawled back to his weapon, and brought it to bear on the rear of
the enemy, causing havoc and confusion among them. Spotting the
enemy attempting to bring a captured 106 recoilless weapon to bear
on other marine positions, he shifted his fire, inflicting heavy
casualties on the enemy and preventing them from firing the captured
weapon. He then shifted his fire back to the primary enemy force,
causing the enemy to stop their assault on the marine bunkers and
to once again attack his machinegun position. Valiantly fighting
off 2 more enemy assaults, he firmly held his ground until mortally
wounded. Pfc. Newlin had single-handedly broken up and disorganized
the entire enemy assault force, causing them to lose momentum and
delaying them long enough for his fellow marines to organize a defense
and beat off their secondary attack. His indomitable courage, fortitude,
and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of almost certain death
reflect great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps and upheld
the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
*NOONAN, THOMAS P., JR.
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company
G, 2d Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date:
Near Vandergrift Combat Base, A Shau Valley, Republic of Vietnam,
5 February 1969. Entered service at: Brooklyn, N.Y. Born: 18 November
1943, Brooklyn, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while
serving as a fire team leader with Company G, in operations against
the enemy in Quang Tri Province. Company G was directed to move
from a position which they had been holding southeast of the Vandergrift
Combat Base to an alternate location. As the marines commenced a
slow and difficult descent down the side of the hill made extremely
slippery by the heavy rains, the leading element came under a heavy
fire from a North Vietnamese Army unit occupying well concealed
positions in the rocky terrain. Four men were wounded, and repeated
attempts to recover them failed because of the intense hostile fire.
L/Cpl. Noonan moved from his position of relative security and,
maneuvering down the treacherous slope to a location near the injured
men, took cover behind some rocks. Shouting words of encouragement
to the wounded men to restore their confidence, he dashed across
the hazardous terrain and commenced dragging the most seriously
wounded man away from the fire-swept area. Although wounded and
knocked to the ground by an enemy round, L/Cpl. Noonan recovered
rapidly and resumed dragging the man toward the marginal security
of a rock. He was, however, mortally wounded before he could reach
his destination. His heroic actions inspired his fellow marines
to such aggressiveness that they initiated a spirited assault which
forced the enemy soldiers to withdraw. L/Cpl. Noonan's indomitable
courage, inspiring initiative, and selfless devotion to duty upheld
the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
He gallantly gave his life for his country.
NORRIS, THOMAS R.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, SEAL Advisor, Strategic
Technical Directorate Assistance Team, Headquarters, U.S. Military
Assistance Command. Place and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic
of Vietnam, 10 to 13 April 1972. Entered service at: Silver Spring,
Md. Born: 14 January 1944, Jacksonville, Fla. Citation: Lt. Norris
completed an unprecedented ground rescue of 2 downed pilots deep
within heavily controlled enemy territory in Quang Tri Province.
Lt. Norris, on the night of 10 April, led a 5-man patrol through
2,000 meters of heavily controlled enemy territory, located 1 of
the downed pilots at daybreak, and returned to the Forward Operating
Base (FOB). On 11 April, after a devastating mortar and rocket attack
on the small FOB, Lt. Norris led a 3-man team on 2 unsuccessful
rescue attempts for the second pilot. On the afternoon of the 12th,
a forward air controller located the pilot and notified Lt. Norris.
Dressed in fishermen disguises and using a sampan, Lt. Norris and
1 Vietnamese traveled throughout that night and found the injured
pilot at dawn. Covering the pilot with bamboo and vegetation, they
began the return journey, successfully evading a North Vietnamese
patrol. Approaching the FOB, they came under heavy machinegun fire.
Lt. Norris called in an air strike which provided suppression fire
and a smoke screen, allowing the rescue party to reach the FOB.
By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, undaunted courage,
and selfless dedication in the face of extreme danger, Lt. Norris
enhanced the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
NOVOSEL, MICHAEL J.
Rank and organization: Chief Warrant Officer, U.S. Army, 82d Medical
Detachment, 45th Medical Company, 68th Medical Group. Place and
date: Kien Tuong Province, Republic of Vietnam, 2 October 1969.
Entered service at: Kenner, La. Born: 3 September 1922, Etna, Pa.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at
the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. CWO Novosel,
82d Medical Detachment, distinguished himself while serving as commander
of a medical evacuation helicopter. He unhesitatingly maneuvered
his helicopter into a heavily fortified and defended enemy training
area where a group of wounded Vietnamese soldiers were pinned down
by a large enemy force. Flying without gunship or other cover and
exposed to intense machinegun fire, CWO Novosel was able to locate
and rescue a wounded soldier. Since all communications with the
beleaguered troops had been lost, he repeatedly circled the battle
area, flying at low level under continuous heavy fire, to attract
the attention of the scattered friendly troops. This display of
courage visibly raised their morale, as they recognized this as
a signal to assemble for evacuation. On 6 occasions he and his crew
were forced out of the battle area by the intense enemy fire, only
to circle and return from another direction to land and extract
additional troops. Near the end of the mission, a wounded soldier
was spotted close to an enemy bunker. Fully realizing that he would
attract a hail of enemy fire, CWO Novosel nevertheless attempted
the extraction by hovering the helicopter backward. As the man was
pulled on aboard, enemy automatic weapons opened fire at close range,
damaged the aircraft and wounded CWO Novosel. He momentarily lost
control of the aircraft, but quickly recovered and departed under
the withering enemy fire. In all, 15 extremely hazardous extractions
were performed in order to remove wounded personnel. As a direct
result of his selfless conduct, the lives of 29 soldiers were saved.
The extraordinary heroism displayed by CWO Novosel was an inspiration
to his comrades in arms and reflect great credit on him, his unit,
and the U.S. Army.
*OLIVE, MILTON L. III
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company
B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade.
Place and date: Phu Cuong, Republic of Vietnam, 22 October 1965.
Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 7 November 1946, Chicago,
Ill. C.O. No.: 18, 26 April 1966. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call
of duty. Pfc. Olive was a member of the 3d Platoon of Company B,
as it moved through the jungle to find the Viet Cong operating in
the area. Although the platoon was subjected to a heavy volume of
enemy gunfire and pinned down temporarily, it retaliated by assaulting
the Viet Cong positions, causing the enemy to flee. As the platoon
pursued the insurgents, Pfc. Olive and 4 other soldiers were moving
through the jungle together with a grenade was thrown into their
midst. Pfc. Olive saw the grenade, and then saved the lives of his
fellow soldiers at the sacrifice of his by grabbing the grenade
in his hand and falling on it to absorb the blast with his body.
Through his bravery, unhesitating actions, and complete disregard
for his safety, he prevented additional loss of life or injury to
the members of his platoon. Pfc. Olive's extraordinary heroism,
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in
the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit
upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
*OLSON, KENNETH L.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company
A, 5th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Infantry Brigade (Separate)
(Light). Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 13 May 1968. Entered
service at: Minneapolis, Minn. Born: 26 May 1945, Willmar, Minn.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at
the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Olson
distinguished himself at the cost of his life while serving as a
team leader with Company A. Sp4c. Olson was participating in a mission
to reinforce a reconnaissance platoon which was heavily engaged
with a well-entrenched Viet Cong force. When his platoon moved into
the area of contact and had overrun the first line of enemy bunkers,
Sp4c. Olson and a fellow soldier moved forward of the platoon to
investigate another suspected line of bunkers. As the 2 men advanced
they were pinned down by intense automatic weapons fire from an
enemy position 10 meters to their front. With complete disregard
for his safety, Sp4c. Olson exposed himself and hurled a hand grenade
into the Viet Cong position. Failing to silence the hostile fire,
he again exposed himself to the intense fire in preparation to assault
the enemy position. As he prepared to hurl the grenade, he was wounded,
causing him to drop the activated device within his own position.
Realizing that it would explode immediately, Sp4c. Olson threw himself
upon the grenade and pulled it in to his body to take the full force
of the explosion. By this unselfish action Sp4c. Olson sacrificed
his own life to save the lives of his fellow comrades-in-arms. His
extraordinary heroism inspired his fellow soldiers to renew their
efforts and totally defeat the enemy force. Sp4c. Olson's profound
courage and intrepidity were in keeping with the highest traditions
of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his
unit, and the U.S. Army.
O'MALLEY, ROBERT E.
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Cpl.), U .S. Marine Corps,
Company 1, 3d Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division
(Rein). Place and date: Near An Cu'ong 2, South Vietnam, 18 August
1965. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Born: 3 June 1943, New
York, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in
action against the communist (Viet Cong) forces at the risk of his
life above and beyond the call of duty. While leading his squad
in the assault against a strongly entrenched enemy force, his unit
came under intense small-arms fire. With complete disregard for
his personal safety, Sgt. O'Malley raced across an open rice paddy
to a trench line where the enemy forces were located. Jumping into
the trench, he attacked the Viet Cong with his rifle and grenades,
and singly killed 8 of the enemy. He then led his squad to the assistance
of an adjacent marine unit which was suffering heavy casualties.
Continuing to press forward, he reloaded his weapon and fired with
telling effect into the enemy emplacement. He personally assisted
in the evacuation of several wounded marines, and again regrouping
the remnants of his squad, he returned to the point of the heaviest
fighting. Ordered to an evacuation point by an officer, Sgt. O'Malley
gathered his besieged and badly wounded squad, and boldly led them
under fire to a helicopter for withdrawal. Although 3 times wounded
in this encounter, and facing imminent death from a fanatic and
determined enemy, he steadfastly refused evacuation and continued
to cover his squad's boarding of the helicopters while, from an
exposed position, he delivered fire against the enemy until his
wounded men were evacuated. Only then, with his last mission accomplished,
did he permit himself to be removed from the battlefield. By his
valor, leadership, and courageous efforts in behalf of his comrades,
he served as an inspiration to all who observed him, and reflected
the highest credit upon the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
*OUELLET, DAVID G.
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy, River Squadron 5, My
Tho Detachment 532. Place and date: Mekong River, Republic of Vietnam,
6 March 1967. Entered service at: Boston, Mass. Born: 13 June, 1944,
Newton, Mass. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. As the
forward machine gunner on River Patrol Boat (PBR) 124, which was
on patrol during the early evening hours, Seaman Ouellet observed
suspicious activity near the river bank, alerted his boat captain,
and recommended movement of the boat to the area to investigate.
While the PBR was making a high-speed run along the river bank,
Seaman Ouellet spotted an incoming enemy grenade falling toward
the boat. He immediately left the protected position of his gun
mount and ran aft for the full length of the speeding boat, shouting
to his fellow crewmembers to take cover. Observing the boat captain
standing unprotected on the boat, Seaman Ouellet bounded on to the
engine compartment cover, and pushed the boat captain down to safety.
In the split second that followed the grenade's landing, and in
the face of certain death, Seaman Ouellet fearlessly placed himself
between the deadly missile and his shipmates, courageously absorbing
most of the blast fragments with his body in order to protect his
shipmates from injury and death. His extraordinary heroism and his
selfless and courageous actions on behalf of his comrades at the
expense of his life were in the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval
Service.
PATTERSON, ROBERT MARTIN
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Troop B, 2d Squadron.
17th Cavalry. Place and date: Near La Chu, Republic of Vietnam,
6 May 1968. Entered service at: Raleigh, N.C. Born: 16 April 1948,
Durham, N.C. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.
Sgt. Patterson (then Sp4c.) distinguished himself while serving
as a fire team leader of the 3d Platoon, Troop B, during an assault
against a North Vietnamese Army battalion which was entrenched in
a heavily fortified position. When the leading squad of the 3d Platoon
was pinned down by heavy interlocking automatic weapon and rocket
propelled grenade fire from 2 enemy bunkers, Sgt. Patterson and
the 2 other members of his assault team moved forward under a hail
of enemy fire to destroy the bunkers with grenade and machinegun
fire. Observing that his comrades were being fired on from a third
enemy bunker covered by enemy gunners in l-man spider holes, Sgt.
Patterson, with complete disregard for his safety and ignoring the
warning of his comrades that he was moving into a bunker complex,
assaulted and destroyed the position. Although exposed to intensive
small arm and grenade fire from the bunkers and their mutually supporting
emplacements. Sgt. Patterson continued his assault upon the bunkers
which were impeding the advance of his unit. Sgt. Patterson single-handedly
destroyed by rifle and grenade fire 5 enemy bunkers, killed 8 enemy
soldiers and captured 7 weapons. His dauntless courage and heroism
inspired his platoon to resume the attack and to penetrate the enemy
defensive position. Sgt. Patterson's action at the risk of his life
has reflected great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S.
Army.
*PAUL, JOE C.
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company
H, 2d Battalion, 4th Marines (Rein), 3d Marine Division (Rein).
Place and date: near Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam, 18 August 1965.
Entered service at: Dayton, Ohio. Born: 23 April 1946, Williamsburg,
Ky. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty. In violent battle,
L/Cpl. Paul's platoon sustained 5 casualties as it was temporarily
pinned down, by devastating mortar, recoilless rifle, automatic
weapons, and rifle fire delivered by insurgent communist (Viet Cong)
forces in well entrenched positions. The wounded marines were unable
to move from their perilously exposed positions forward of the remainder
of their platoon, and were suddenly subjected to a barrage of white
phosphorous rifle grenades. L/Cpl. Paul, fully aware that his tactics
would almost certainly result in serious injury or death to himself,
chose to disregard his safety and boldly dashed across the fire-swept
rice paddies, placed himself between his wounded comrades and the
enemy, and delivered effective suppressive fire with his automatic
weapon in order to divert the attack long enough to allow the casualties
to be evacuated. Although critically wounded during the course of
the battle, he resolutely remained in his exposed position and continued
to fire his rifle until he collapsed and was evacuated. By his fortitude
and gallant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of almost certain
death, he saved the lives of several of his fellow marines. His
heroic action served to inspire all who observed him and reflect
the highest credit upon himself, the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval
Service. He gallantly gave his life in the cause of freedom.
PENRY, RICHARD A.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 4th Battalion,
12th Infantry, 199th Infantry Brigade. Place and date: Binh Tuy
Province, Republic of Vietnam, 31 January 1970. Entered service
at: Oakland, Calif. Born: 18 November 1948, Petaluma. Calif. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Penry, Company
C, distinguished himself while serving as a rifleman during a night
ambush mission. As the platoon was preparing the ambush position,
it suddenly came under an intense enemy attack from mortar, rocket,
and automatic weapons fire which seriously wounded the company commander
and most of the platoon members, leaving small isolated groups of
wounded men throughout the area. Sgt. Penry, seeing the extreme
seriousness of the situation, worked his way through the deadly
enemy fire to the company command post where he administered first
aid to the wounded company commander and other personnel. He then
moved the command post to a position which provided greater protection
and visual communication and control of other platoon elements.
Realizing the company radio was damaged and recognizing the urgent
necessity to reestablish communications with the battalion headquarters,
he ran outside the defensive perimeter through a fusillade of hostile
fire to retrieve a radio. Finding it inoperable, Sgt. Penry returned
through heavy fire to retrieve 2 more radios. Turning his attention
to the defense of the area, he crawled to the edge of the perimeter,
retrieved needed ammunition and weapons and resupplied the wounded
men. During a determined assault by over 30 enemy soldiers, Sgt.
Penry occupied the most vulnerable forward position placing heavy,
accurate fire on the attacking enemy and exposing himself several
times to throw hand grenades into the advancing enemy troops. He
succeeded virtually single-handedly in stopping the attack. Learning
that none of the radios were operable, Sgt. Penry again crawled
outside the defensive perimeter, retrieved a fourth radio and established
communications with higher headquarters. Sgt. Penry then continued
to administer first aid to the wounded and repositioned them to
better repel further enemy attacks. Despite continuous and deadly
sniper fire, he again left the defensive perimeter, moved to within
a few feet of enemy positions, located 5 isolated wounded soldiers,
and led them to safety. When evacuation helicopters approached,
Sgt. Penry voluntarily left the perimeter, set up a guiding beacon,
established the priorities for evacuation and successively carried
18 wounded men to the extraction site. After all wounded personnel
had been evacuated, Sgt. Penry joined another platoon and assisted
in the pursuit of the enemy. Sgt. Penry's extraordinary heroism
at the risk of his own life are in keeping with the highest traditions
of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit,
and the U.S. Army.
*PERKINS, WILLIAM THOMAS, JR.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company C,
1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place and date:
Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 12 October 1967. Entered
service at: San Francisco, Calif. Born: 10 August 1947, Rochester,
N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the
risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving
as a combat photographer attached to Company C. During Operation
MEDINA, a major reconnaissance in force southwest of Quang Tri,
Company C made heavy combat contact with a numerically superior
North Vietnamese Army force estimated at from 2 to 3 companies.
The focal point of the intense fighting was a helicopter landing
zone which was also serving as the Command Post of Company C. In
the course of a strong hostile attack, an enemy grenade landed in
the immediate area occupied by Cpl. Perkins and 3 other marines.
Realizing the inherent danger, he shouted the warning, "Incoming
Grenade" to his fellow marines, and in a valiant act of heroism,
hurled himself upon the grenade absorbing the impact of the explosion
with his body, thereby saving the lives of his comrades at the cost
of his life. Through his exceptional courage and inspiring valor
in the face of certain death, Cpl. Perkins reflected great credit
upon himself and the Marine Corps and upheld the highest traditions
of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country
.
*PETERS, LAWRENCE DAVID
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company M,
3d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place and date:
Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam, 4 September 1967. Entered
service at: Binghamton, N.Y. Born: 16 September 1946, Johnson City,
N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the
risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving
as a squad leader with Company M. During Operation SWIFT, the marines
of the 2d Platoon of Company M were struck by intense mortar, machinegun,
and small arms fire from an entrenched enemy force. As the company
rallied its forces, Sgt. Peters maneuvered his squad in an assault
on any enemy defended knoll. Disregarding his safety, as enemy rounds
hit all about him, he stood in the open, pointing out enemy positions
until he was painfully wounded in the leg. Disregarding his wound,
he moved forward and continued to lead his men. As the enemy fire
increased in accuracy and volume, his squad lost its momentum and
was temporarily pinned down. Exposing himself to devastating enemy
fire, he consolidated his position to render more effective fire.
While directing the base of fire, he was wounded a second time in
the face and neck from an exploding mortar round. As the enemy attempted
to infiltrate the position of an adjacent platoon, Sgt. Peters stood
erect in the full view of the enemy firing burst after burst forcing
them to disclose their camouflaged positions. Sgt. Peters steadfastly
continued to direct his squad in spite of 2 additional wounds, persisted
in his efforts to encourage and supervise his men until he lost
consciousness and succumbed. Inspired by his selfless actions, the
squad regained fire superiority and once again carried the assault
to the enemy. By his outstanding valor, indomitable fighting spirit
and tenacious determination in the face of overwhelming odds, Sgt.
Peters upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the
U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
*PETERSEN, DANNY J.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company
B, 4th Battalion, 23d Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and
date: Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 9 January 1970. Entered
service at: Kansas City, Mo. Born: 11 March 1949, Horton, Kans.
Citation: Sp4c. Petersen distinguished himself while serving as
an armored personnel carrier commander with Company B during a combat
operation against a North Vietnamese Army Force estimated to be
of battalion size. During the initial contact with the enemy, an
armored personnel carrier was disabled and the crewmen were pinned
down by the heavy onslaught of enemy small arms, automatic weapons
and rocket-propelled grenade fire. Sp4c. Petersen immediately maneuvered
his armored personnel carrier to a position between the disabled
vehicle and the enemy. He placed suppressive fire on the enemy's
well-fortified position, thereby enabling the crewmembers of the
disabled personnel carrier to repair their vehicle. He then maneuvered
his vehicle, while still under heavy hostile fire to within 10 feet
of the enemy's defensive emplacement. After a period of intense
fighting, his vehicle received a direct hit and the driver was wounded.
With extraordinary courage and selfless disregard for his own safety,
Sp4c. Petersen carried his wounded comrade 45 meters across the
bullet-swept field to a secure area. He then voluntarily returned
to his disabled armored personnel carrier to provide covering fire
for both the other vehicles and the dismounted personnel of his
platoon as they withdrew. Despite heavy fire from 3 sides, he remained
with his disabled vehicle, alone and completely exposed. Sp4c. Petersen
was standing on top of his vehicle, firing his weapon, when he was
mortally wounded. His heroic and selfless actions prevented further
loss of life in his platoon. Sp4c. Petersen's conspicuous gallantry
and extraordinary heroism are in the highest traditions of the service
and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*PHIPPS, JIMMY W.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps,
Company B, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF.
Place and date: Near An Hoa, Republic of Vietnam, 27 May 1969. Entered
service at: Culver City, Calif. Born: 1 November 1950, Santa Monica,
Calif. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the
risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving
as a combat engineer with Company B in connection with combat operations
against the enemy. Pfc. Phipps was a member of a 2-man combat engineer
demolition team assigned to locate and destroy enemy artillery ordnance
and concealed firing devices. After he had expended all of his explosives
and blasting caps, Pfc. Phipps discovered a 175mm high explosive
artillery round in a rice paddy. Suspecting that the enemy had attached
the artillery round to a secondary explosive device, he warned other
marines in the area to move to covered positions and prepared to
destroy the round with a hand grenade. As he was attaching the hand
grenade to a stake beside the artillery round, the fuse of the enemy's
secondary explosive device ignited. Realizing that his assistant
and the platoon commander were both within a few meters of him and
that the imminent explosion could kill all 3 men, Pfc. Phipps grasped
the hand grenade to his chest and dived forward to cover the enemy's
explosive and the artillery round with his body, thereby shielding
his companions from the detonation while absorbing the full and
tremendous impact with his body. Pfc. Phipps' indomitable courage,
inspiring initiative, and selfless devotion to duty saved the lives
of 2 marines and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps
and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country
.
*PIERCE, LARRY S.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Headquarters and Headquarters
Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne
Brigade. Place and date: Near Ben Cat, Republic of Vietnam, 20 September
1965. Entered service at: Fresno, Calif. Born: 6 July 1941, Wewoka,
Okla. G.O. No.: 7, 24 February 1966. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of
duty. Sgt. Pierce was serving as squad leader in a reconnaissance
platoon when his patrol was ambushed by hostile forces. Through
his inspiring leadership and personal courage, the squad succeeded
in eliminating an enemy machinegun and routing the opposing force.
While pursuing the fleeing enemy, the squad came upon a dirt road
and, as the main body of his men entered the road, Sgt. Pierce discovered
an antipersonnel mine emplaced in the road bed. Realizing that the
mine could destroy the majority of his squad, Sgt. Pierce saved
the lives of his men at the sacrifice of his life by throwing himself
directly onto the mine as it exploded. Through his indomitable courage,
complete disregard for his safety, and profound concern for his
fellow soldiers, he averted loss of life and injury to the members
of his squad. Sgt. Pierce's extraordinary heroism, at the cost of
his life, are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect
great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
*PITSENBARGER WILLIAM H.
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act
of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of The Congress
the Medal of Honor to
AIRMAN FIRST CLASS WILLIAM H. PITSENBARGER
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty. Airman First Class Pitsenbarger
distinguished himself by extreme valor on 11 April 1966 near Cam
My, Republic of Vietnam, while assigned as a Pararescue Crew Member,
Detachment 6, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. On that
date, Airman Pitsenbarger was aboard a rescue helicopter responding
to a call for evacuation of casualties incurred in an ongoing firefight
between elements of the United States Army's 1st Infantry Division
and a sizeable enemy force approximately 35 miles east of Saigon.
With complete disregard for personal safety, Airman Pitsenbarger
volunteered to ride a hoist more than one hundred feet through the
jungle, to the ground. On the ground, he organized and coordinated
rescue efforts, cared for the wounded, prepared casualties for evacuation,
and insured that the recovery operation continued in a smooth and
orderly fashion. Through his personal efforts, the evacuation of
the wounded was greatly expedited. As each of the nine casualties
evacuated that day was recovered, Airman Pitsenbarger refused evacuation
in order to get more wounded soldiers to safety. After several pick-ups,
one of the two rescue helicopters involved in the evacuation was
struck by heavy enemy ground fire and was forced to leave the scene
for an emergency landing. Airman Pitsenbarger stayed behind on the
ground to perform medical duties. Shortly thereafter, the area came
under sniper and mortar fire. During a subsequent attempt to evacuate
the site, American forces came under heavy assault by a large Viet
Cong force. When the enemy launched the assault, the evacuation
was called off and Airman Pitsenbarger took up arms with the besieged
infantrymen. He courageously resisted the enemy, braving intense
gunfire to gather and distribute vital ammunition to American defenders.
As the battle raged on, he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire
to care for the wounded, pull them out of the line of fire, and
return fire whenever he could, during which time he was wounded
three times. Despite his wounds, he valiantly fought on, simultaneously
treating as many wounded as possible. In the vicious fighting that
followed, the American forces suffered 80 percent casualties as
their perimeter was breached, and Airman Pitsenbarger was fatally
wounded. Airman Pitsenbarger exposed himself to almost certain death
by staying on the ground, and perished while saving the lives of
wounded infantrymen. His bravery and determination exemplify the
highest professional standards and traditions of military service
and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United
States Air Force.
PITTMAN, RICHARD A.
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then L/Cpl.), U.S. Marine Corps,
Company 1, 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein)
FMF. Place and date: near the Demilitarized Zone, Republic of Vietnam,
24 July 1966. Entered service at: Stockton, Calif. Born: 26 May
1945, French Camp, San Joaquin, Calif. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty. While Company 1 was conducting an operation along
the axis of a narrow jungle trail, the leading company elements
suffered numerous casualties when they suddenly came under heavy
fire from a well concealed and numerically superior enemy force.
Hearing the engaged marines' calls for more firepower, Sgt. Pittman
quickly exchanged his rifle for a machinegun and several belts of
ammunition, left the relative safety of his platoon, and unhesitatingly
rushed forward to aid his comrades. Taken under intense enemy small-arms
fire at point blank range during his advance, he returned the fire,
silencing the enemy position. As Sgt. Pittman continued to forge
forward to aid members of the leading platoon, he again came under
heavy fire from 2 automatic weapons which he promptly destroyed.
Learning that there were additional wounded marines 50 yards further
along the trail, he braved a withering hail of enemy mortar and
small-arms fire to continue onward. As he reached the position where
the leading marines had fallen, he was suddenly confronted with
a bold frontal attack by 30 to 40 enemy. Totally disregarding his
safety, he calmly established a position in the middle of the trail
and raked the advancing enemy with devastating machinegun fire.
His weapon rendered ineffective, he picked up an enemy submachinegun
and, together with a pistol seized from a fallen comrade, continued
his lethal fire until the enemy force had withdrawn. Having exhausted
his ammunition except for a grenade which he hurled at the enemy,
he then rejoined his platoon. Sgt. Pittman's daring initiative,
bold fighting spirit and selfless devotion to duty inflicted many
enemy casualties, disrupted the enemy attack and saved the lives
of many of his wounded comrades. His personal valor at grave risk
to himself reflects the highest credit upon himself, the Marine
Corps, and the U.S. Naval Service.
*PITTS, RILEY L.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Company C, 2d Battalion,
27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Ap Dong,
Republic of Vietnam, 31 October 1967. Entered service at: Wichita,
Kans. Born: 15 October 1937, Fallis, Okla. Citation: Distinguishing
himself by exceptional heroism while serving as company commander
during an airmobile assault. Immediately after his company landed
in the area, several Viet Cong opened fire with automatic weapons.
Despite the enemy fire, Capt. Pitts forcefully led an assault which
overran the enemy positions. Shortly thereafter, Capt. Pitts was
ordered to move his unit to the north to reinforce another company
heavily engaged against a strong enemy force. As Capt. Pitts' company
moved forward to engage the enemy, intense fire was received from
3 directions, including fire from 4 enemy bunkers, 2 of which were
within 15 meters of Capt. Pitts' position. The severity of the incoming
fire prevented Capt. Pitts from maneuvering his company. His rifle
fire proving ineffective against the enemy due to the dense jungle
foliage, he picked up an M-79 grenade launcher and began pinpointing
the targets. Seizing a Chinese Communist grenade which had been
taken from a captured Viet Cong's web gear, Capt. Pitts lobbed the
grenade at a bunker to his front, but it hit the dense jungle foliage
and rebounded. Without hesitation, Capt. Pitts threw himself on
top of the grenade which, fortunately, failed to explode. Capt.
Pitts then directed the repositioning of the company to permit friendly
artillery to be fired. Upon completion of the artillery fire mission,
Capt. Pitts again led his men toward the enemy positions, personally
killing at least 1 more Viet Cong. The jungle growth still prevented
effective fire to be placed on the enemy bunkers. Capt. Pitts, displaying
complete disregard for his life and personal safety, quickly moved
to a position which permitted him to place effective fire on the
enemy. He maintained a continuous fire, pinpointing the enemy's
fortified positions, while at the same time directing and urging
his men forward, until he was mortally wounded. Capt. Pitts' conspicuous
gallantry, extraordinary heroism, and intrepidity at the cost of
his life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in the highest
traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself,
his unit, and the Armed Forces of his country.
PLESS, STEPHEN W.
Rank and organization: Major (then Capt.), U.S. Marine Corps, VMD-6,
Mag-36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. Place and date: Near Quang Nai,
Republic of Vietnam, 19 August 1967. Entered service at: Atlanta,
Ga. Born: 6 September 1939, Newman, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty while serving as a helicopter gunship pilot attached
to Marine Observation Squadron 6 in action against enemy forces.
During an escort mission Maj. Pless monitored an emergency call
that 4 American soldiers stranded on a nearby beach were being overwhelmed
by a large Viet Cong force. Maj. Pless flew to the scene and found
30 to 50 enemy soldiers in the open. Some of the enemy were bayoneting
and beating the downed Americans. Maj. Pless displayed exceptional
airmanship as he launched a devastating attack against the enemy
force, killing or wounding many of the enemy and driving the remainder
back into a treeline. His rocket and machinegun attacks were made
at such low levels that the aircraft flew through debris created
by explosions from its rockets. Seeing 1 of the wounded soldiers
gesture for assistance, he maneuvered his helicopter into a position
between the wounded men and the enemy, providing a shield which
permitted his crew to retrieve the wounded. During the rescue the
enemy directed intense fire at the helicopter and rushed the aircraft
again and again, closing to within a few feet before being beaten
back. When the wounded men were aboard, Maj. Pless maneuvered the
helicopter out to sea. Before it became safely airborne, the overloaded
aircraft settled 4 times into the water. Displaying superb airmanship,
he finally got the helicopter aloft. Major Pless' extraordinary
heroism coupled with his outstanding flying skill prevented the
annihilation of the tiny force. His courageous actions reflect great
credit upon himself and uphold the highest traditions of the Marine
Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
*PORT, WILLIAM D.
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Pfc.), U.S. Army, Company
C, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Air Cavalry Division. Place and
date: Que Son Valley, Heip Duc Province, Republic of Vietnam, 12
January 1968. Entered service at: Harrisburg, Pa. Born: 13 October
1941, Petersburg, Pa. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt.
Port distinguished himself while serving as a rifleman with Company
C, which was conducting combat operations against an enemy force
in the Que Son Valley. As Sgt. Port's platoon was moving to cut
off a reported movement of enemy soldiers, the platoon came under
heavy fire from an entrenched enemy force. The platoon was forced
to withdraw due to the intensity and ferocity of the fire. Although
wounded in the hand as the withdrawal began, Sgt. Port, with complete
disregard for his safety, ran through the heavy fire to assist a
wounded comrade back to the safety of the platoon perimeter. As
the enemy forces assaulted in the perimeter, Sgt. Port and 3 comrades
were in position behind an embankment when an enemy grenade landed
in their midst. Sgt. Port, realizing the danger to his fellow soldiers,
shouted the warning, "Grenade," and unhesitatingly hurled himself
towards the grenade to shield his comrades from the explosion. Through
his exemplary courage and devotion he saved the lives of his fellow
soldiers and gave the members of his platoon the inspiration needed
to hold their position. Sgt. Port's selfless concern for his comrades,
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in
keeping with the highest tradition of the military service and reflect
great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*POXON, ROBERT LESLIE
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Troop B, 1st
Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: Tay
Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 2 June 1969. Entered service
at: Detroit, Mich. Born: 3 January 1947, Detroit, Mich. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Lt. Poxon, Armor,
Troop B, distinguished himself while serving as a platoon leader
on a reconnaissance mission. Landing by helicopter in an area suspected
of being occupied by the enemy, the platoon came under intense fire
from enemy soldiers in concealed positions and fortifications around
the landing zone. A soldier fell, hit by the first burst of fire.
1st Lt. Poxon dashed to his aid, drawing the majority of the enemy
fire as he crossed 20 meters of open ground. The fallen soldier
was beyond help and 1st Lt. Poxon was seriously and painfully wounded.
1st Lt. Poxon, with indomitable courage, refused medical aid and
evacuation and turned his attention to seizing the initiative from
the enemy. With sure instinct he marked a central enemy bunker as
the key to success. Quickly instructing his men to concentrate their
fire on the bunker, and in spite of his wound, 1st Lt. Poxon crawled
toward the bunker, readied a hand grenade and charged. He was hit
again but continued his assault. After succeeding in silencing the
enemy guns in the bunker he was struck once again by enemy fire
and fell, mortally wounded. 1st Lt. Poxon's comrades followed their
leader, pressed the attack and drove the enemy from their positions.
1st Lt. Poxon's gallantry, indomitable will, and courage are in
keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and
reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*PROM, WILLIAM R.
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company
1, 3d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place
and date: Near An Hoa, Republic of Vietnam. 9 February 1969. Entered
service at: Pittsburgh, Pa. Born: 17 November 1948, Pittsburgh,
Pa. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a
machinegun squad leader with Company 1, in action against the enemy.
While returning from a reconnaissance operation during Operation
TAYLOR COMMON, 2 platoons of Company 1 came under an intense automatic
weapons fire and grenade attack from a well concealed North Vietnamese
Army force in fortified positions. The leading. element of the platoon
was isolated and several marines were wounded. L/Cpl. Prom immediately
assumed control of 1 of his machineguns and began to deliver return
fire. Disregarding his safety he advanced to a position from which
he could more effectively deliver covering fire while first aid
was administered to the wounded men. Realizing that the enemy would
have to be destroyed before the injured marines could be evacuated,
L/Cpl. Prom again moved forward and delivered a heavy volume of
fire with such accuracy that he was instrumental in routing the
enemy, thus permitting his men to regroup and resume their march.
Shortly thereafter, the platoon again came under heavy fire in which
1 man was critically wounded. Reacting instantly, L/Cpl. Prom moved
forward to protect his injured comrade. Unable to continue his fire
because of his severe wounds, he continued to advance to within
a few yards to the enemy positions. There, standing in full view
of the enemy, he accurately directed the fire of his support elements
until he was mortally wounded. Inspired by his heroic actions, the
marines launched an assault that destroyed the enemy. L/Cpl. Prom's
indomitable courage, inspiring initiative and selfless devotion
to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the
U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
*PRUDEN, ROBERT J.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 75th Infantry,
Americal Division. Place and date: Quang Ngai Province, Republic
of Vietnam, 29 November 1969. Entered service at: Minneapolis, Minn.
Born: 9 September 1949, St. Paul, Minn. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Pruden, Company G, distinguished
himself while serving as a reconnaissance team leader during an
ambush mission. The 6-man team was inserted by helicopter into enemy
controlled territory to establish an ambush position and to obtain
information concerning enemy movements. As the team moved into the
preplanned area, S/Sgt. Pruden deployed his men into 2 groups on
the opposite sides of a well used trail. As the groups were establishing
their defensive positions, 1 member of the team was trapped in the
open by the heavy fire from an enemy squad. Realizing that the ambush
position had been compromised, S/Sgt. Pruden directed his team to
open fire on the enemy force. Immediately, the team came under heavy
fire from a second enemy element. S/Sgt. Pruden, with full knowledge
of the extreme danger involved, left his concealed position and,
firing as he ran, advanced toward the enemy to draw the hostile
fire. He was seriously wounded twice but continued his attack until
he fell for a third time, in front of the enemy positions. S/Sgt.
Pruden's actions resulted in several enemy casualties and withdrawal
of the remaining enemy force. Although grievously wounded, he directed
his men into defensive positions and called for evacuation helicopters,
which safely withdrew the members of the team. S/Sgt. Pruden's outstanding
courage, selfless concern for the welfare of his men, and intrepidity
in action at the cost of his life were in keeping with the highest
traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon
himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*RABEL, LASZLO
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 74th Infantry
Detachment (Long Range Patrol), 173d Airborne Brigade. Place and
date: Binh Dinh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 13 November 1968.
Entered service at: Minneapolis, Minn. Born: 21 September 1939,
Budapest, Hungary. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.
S/Sgt. Rabel distinguished himself while serving as leader of Team
Delta, 74th Infantry Detachment. At 1000 hours on this date, Team
Delta was in a defensive perimeter conducting reconnaissance of
enemy trail networks when a member of the team detected enemy movement
to the front. As S/Sgt. Rabel and a comrade prepared to clear the
area, he heard an incoming grenade as it landed in the midst of
the team's perimeter. With complete disregard for his life, S/Sgt.
Rabel threw himself on the grenade and, covering it with his body,
received the complete impact of the immediate explosion. Through
his indomitable courage, complete disregard for his safety and profound
concern for his fellow soldiers, S/Sgt. Rabel averted the loss of
life and injury to the other members of Team Delta. By his gallantry
at the cost of his life in the highest traditions of the military
service, S/Sgt. Rabel has reflected great credit upon himself, his
unit, and the U.S. Army.
RASCON, ALFRED V.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Reconnaissance
Platoon, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry,173d
Airborne Brigade (Separate) Place and date: Republic of Vietnam,
16 March 1966 Born: 1945, Chihuahua, Mexico Citation: Specialist
Four Alfred Rascon, distinguished himself by a series of extraordinarily
courageous acts on 16 March 1966, while assigned as a medic to the
Reconnaissance Platoon, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne),
503rd Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate). While moving to
reinforce its sister battalion under intense enemy attack, the Reconnaissance
Platoon came under heavy fire from a numerically superior enemy
force. The intense enemy fire from crew-served weapons and grenades
severely wounded several point squad soldiers. Specialist Rascon,
ignoring directions to stay behind shelter until covering fire could
be provided, made his way forward. He repeatedly tried to reach
the severely wounded point machine-gunner laying on an open enemy
trail, but was driven back each time by the withering fire. Disregarding
his personal safety, he jumped to his feet, ignoring flying bullets
and exploding grenades to reach his comrade. To protect him from
further wounds, he intentionally placed his body between the soldier
and enemy machine guns, sustaining numerous shrapnel injuries and
a serious wound to the hip. Disregarding his serious wounds he dragged
the larger soldier from the fire-raked trail. Hearing the second
machine-gunner yell that he was running out of ammunition, Specialist
Rascon, under heavy enemy fire crawled back to the wounded machine-gunner
stripping him of his bandoleers of ammunition, giving them to the
machine-gunner who continued his suppressive fire. Specialist Rascon
fearing the abandoned machine gun, its ammunition and spare barrel
could fall into enemy hands made his way to retrieve them. On the
way, he was wounded in the face and torso by grenade fragments,
but disregarded these wounds to recover the abandoned machine gun,
ammunition and spare barrel items, enabling another soldier to provide
added suppressive fire to the pinned-down squad. In searching for
the wounded, he saw the point grenadier being wounded by small arms
fire and grenades being thrown at him. Disregarding his own life
and his numerous wounds, Specialist Rascon reached and covered him
with his body absorbing the blasts from the exploding grenades,
and saving the soldier's life, but sustaining additional wounds
to his body. While making his way to the wounded point squad leader,
grenades were hurled at the sergeant. Again, in complete disregard
for his own life, he reached and covered the sergeant with his body,
absorbing the full force of the grenade explosions. Once more Specialist
Rascon was critically wounded by shrapnel, but disregarded his own
wounds to continue to search and aid the wounded. Severely wounded,
he remained on the battlefield, inspiring his fellow soldiers to
continue the battle. After the enemy broke contact, he disregarded
aid for himself, instead treating the wounded and directing their
evacuation. Only after being placed on the evacuation helicopter
did he allow aid to be given to him. Specialist Rascon's extraordinary
valor in the face of deadly enemy fire, his heroism in rescuing
the wounded, and his gallantry by repeatedly risking his own life
for his fellow soldiers are in keeping with the highest traditions
of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit,
and the United States Army.
*RAY, DAVID ROBERT
Rank and organization: Hospital Corpsman Second Class, U.S. Navy,
2d Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place
and date: Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, 19 March 1969.
Entered service at: Nashville, Tenn. Born: 14 February 1945, McMinnville,
Tenn. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the
risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving
as a HC2c. with Battery D, 2d Battalion, at Phu Loc 6, near An Hoa.
During the early morning hours, an estimated battalion-sized enemy
force launched a determined assault against the battery's position,
and succeeded in effecting a penetration of the barbed-wire perimeter.
The initial burst of enemy fire caused numerous casualties among
the marines who had immediately manned their howitzers during the
rocket and mortar attack. Undaunted by the intense hostile fire,
HC2c. Ray moved from parapet to parapet, rendering emergency medical
treatment to the wounded. Although seriously wounded himself while
administering first aid to a marine casualty, he refused medical
aid and continued his lifesaving efforts. While he was bandaging
and attempting to comfort another wounded marine, HC2c. Ray was
forced to battle 2 enemy soldiers who attacked his position, personally
killing 1 and wounding the other. Rapidly losing his strength as
a result of his severe wounds, he nonetheless managed to move through
the hail of enemy fire to other casualties. Once again, he was faced
with the intense fire of oncoming enemy troops and, despite the
grave personal danger and insurmountable odds, succeeded in treating
the wounded and holding off the enemy until he ran out of ammunition,
at which time he sustained fatal wounds. HC2c. Ray's final act of
heroism was to protect the patient he was treating. He threw himself
upon the wounded marine, thus saving the man's life when an enemy
grenade exploded nearby. By his determined and persevering actions,
courageous spirit, and selfless devotion to the welfare of his marine
comrades, HC2c. Ray served to inspire the men of Battery D to heroic
efforts in defeating the enemy. His conduct throughout was in keeping
with the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
RAY, RONALD ERIC
Rank and organization: Captain (then 1st Lt.), U.S. Army, Company
A, 2d Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and
date: la Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam, 19 June 1966. Entered
service at: Atlanta, Ga. Born: 7 December 1941, Cordelle, Ga. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Ray distinguished
himself while serving as a platoon leader with Company A. When 1
of his ambush patrols was attacked by an estimated reinforced Viet
Cong company, Capt. Ray organized a reaction force and quickly moved
through 2 kilometers of mountainous jungle terrain to the contact
area. After breaking through the hostile lines to reach the beleaguered
patrol, Capt. Ray began directing the reinforcement of the site.
When an enemy position pinned down 3 of his men with a heavy volume
of automatic weapons fire, he silenced the emplacement with a grenade
and killed 4 Viet Cong with his rifle fire. As medics were moving
a casualty toward a sheltered position, they began receiving intense
hostile fire. While directing suppressive fire on the enemy position,
Capt. Ray moved close enough to silence the enemy with a grenade.
A few moments later Capt. Ray saw an enemy grenade land, unnoticed,
near 2 of his men. Without hesitation or regard for his safety he
dove between the grenade and the men, thus shielding them from the
explosion while receiving wounds in his exposed feet and legs. He
immediately sustained additional wounds in his legs from an enemy
machinegun, but nevertheless he silenced the emplacement with another
grenade. Although suffering great pain from his wounds, Capt. Ray
continued to direct his men, providing the outstanding courage and
leadership they vitally needed, and prevented their annihilation
by successfully leading them from their surrounded position. Only
after assuring that his platoon was no longer in immediate danger
did he allow himself to be evacuated for medical treatment. By his
gallantry at the risk of his life in the highest traditions of the
military service, Capt. Ray has reflected great credit on himself,
his unit, and the U.S. Army .
*REASONER, FRANK S.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company
A, 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, 3d Marine Division. Place and date:
near Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, 12 July 1965. Entered service
at: Kellogg, Idaho. Born: 16 September 1937, Spokane, Wash. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty. The reconnaissance patrol led
by 1st Lt. Reasoner had deeply penetrated heavily controlled enemy
territory when it came under extremely heavy fire from an estimated
50 to 100 Viet Cong insurgents. Accompanying the advance party and
the point that consisted of 5 men, he immediately deployed his men
for an assault after the Viet Cong had opened fire from numerous
concealed positions. Boldly shouting encouragement, and virtually
isolated from the main body, he organized a base of fire for an
assault on the enemy positions. The slashing fury of the Viet Cong
machinegun and automatic weapons fire made it impossible for the
main body to move forward. Repeatedly exposing himself to the devastating
attack he skillfully provided covering fire, killing at least 2
Viet Cong and effectively silencing an automatic weapons position
in a valiant attempt to effect evacuation of a wounded man. As casualties
began to mount his radio operator was wounded and 1st Lt. Reasoner
immediately moved to his side and tended his wounds. When the radio
operator was hit a second time while attempting to reach a covered
position, 1st Lt. Reasoner courageously running to his aid through
the grazing machinegun fire fell mortally wounded. His indomitable
fighting spirit, valiant leadership and unflinching devotion to
duty provided the inspiration that was to enable the patrol to complete
its mission without further casualties. In the face of almost certain
death he gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.
His actions upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and
the U.S. Naval Service.
*ROARK, ANUND C.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion,
12th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. Place and date: Kontum Province,
Republic of Vietnam, 16 May 1968. Entered service at: Los Angeles,
Calif. Born: 17 February 1948, Vallejo, Calif. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Roark distinguished himself by
extraordinary gallantry while serving with Company C. Sgt. Roark
was the point squad leader of a small force which had the mission
of rescuing 11 men in a hilltop observation post under heavy attack
by a company-size force, approximately 1,000 meters from the battalion
perimeter. As lead elements of the relief force reached the besieged
observation post, intense automatic weapons fire from enemy occupied
bunkers halted their movement. Without hesitation, Sgt. Roark maneuvered
his squad, repeatedly exposing himself to withering enemy fire to
hurl grenades and direct the fire of his squad to gain fire superiority
and cover the withdrawal of the outpost and evacuation of its casualties.
Frustrated in their effort to overrun the position, the enemy swept
the hilltop with small arms and volleys of grenades. Seeing a grenade
land in the midst of his men, Sgt. Roark, with complete disregard
for his safety, hurled himself upon the grenade, absorbing its blast
with his body. Sgt. Roark's magnificent leadership and dauntless
courage saved the lives of many of his comrades and were the inspiration
for the successful relief of the outpost. His actions which culminated
in the supreme sacrifice of his life were in keeping with the highest
traditions of the military service, and reflect great credit on
himself and the U.S. Army .
ROBERTS, GORDON R.
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Sp4c.), U.S. Army, Company
B, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Place
and date: Thua Thien Province, Republic of Vietnam, 11 July 1969.
Entered service at: Cincinnati, Ohio. Born: 14 June 1950, Middletown,
Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt.
Roberts distinguished himself while serving as a rifleman in Company
B, during combat operations. Sgt. Roberts' platoon was maneuvering
along a ridge to attack heavily fortified enemy bunker positions
which had pinned down an adjoining friendly company. As the platoon
approached the enemy positions, it was suddenly pinned down by heavy
automatic weapons and grenade fire from camouflaged enemy fortifications
atop the overlooking hill. Seeing his platoon immobilized and in
danger of failing in its mission, Sgt. Roberts crawled rapidly toward
the closest enemy bunker. With complete disregard for his safety,
he leaped to his feet and charged the bunker, firing as he ran.
Despite the intense enemy fire directed at him, Sgt. Roberts silenced
the 2-man bunker. Without hesitation, Sgt. Roberts continued his
l-man assault on a second bunker. As he neared the second bunker,
a burst of enemy fire knocked his rifle from his hands. Sgt. Roberts
picked up a rifle dropped by a comrade and continued his assault,
silencing the bunker. He continued his charge against a third bunker
and destroyed it with well-thrown hand grenades. Although Sgt. Roberts
was now cut off from his platoon, he continued his assault against
a fourth enemy emplacement. He fought through a heavy hail of fire
to join elements of the adjoining company which had been pinned
down by the enemy fire. Although continually exposed to hostile
fire, he assisted in moving wounded personnel from exposed positions
on the hilltop to an evacuation area before returning to his unit.
By his gallant and selfless actions, Sgt. Roberts contributed directly
to saving the lives of his comrades and served as an inspiration
to his fellow soldiers in the defeat of the enemy force. Sgt. Roberts'
extraordinary heroism in action at the risk of his life were in
keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and
reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*ROBINSON, JAMES W., JR.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 2d Battalion,
16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Republic of
Vietnam, 11 April 1966. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born:
30 August 1940, Hinsdale, Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty. Company C was engaged in fierce combat with a
Viet Cong battalion. Despite the heavy fire, Sgt. Robinson moved
among the men of his fire team, instructing and inspiring them,
and placing them in advantageous positions. Enemy snipers located
in nearby trees were inflicting heavy casualties on forward elements
of Sgt. Robinson's unit. Upon locating the enemy sniper whose fire
was taking the heaviest toll, he took a grenade launcher and eliminated
the sniper. Seeing a medic hit while administering aid to a wounded
sergeant in front of his position and aware that now the 2 wounded
men were at the mercy of the enemy, he charged through a withering
hail of fire and dragged his comrades to safety, where he rendered
first aid and saved their lives. As the battle continued and casualties
mounted, Sgt. Robinson moved about under intense fire to collect
from the wounded their weapons and ammunition and redistribute them
to able-bodied soldiers. Adding his fire to that of his men, he
assisted in eliminating a major enemy threat. Seeing another wounded
comrade in front of his position, Sgt. Robinson again defied the
enemy's fire to effect a rescue. In so doing he was himself wounded
in the shoulder and leg. Despite his painful wounds, he dragged
the soldier to shelter and saved his life by administering first
aid. While patching his own wounds, he spotted an enemy machinegun
which had inflicted a number of casualties on the American force.
His rifle ammunition expended, he seized 2 grenades and, in an act
of unsurpassed heroism, charged toward the entrenched enemy weapon.
Hit again in the leg, this time with a tracer round which set fire
to his clothing, Sgt. Robinson ripped the burning clothing from
his body and staggered indomitably through the enemy fire, now concentrated
solely on him, to within grenade range of the enemy machinegun position.
Sustaining 2 additional chest wounds, he marshaled his fleeting
physical strength and hurled the 2 grenades, thus destroying the
enemy gun position, as he fell dead upon the battlefield. His magnificent
display of leadership and bravery saved several lives and inspired
his soldiers to defeat the numerically superior enemy force. Sgt.
Robinson's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, at the cost of
his life, are in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S.
Army and reflect great credit upon the 1st Infantry Division and
the U.S. Armed Forces.
ROCCO, LOUIS R.
Rank and organization: Warrant Officer (then Sergeant First Class),
U.S. Army, Advisory Team 162, U.S. Military Assistance Command.
Place and date: Northeast of Katum, Republic of Vietnam, 24 May
1970. Entered service at: Los Angeles, Calif. Born: 19 November
1938, Albuquerque, N. Mex. Citation: WO Rocco distinguished himself
when he volunteered to accompany a medical evacuation team on an
urgent mission to evacuate 8 critically wounded Army of the Republic
of Vietnam personnel. As the helicopter approached the landing zone,
it became the target for intense enemy automatic weapons fire. Disregarding
his own safety, WO Rocco identified and placed accurate suppressive
fire on the enemy positions as the aircraft descended toward the
landing zone. Sustaining major damage from the enemy fire, the aircraft
was forced to crash land, causing WO Rocco to sustain a fractured
wrist and hip and a severely bruised back. Ignoring his injuries,
he extracted the survivors from the burning wreckage, sustaining
burns to his own body. Despite intense enemy fire, WO Rocco carried
each unconscious man across approximately 20 meters of exposed terrain
to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam perimeter. On each trip,
his severely burned hands and broken wrist caused excruciating pain,
but the lives of the unconscious crash survivors were more important
than his personal discomfort, and he continued his rescue efforts.
Once inside the friendly position, WO Rocco helped administer first
aid to his wounded comrades until his wounds and burns caused him
to collapse and lose consciousness. His bravery under fire and intense
devotion to duty were directly responsible for saving 3 of his fellow
soldiers from certain death. His unparalleled bravery in the face
of enemy fire, his complete disregard for his own pain and injuries,
and his performance were far above and beyond the call of duty and
were in keeping with the highest traditions of self-sacrifice and
courage of the military service.
ROGERS, CHARLES CALVIN
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S . Army, 1st Battalion,
5th Artillery, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Fishhook,
near Cambodian border, Republic of Vietnam, 1 November 1968. Entered
service at: Institute, W Va. Born: 6 September 1929, Claremont,
W Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Lt. Col.
Rogers, Field Artillery, distinguished himself in action while serving
as commanding officer, 1st Battalion, during the defense of a forward
fire support base. In the early morning hours, the fire support
base was subjected to a concentrated bombardment of heavy mortar,
rocket and rocket propelled grenade fire. Simultaneously the position
was struck by a human wave ground assault, led by sappers who breached
the defensive barriers with bangalore torpedoes and penetrated the
defensive perimeter. Lt. Col. Rogers with complete disregard for
his safety moved through the hail of fragments from bursting enemy
rounds to the embattled area. He aggressively rallied the dazed
artillery crewmen to man their howitzers and he directed their fire
on the assaulting enemy. Although knocked to the ground and wounded
by an exploding round, Lt. Col. Rogers sprang to his feet and led
a small counterattack force against an enemy element that had penetrated
the howitzer positions. Although painfully wounded a second time
during the assault, Lt. Col. Rogers pressed the attack killing several
of the enemy and driving the remainder from the positions. Refusing
medical treatment, Lt. Col. Rogers reestablished and reinforced
the defensive positions. As a second human wave attack was launched
against another sector of the perimeter, Lt. Col. Rogers directed
artillery fire on the assaulting enemy and led a second counterattack
against the charging forces. His valorous example rallied the beleaguered
defenders to repulse and defeat the enemy onslaught. Lt. Col. Rogers
moved from position to position through the heavy enemy fire, giving
encouragement and direction to his men. At dawn the determined enemy
launched a third assault against the fire base in an attempt to
overrun the position. Lt. Col. Rogers moved to the threatened area
and directed lethal fire on the enemy forces. Seeing a howitzer
inoperative due to casualties, Lt. Col. Rogers joined the surviving
members of the crew to return the howitzer to action. While directing
the position defense, Lt. Col. Rogers was seriously wounded by fragments
from a heavy mortar round which exploded on the parapet of the gun
position. Although too severely wounded to physically lead the defenders,
Lt. Col. Rogers continued to give encouragement and direction to
his men in the defeating and repelling of the enemy attack. Lt.
Col. Rogers' dauntless courage and heroism inspired the defenders
of the fire support base to the heights of valor to defeat a determined
and numerically superior enemy force. His relentless spirit of aggressiveness
in action are in the highest traditions of the military service
and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*RUBIO, EURIPIDES
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Headquarters and Headquarters
Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, RVN.
Place and date: Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 8 November
1966. Entered service at: Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. Born: 1 March
1938, Ponce, Puerto Rico. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the
call of duty. Capt. Rubio, Infantry, was serving as communications
officer, 1st Battalion, when a numerically superior enemy force
launched a massive attack against the battalion defense position.
Intense enemy machinegun fire raked the area while mortar rounds
and rifle grenades exploded within the perimeter. Leaving the relative
safety of his post, Capt. Rubio received 2 serious wounds as he
braved the withering fire to go to the area of most intense action
where he distributed ammunition, re-established positions and rendered
aid to the wounded. Disregarding the painful wounds, he unhesitatingly
assumed command when a rifle company commander was medically evacuated.
Capt. Rubio was wounded a third time as he selflessly exposed himself
to the devastating enemy fire to move among his men to encourage
them to fight with renewed effort. While aiding the evacuation of
wounded personnel, he noted that a smoke grenade which was intended
to mark the Viet Cong position for air strikes had fallen dangerously
close to the friendly lines. Capt. Rubio ran to reposition the grenade
but was immediately struck to his knees by enemy fire. Despite his
several wounds, Capt. Rubio scooped up the grenade, ran through
the deadly hail of fire to within 20 meters of the enemy position
and hurled the already smoking grenade into the midst of the enemy
before he fell for the final time. Using the repositioned grenade
as a marker, friendly air strikes were directed to destroy the hostile
positions. Capt. Rubio's singularly heroic act turned the tide of
battle, and his extraordinary leadership and valor were a magnificent
inspiration to his men. His remarkable bravery and selfless concern
for his men are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military
service and reflect great credit on Capt. Rubio and the U.S. Army.
*SANTIAGO-COLON, HECTOR
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company
B, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).
Place and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 28 June
1968. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Born: 20 December 1942,
Salinas, Puerto Rico. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.
Sp4c. Santiago-Colon distinguished himself at the cost of his life
while serving as a gunner in the mortar platoon of Company B. While
serving as a perimeter sentry, Sp4c. Santiago-Colon heard distinct
movement in the heavily wooded area to his front and flanks. Immediately
he alerted his fellow sentries in the area to move to their foxholes
and remain alert for any enemy probing forces. From the wooded area
around his position heavy enemy automatic weapons and small-arms
fire suddenly broke out, but extreme darkness rendered difficult
the precise location and identification of the hostile force. Only
the muzzle flashes from enemy weapons indicated their position.
Sp4c. Santiago-Colon and the other members of his position immediately
began to repel the attackers, utilizing hand grenades, antipersonnel
mines and small-arms fire. Due to the heavy volume of enemy fire
and exploding grenades around them, a North Vietnamese soldier was
able to crawl, undetected, to their position. Suddenly, the enemy
soldier lobbed a hand grenade into Sp4c. Santiago-Colon's foxhole.
Realizing that there was no time to throw the grenade out of his
position, Sp4c. Santiago-Colon retrieved the grenade, tucked it
in to his stomach and, turning away from his comrades, absorbed
the full impact of the blast. His heroic self-sacrifice saved the
lives of those who occupied the foxhole with him, and provided them
with the inspiration to continue fighting until they had forced
the enemy to retreat from the perimeter. By his gallantry at the
cost of his life and in the highest traditions of the military service,
Sp4c. Santiago-Colon has reflected great credit upon himself, his
unit, and the U.S. Army.
*SARGENT, RUPPERT L.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B,
4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date:
Hau Nghia Province, Republic of Vietnam, 15 March 1967. Entered
service at: Richmond, Va. Born: 6 January 1938, Hampton, Va. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While leading a platoon
of Company B, 1st Lt. Sargent was investigating a reported Viet
Cong meeting house and weapons cache. A tunnel entrance which 1st
Lt. Sargent observed was booby trapped. He tried to destroy the
booby trap and blow the cover from the tunnel using hand grenades,
but this attempt was not successful. He and his demolition man moved
in to destroy the booby trap and cover which flushed a Viet Cong
soldier from the tunnel, who was immediately killed by the nearby
platoon sergeant. 1st Lt. Sargent, the platoon sergeant, and a forward
observer moved toward the tunnel entrance. As they approached, another
Viet Cong emerged and threw 2 hand grenades that landed in the midst
of the group. 1st Lt. Sargent fired 3 shots at the enemy then turned
and unhesitatingly threw himself over the 2 grenades. He was mortally
wounded, and his 2 companions were lightly wounded when the grenades
exploded. By his courageous and selfless act of exceptional heroism,
he saved the lives of the platoon sergeant and forward observer
and prevented the injury or death of several other nearby comrades.
1st Lt. Sargent's actions were in keeping with the highest traditions
of the military services and reflect great credit upon himself and
the U.S. Army.
SASSER, CLARENCE EUGENE
Rank and organization: Specialist Fifth Class (then Pfc.), U.S.
Army, Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry
Division. Place and date: Ding Tuong Province, Republic of Vietnam,
10 January 1968. Entered service at: Houston, Tex. Born: 12 September
1947, Chenango, Tex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.
Sp5c. Sasser distinguished himself while assigned to Headquarters
and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion. He was serving as a medical
aidman with Company A, 3d Battalion, on a reconnaissance in force
operation. His company was making an air assault when suddenly it
was taken under heavy small arms, recoilless rifle, machinegun and
rocket fire from well fortified enemy positions on 3 sides of the
landing zone. During the first few minutes, over 30 casualties were
sustained. Without hesitation, Sp5c. Sasser ran across an open rice
paddy through a hail of fire to assist the wounded. After helping
1 man to safety, was painfully wounded in the left shoulder by fragments
of an exploding rocket. Refusing medical attention, he ran through
a barrage of rocket and automatic weapons fire to aid casualties
of the initial attack and, after giving them urgently needed treatment,
continued to search for other wounded. Despite 2 additional wounds
immobilizing his legs, he dragged himself through the mud toward
another soldier 100 meters away. Although in agonizing pain and
faint from loss of blood, Sp5c. Sasser reached the man, treated
him, and proceeded on to encourage another group of soldiers to
crawl 200 meters to relative safety. There he attended their wounds
for 5 hours until they were evacuated. Sp5c. Sasser's extraordinary
heroism is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military
service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the
U.S. Army.
*SEAY, WILLIAM W.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, 62d Transportation
Company (Medium Truck), 7th Transportation Battalion, 48th Transportation
Group. Place and date: Near Ap Nhi, Republic of Vietnam 25 August
1968. Entered service at: Montgomery, Ala. Born: 24 October 1948,
Brewton, Ala. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.
Sgt. Seay distinguished himself while serving as a driver with the
62d Transportation Company, on a resupply mission. The convoy with
which he was traveling, carrying critically needed ammunition and
supplies from Long Binh to Tay Ninh, was ambushed by a reinforced
battalion of the North Vietnamese Army. As the main elements of
the convoy entered the ambush killing zone, they were struck by
intense rocket, machinegun and automatic weapon fire from the well
concealed and entrenched enemy force. When his convoy was forced
to stop, Sgt. Seay immediately dismounted and took a defensive position
behind the wheels of a vehicle loaded with high-explosive ammunition.
As the violent North Vietnamese assault approached to within 10
meters of the road, Sgt. Seay opened fire, killing 2 of the enemy.
He then spotted a sniper in a tree approximately 75 meters to his
front and killed him. When an enemy grenade was thrown under an
ammunition trailer near his position, without regard for his own
safety he left his protective cover, exposing himself to intense
enemy fire, picked up the grenade, and threw it back to the North
Vietnamese position, killing 4 more of the enemy and saving the
lives of the men around him. Another enemy grenade landed approximately
3 meters from Sgt. Seay's position. Again Sgt. Seay left his covered
position and threw the armed grenade back upon the assaulting enemy.
After returning to his position he was painfully wounded in the
right wrist; however, Sgt. Seay continued to give encouragement
and direction to his fellow soldiers. After moving to the relative
cover of a shallow ditch, he detected 3 enemy soldiers who had penetrated
the position and were preparing to fire on his comrades. Although
weak from loss of blood and with his right hand immobilized, Sgt.
Seay stood up and fired his rifle with his left hand, killing all
3 and saving the lives of the other men in his location. As a result
of his heroic action, Sgt. Seay was mortally wounded by a sniper's
bullet. Sgt. Seay, by his gallantry in action at the cost of his
life, has reflected great credit upon himself, his unit, and the
U.S. Army.
*SHEA, DANIEL JOHN
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Headquarters
Company, 3d Battalion, 21st Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade, Americal
Division. Place and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam,
14 May 1969. Entered service at: New Haven, Conn. Born: 29 January
1947, Norwalk, Conn. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.
Pfc. Shea, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion,
distinguished himself while serving as a medical aidman with Company
C, 3d Battalion, during a combat patrol mission. As the lead platoon
of the company was crossing a rice paddy, a large enemy force in
ambush positions opened fire with mortars, grenades and automatic
weapons. Under heavy crossfire from 3 sides, the platoon withdrew
to a small island in the paddy to establish a defensive perimeter.
Pfc. Shea, seeing that a number of his comrades had fallen in the
initial hail of fire, dashed from the defensive position to assist
the wounded. With complete disregard for his safety and braving
the intense hostile fire sweeping the open rice paddy, Pfc. Shea
made 4 trips to tend wounded soldiers and to carry them to the safety
of the platoon position. Seeing a fifth wounded comrade directly
in front of one of the enemy strong points, Pfc. Shea ran to his
assistance. As he reached the wounded man, Pfc. Shea was grievously
wounded. Disregarding his welfare, Pfc. Shea tended his wounded
comrade and began to move him back to the safety of the defensive
perimeter. As he neared the platoon position, Pfc. Shea was mortally
wounded by a burst of enemy fire. By his heroic actions Pfc. Shea
saved the lives of several of his fellow soldiers. Pfc. Shea's gallantry
in action at the cost of his life were in keeping with the highest
traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon
himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*SHIELDS, MARVIN G.
Rank and organization: Construction Mechanic Third Class, U.S.
Navy, Seabee Team 1104. Place and date: Dong Xoai, Republic of Vietnam,
10 June 1965. Entered service at: Seattle, Wash. Born: 30 December
1939, Port Townsend, Wash. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of
duty. Although wounded when the compound of Detachment A342, 5th
Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, came under
intense fire from an estimated reinforced Viet Cong regiment employing
machineguns, heavy weapons and small arms, Shields continued to
resupply his fellow Americans who needed ammunition and to return
the enemy fire for a period of approximately 3 hours, at which time
the Viet Cong launched a massive attack at close range with flame-throwers,
hand grenades and small-arms fire. Wounded a second time during
this attack, Shields nevertheless assisted in carrying a more critically
wounded man to safety, and then resumed firing at the enemy for
4 more hours. When the commander asked for a volunteer to accompany
him in an attempt to knock out an enemy machinegun emplacement which
was endangering the lives of all personnel in the compound because
of the accuracy of its fire, Shields unhesitatingly volunteered
for this extremely hazardous mission. Proceeding toward their objective
with a 3.5-inch rocket launcher, they succeeded in destroying the
enemy machinegun emplacement, thus undoubtedly saving the lives
of many of their fellow servicemen in the compound. Shields was
mortally wounded by hostile fire while returning to his defensive
position. His heroic initiative and great personal valor in the
face of intense enemy fire sustain and enhance the finest traditions
of the U.S. Naval Service.
*SIJAN, LANCE P.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force, 4th Allied POW
Wing, Pilot of an F-4C aircraft. Place and date: North Vietnam,
9 November 1967. Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis. Born: 13 April
1942, Milwaukee, Wis. Citation: While on a flight over North Vietnam,
Capt. Sijan ejected from his disabled aircraft and successfully
evaded capture for more than 6 weeks. During this time, he was seriously
injured and suffered from shock and extreme weight loss due to lack
of food. After being captured by North Vietnamese soldiers, Capt.
Sijan was taken to a holding point for subsequent transfer to a
prisoner of war camp. In his emaciated and crippled condition, he
overpowered 1 of his guards and crawled into the jungle, only to
be recaptured after several hours. He was then transferred to another
prison camp where he was kept in solitary confinement and interrogated
at length. During interrogation, he was severely tortured; however,
he did not divulge any information to his captors. Capt. Sijan lapsed
into delirium and was placed in the care of another prisoner. During
his intermittent periods of consciousness until his death, he never
complained of his physical condition and, on several occasions,
spoke of future escape attempts. Capt. Sijan's extraordinary heroism
and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty at the cost of
his life are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S.
Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Armed
Forces.
*SIMS, CLIFFORD CHESTER
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company D, 2d
Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Place
and date: Near Hue, Republic of Vietnam, 21 February 1968. Entered
service at: Jacksonville, Fla. Born: 18 June 1942, Port St. Joe,
Fla. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt.
Sims distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader with
Company D. Company D was assaulting a heavily fortified enemy position
concealed within a dense wooded area when it encountered strong
enemy defensive fire. Once within the woodline, S/Sgt. Sims led
his squad in a furious attack against an enemy force which had pinned
down the 1st Platoon and threatened to overrun it. His skillful
leadership provided the platoon with freedom of movement and enabled
it to regain the initiative. S/Sgt. Sims was then ordered to move
his squad to a position where he could provide covering fire for
the company command group and to link up with the 3d Platoon, which
was under heavy enemy pressure. After moving no more than 30 meters
S/Sgt. Sims noticed that a brick structure in which ammunition was
stocked was on fire. Realizing the danger, S/Sgt. Sims took immediate
action to move his squad from this position. Though in the process
of leaving the area 2 members of his squad were injured by the subsequent
explosion of the ammunition, S/Sgt. Sims' prompt actions undoubtedly
prevented more serious casualties from occurring. While continuing
through the dense woods amidst heavy enemy fire, S/Sgt. Sims and
his squad were approaching a bunker when they heard the unmistakable
noise of a concealed booby trap being triggered immediately to their
front. S/Sgt. Sims warned his comrades of the danger and unhesitatingly
hurled himself upon the device as it exploded, taking the full impact
of the blast. In so protecting his fellow soldiers, he willingly
sacrificed his life. S/Sgt. Sims' extraordinary heroism at the cost
of his life is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military
service and reflects great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
*SINGLETON, WALTER K.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company A,
1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date:
Gio Linh District, Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 24 March
1967. Entered service at: Memphis, Tenn. Born: 7 December 1944,
Memphis, Tenn. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt.
Singleton's company was conducting combat operations when the lead
platoon received intense small arms, automatic weapons, rocket,
and mortar fire from a well entrenched enemy force. As the company
fought its way forward, the extremely heavy enemy fire caused numerous
friendly casualties. Sensing the need for early treatment of the
wounded, Sgt. Singleton quickly moved from his relatively safe position
in the rear of the foremost point of the advance and made numerous
trips through the enemy killing zone to move the injured men out
of the danger area. Noting that a large part of the enemy fire was
coming from a hedgerow, he seized a machinegun and assaulted the
key enemy location, delivering devastating fire as he advanced.
He forced his way through the hedgerow directly into the enemy strong
point. Although he was mortally wounded, his fearless attack killed
8 of the enemy and drove the remainder from the hedgerow. Sgt. Singleton's
bold actions completely disorganized the enemy defense and saved
the lives of many of his comrades. His daring initiative selfless
devotion to duty and indomitable fighting spirit reflected great
credit upon himself and the Marine Corps, and his performance upheld
the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
*SISLER, GEORGE K.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Headquarters
and Headquarters Company, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st
Special Forces. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam. 7 February
1967. Entered service at: Dexter, Mo. Born: 19 September 1937, Dexter,
Mo. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk
of his life and above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Lt. Sisler
was the platoon leader/adviser to a Special United States/Vietnam
exploitation force. While on patrol deep within enemy dominated
territory, 1st Lt. Sisler's platoon was attacked from 3 sides by
a company sized enemy force. 1st Lt. Sisler quickly rallied his
men, deployed them to a better defensive position, called for air
strikes, and moved among his men to encourage and direct their efforts.
Learning that 2 men had been wounded and were unable to pull back
to the perimeter, 1st Lt. Sisler charged from the position through
intense enemy fire to assist them. He reached the men and began
carrying 1 of them back to the perimeter, when he was taken under
more intensive weapons fire by the enemy. Laying down his wounded
comrade, he killed 3 onrushing enemy soldiers by firing his rifle
and silenced the enemy machinegun with a grenade. As he returned
the wounded man to the perimeter, the left flank of the position
came under extremely heavy attack by the superior enemy force and
several additional men of his platoon were quickly wounded. Realizing
the need for instant action to prevent his position from being overrun,
1st Lt. Sisler picked up some grenades and charged single-handedly
into the enemy onslaught, firing his weapon and throwing grenades.
This singularly heroic action broke up the vicious assault and forced
the enemy to begin withdrawing. Despite the continuing enemy fire,
1st Lt. Sisler was moving about the battlefield directing force
and several additional men of his platoon were quickly wounded.
His extraordinary leadership, infinite courage, and selfless concern
for his men saved the lives of a number of his comrades. His actions
reflect great credit upon himself and uphold the highest traditions
of the military service.
*SKIDGEL, DONALD SIDNEY
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Troop D, 1st Squadron,
9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: Near Song Be,
Republic of Vietnam, 14 September 1969. Entered service at: Bangor,
Maine. Born: 13 October 1948, Caribou, Maine. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Skidgel distinguished himself
while serving as a reconnaissance section leader in Troop D. On
a road near Song Be in Binh Long Province, Sgt. Skidgel and his
section with other elements of his troop were acting as a convoy
security and screening force when contact occurred with an estimated
enemy battalion concealed in tall grass and in bunkers bordering
the road. Sgt.Skidgel maneuvered off the road and began placing
effective machinegun fire on the enemy automatic weapons and rocket-propelled
grenade positions. After silencing at least 1 position, he ran with
his machinegun across 60 meters of bullet-swept ground to another
location from which he continued to rake the enemy positions. Running
low on ammunition, he returned to his vehicle over the same terrain.
Moments later he was alerted that the command element was receiving
intense automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenade and mortar fire.
Although he knew the road was saturated with enemy fire, Sgt. Skidgel
calmly mounted his vehicle and with his driver advanced toward the
command group in an effort to draw the enemy fire onto himself.
Despite the hostile fire concentrated on him, he succeeded in silencing
several enemy positions with his machinegun. Moments later Sgt.
Skidgel was knocked down onto the rear fender by the explosion of
an enemy rocket-propelled grenade. Ignoring his extremely painful
wounds, he staggered back to his feet and placed effective fire
on several other enemy positions until he was mortally wounded by
hostile small arms fire. His selfless actions enabled the command
group to withdraw to a better position without casualties and inspired
the rest of his fellow soldiers to gain fire superiority and defeat
the enemy. Sgt. Skidgel's gallantry at the cost of his life were
in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and
reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*SMEDLEY, LARRY E.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company D,
1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place and date:
Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, 21 December 1967. Entered
service at: Orlando, Fla. Born: 4 March 1949, Front Royal, Va. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a squad leader
with company D, in connection with operations against the enemy.
On the evenings of 20-21 December 1967, Cpl. Smedley led his 6-man
squad to an ambush site at the mouth of Happy Valley, near Phouc
Ninh (2) in Quang Nam Province. Later that night an estimated 100
Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army regulars, carrying 122mm rocket
launchers and mortars, were observed moving toward Hill 41. Realizing
this was a significant enemy move to launch an attack on the vital
Danang complex, Cpl. Smedley immediately took sound and courageous
action to stop the enemy threat. After he radioed for a reaction
force, he skillfully maneuvered his men to a more advantageous position
and led an attack on the numerically superior enemy force. A heavy
volume of fire from an enemy machinegun positioned on the left flank
of the squad inflicted several casualties on Cpl. Smedley's unit.
Simultaneously, an enemy rifle grenade exploded nearby, wounding
him in the right foot and knocking him to the ground. Cpl. Smedley
disregarded this serious injury and valiantly struggled to his feet,
shouting words of encouragement to his men. He fearlessly led a
charge against the enemy machinegun emplacement, firing his rifle
and throwing grenades, until he was again struck by enemy fire and
knocked to the ground. Gravely wounded and weak from loss of blood,
he rose and commenced a l-man assault against the enemy position.
Although his aggressive and singlehanded attack resulted in the
destruction of the machinegun, he was struck in the chest by enemy
fire and fell mortally wounded. Cpl. Smedley's inspiring and courageous
actions, bold initiative, and selfless devotion to duty in the face
of certain death were in keeping with the highest traditions of
the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his
life for his country.
*SMITH, ELMELINDO R.
Rank and organization: Platoon Sergeant (then S/Sgt.), U.S. Army,
1st Platoon, Company C, 2d Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry
Division. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 16 February 1967.
Entered service at: Honolulu, Hawaii. Born: 27 July 1935, Honolulu,
Hawaii. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the
risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. During a reconnaissance
patrol. his platoon was suddenly engaged by intense machinegun fire
hemming in the platoon on 3 sides. A defensive perimeter was hastily
established, but the enemy added mortar and rocket fire to the deadly
fusillade and assaulted the position from several directions. With
complete disregard for his safety, P/Sgt. Smith moved through the
deadly fire along the defensive line, positioning soldiers, distributing
ammunition and encouraging his men to repeal the enemy attack. Struck
to the ground by enemy fire which caused a severe shoulder wound,
he regained his feet, killed the enemy soldier and continued to
move about the perimeter. He was again wounded in the shoulder and
stomach but continued moving on his knees to assist in the defense.
Noting the enemy massing at a weakened point on the perimeter, he
crawled into the open and poured deadly fire into the enemy ranks.
As he crawled on, he was struck by a rocket. Moments later, he regained
consciousness, and drawing on his fast dwindling strength, continued
to crawl from man to man. When he could move no farther, he chose
to remain in the open where he could alert the perimeter to the
approaching enemy. P/Sgt. Smith perished, never relenting in his
determined effort against the enemy. The valorous acts and heroic
leadership of this outstanding soldier inspired those remaining
members of his platoon to beat back the enemy assaults. P/Sgt. Smith's
gallant actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the
U.S. Army and they reflect great credit upon him and the Armed Forces
of his country .
SPRAYBERRY, JAMES M .
Rank and organization: Captain (then 1st Lt.), U.S. Army, Company
D, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry , 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).
Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 25 April 1968. Entered service
at: Montgomery, Ala. Born: 24 April 1947, LaGrange, Ga. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Sprayberry,
Armor, U.S. Army, distinguished himself by exceptional bravery while
serving as executive officer of Company D. His company commander
and a great number of the men were wounded and separated from the
main body of the company. A daylight attempt to rescue them was
driven back by the well entrenched enemy's heavy fire. Capt. Sprayberry
then organized and led a volunteer night patrol to eliminate the
intervening enemy bunkers and to relieve the surrounded element.
The patrol soon began receiving enemy machinegun fire. Capt. Sprayberry
quickly moved the men to protective cover and without regard for
his own safety, crawled within close range of the bunker from which
the fire was coming. He silenced the machinegun with a hand grenade.
Identifying several l-man enemy positions nearby, Capt. Sprayberry
immediately attacked them with the rest of his grenades. He crawled
back for more grenades and when 2 grenades were thrown at his men
from a position to the front, Capt. Sprayberry, without hesitation,
again exposed himself and charged the enemy-held bunker killing
its occupants with a grenade. Placing 2 men to cover his advance,
he crawled forward and neutralized 3 more bunkers with grenades.
Immediately thereafter, Capt. Sprayberry was surprised by an enemy
soldier who charged from a concealed position. He killed the soldier
with his pistol and with continuing disregard for the danger neutralized
another enemy emplacement. Capt. Sprayberry then established radio
contact with the isolated men, directing them toward his position.
When the 2 elements made contact he organized his men into litter
parties to evacuate the wounded. As the evacuation was nearing completion,
he observed an enemy machinegun position which he silenced with
a grenade. Capt. Sprayberry returned to the rescue party, established
security, and moved to friendly lines with the wounded. This rescue
operation, which lasted approximately 71/2 hours, saved the lives
of many of his fellow soldiers. Capt. Sprayberry personally killed
12 enemy soldiers, eliminated 2 machineguns, and destroyed numerous
enemy bunkers. Capt. Sprayberry's indomitable spirit and gallant
action at great personal risk to his life are in keeping with the
highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit
upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*STEINDAM, RUSSELL A.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Troop B, 3d
Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry, Division. Place and date:
Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 1 February 1970. Entered
service at: Austin, Tex. Born: 27 August 1946, Austin, Tex. Citation:
for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Lt. Steindam,
Troop B, while serving as a platoon leader, led members of his platoon
on a night ambush operation. On the way to the ambush site, suspected
enemy movement was detected on 1 flank and the platoon's temporary
position was subjected to intense small arms and automatic weapons
fire as well as a fusillade of hand and rocket-propelled grenades.
After the initial barrage, 1st Lt. Steindam ordered fire placed
on the enemy position and the wounded men to be moved to a shallow
bomb crater. As he directed the return fire against the enemy from
his exposed position, a fragmentation grenade was thrown into the
site occupied by his command group. Instantly realizing the extreme
gravity of the situation, 1st Lt. Steindam shouted a warning to
alert his fellow soldiers in the immediate vicinity. Then, unhesitatingly
and with complete disregard for his safety, 1st Lt. Steindam deliberately
threw himself on the grenade, absorbing the full and fatal force
of the explosion as it detonated. By his gallant action and self-sacrifice,
he was able to save the lives of the nearby members of his command
group. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by 1st
Lt. Steindam were an inspiration to his comrades and are in the
highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
*STEWART, JIMMY G.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 2d
Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Place
and date: Republic of Vietnam, 18 May 1966. Entered service at:
Ashland, Ky. Born: 25 December 1942, West Columbia, W. Va. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Early in the morning
a reinforced North Vietnamese company attacked Company B, which
was manning a defensive perimeter in Vietnam. The surprise onslaught
wounded 5 members of a 6-man squad caught in the direct path of
the enemy's thrust. S/Sgt. Stewart became a lone defender of vital
terrain--virtually 1 man against a hostile platoon. Refusing to
take advantage of a lull in the firing which would have permitted
him to withdraw, S/Sgt. Stewart elected to hold his ground to protect
his fallen comrades and prevent an enemy penetration of the company
perimeter. As the full force of the platoon-sized man attack struck
his lone position, he fought like a man possessed; emptying magazine
after magazine at the determined, on-charging enemy. The enemy drove
almost to his position and hurled grenades, but S/Sgt. Stewart decimated
them by retrieving and throwing the grenades back. Exhausting his
ammunition, he crawled under intense fire to his wounded team members
and collected ammunition that they were unable to use. Far past
the normal point of exhaustion, he held his position for 4 harrowing
hours and through 3 assaults, annihilating the enemy as they approached
and before they could get a foothold. As a result of his defense,
the company position held until the arrival of a reinforcing platoon
which counterattacked the enemy, now occupying foxholes to the left
of S/Sgt. Stewart's position. After the counterattack, his body
was found in a shallow enemy hole where he had advanced in order
to add his fire to that of the counterattacking platoon. Eight enemy
dead were found around his immediate position, with evidence that
15 others had been dragged away. The wounded whom he gave his life
to protect, were recovered and evacuated. S/Sgt. Stewart's indomitable
courage, in the face of overwhelming odds, stands as a tribute to
himself and an inspiration to all men of his unit. His actions were
in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and the Armed Forces
of his country.
STOCKDALE, JAMES B.
Rank and organization: Rear Admiral (then Captain), U.S. Navy.
Place and date: Hoa Lo prison, Hanoi, North Vietnam, 4 September
1969. Entered service at: Abingdon, Ill. Born: 23 December 1923,
Abingdon, Ill.. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while
senior naval officer in the Prisoner of War camps of North Vietnam.
Recognized by his captors as the leader in the Prisoners' of War
resistance to interrogation and in their refusal to participate
in propaganda exploitation, Rear Adm. Stockdale was singled out
for interrogation and attendant torture after he was detected in
a covert communications attempt. Sensing the start of another purge,
and aware that his earlier efforts at self-disfiguration to dissuade
his captors from exploiting him for propaganda purposes had resulted
in cruel and agonizing punishment, Rear Adm. Stockdale resolved
to make himself a symbol of resistance regardless of personal sacrifice.
He deliberately inflicted a near-mortal wound to his person in order
to convince his captors of his willingness to give up his life rather
than capitulate. He was subsequently discovered and revived by the
North Vietnamese who, convinced of his indomitable spirit, abated
in their employment of excessive harassment and torture toward all
of the Prisoners of War. By his heroic action, at great peril to
himself, he earned the everlasting gratitude of his fellow prisoners
and of his country. Rear Adm. Stockdale's valiant leadership and
extraordinary courage in a hostile environment sustain and enhance
the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
*STONE, LESTER R., JR.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, 1st Platoon, Company
B, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, 23d Infantry
Division (Americal). Place and date: West of Landing Zone Liz, Republic
of Vietnam, 3 March 1969. Entered service at: Syracuse N.Y. Born:
4 June 1947, Binghamton, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty. Sgt. Stone, distinguished himself while serving
as squad leader of the 1st Platoon. The 1st Platoon was on a combat
patrol mission just west of Landing Zone Liz when it came under
intense automatic weapons and grenade fire from a well concealed
company-size force of North Vietnamese regulars. Observing the platoon
machinegunner fall critically wounded, Sgt. Stone remained in the
exposed area to provide cover fire for the wounded soldier who was
being pulled to safety by another member of the platoon. With enemy
fire impacting all around him, Sgt. Stone had a malfunction in the
machinegun, preventing him from firing the weapon automatically.
Displaying extraordinary courage under the most adverse conditions,
Sgt. Stone repaired the weapon and continued to place on the enemy
positions effective suppressive fire which enabled the rescue to
be completed. In a desperate attempt to overrun his position, an
enemy force left its cover and charged Sgt. Stone. Disregarding
the danger involved, Sgt. Stone rose to his knees and began placing
intense fire on the enemy at pointblank range, killing 6 of the
enemy before falling mortally wounded. His actions of unsurpassed
valor were a source of inspiration to his entire unit, and he was
responsible for saving the lives of a number of his fellow soldiers.
His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military
profession and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S.
Army.
*STOUT, MITCHELL W.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Battery C, 1st Battalion,
44th Artillery. Place and date: Khe Gio Bridge, Republic of Vietnam,
12 March 1970. Entered service at: Raleigh, N.C. Born: 24 February
1950, Knoxville, Tenn. Citation: Sgt. Stout distinguished himself
during an attack by a North Vietnamese Army Sapper company on his
unit's firing position at Khe Gio Bridge. Sgt. Stout was in a bunker
with members of a searchlight crew when the position came under
heavy enemy mortar fire and ground attack. When the intensity of
the mortar attack subsided, an enemy grenade was thrown into the
bunker. Displaying great courage, Sgt. Stout ran to the grenade,
picked it up, and started out of the bunker. As he reached the door,
the grenade exploded. By holding the grenade close to his body and
shielding its blast, he protected his fellow soldiers in the bunker
from further injury or death. Sgt. Stout's conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity in action, at the cost of his own life, are in keeping
with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect
great credit upon him, his unit and the U.S. Army.
*STRYKER, ROBERT F.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company
C, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and
date: Near Loc Ninh, Republic of Vietnam, 7 November 1967. Entered
service at: Throop, N.Y. Born: 9 November 1944, Auburn, N.Y. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Stryker, U.S. Army, distinguished
himself while serving with Company C. Sp4c. Stryker was serving
as a grenadier in a multicompany reconnaissance in force near Loc
Ninh. As his unit moved through the dense underbrush, it was suddenly
met with a hail of rocket, automatic weapons and small arms fire
from enemy forces concealed in fortified bunkers and in the surrounding
trees. Reacting quickly, Sp4c. Stryker fired into the enemy positions
with his grenade launcher. During the devastating exchange of fire,
Sp4c. Stryker detected enemy elements attempting to encircle his
company and isolate it from the main body of the friendly force.
Undaunted by the enemy machinegun and small-arms fire, Sp4c. Stryker
repeatedly fired grenades into the trees, killing enemy snipers
and enabling his comrades to sever the attempted encirclement. As
the battle continued, Sp4c. Stryker observed several wounded members
of his squad in the killing zone of an enemy claymore mine. With
complete disregard for his safety, he threw himself upon the mine
as it was detonated. He was mortally wounded as his body absorbed
the blast and shielded his comrades from the explosion. His unselfish
actions were responsible for saving the lives of at least 6 of his
fellow soldiers. Sp4c. Stryker's great personal bravery was in keeping
with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects
great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
STUMPF, KENNETH E.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant (then Sp4c.), U.S. Army,
Company C, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Duc Pho, Republic of Vietnam, 25 April 1967.
Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis. Born: 28 September 1944, Neenah,
Wis. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt.
Stumpf distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader of
the 3d Platoon, Company C, on a search and destroy mission. As S/Sgt.
Stumpf's company approached a village, it encountered a North Vietnamese
rifle company occupying a well fortified bunker complex. During
the initial contact, 3 men from his squad fell wounded in front
of a hostile machinegun emplacement. The enemy's heavy volume of
fire prevented the unit from moving to the aid of the injured men,
but S/Sgt. Stumpf left his secure position in a deep trench and
ran through the barrage of incoming rounds to reach his wounded
comrades. He picked up 1 of the men and carried him back to the
safety of the trench. Twice more S/Sgt. Stumpf dashed forward while
the enemy turned automatic weapons and machineguns upon him, yet
he managed to rescue the remaining 2 wounded squad members. He then
organized his squad and led an assault against several enemy bunkers
from which continuously heavy fire was being received He and his
squad successfully eliminated 2 of the bunker positions, but one
to the front of the advancing platoon remained a serious threat.
Arming himself with extra hand grenades, S/Sgt. Stumpf ran over
open ground, through a volley of fire directed at him by a determined
enemy, toward the machinegun position. As he reached the bunker,
he threw a hand grenade through the aperture. It was immediately
returned by the occupants, forcing S/Sgt. Stumpf to take cover.
Undaunted, he pulled the pins on 2 more grenades, held them for
a few seconds after activation, then hurled them into the position,
this time successfully destroying the emplacement. With the elimination
of this key position, his unit was able to assault and overrun the
enemy. S/Sgt. Stumpf's relentless spirit of aggressiveness, intrepidity,
and ultimate concern for the lives of his men, are in the highest
traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon
himself and the U.S. Army.
*SWANSON, JON E.
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act
of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of the Congress
the Medal of Honor to
CAPTAIN JON E. SWANSON
UNITED STATES ARMY
for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty:
Captain Jon E. Swanson distinguished himself by acts of bravery
on February 26, 1971, while flying an OH-6A aircraft in support
of ARVN Task Force 333 in the Kingdom of Cambodia. With two well-equipped
enemy regiments known to be in the area, Captain Swanson was tasked
with pinpointing the enemy's precise positions. Captain Swanson
flew at treetop level at a slow airspeed, making his aircraft a
vulnerable target. The advancing ARVN unit came under heavy automatic
weapons fire from enemy bunkers 100 meters to their front. Exposing
his aircraft to enemy anti-aircraft fire, Captain Swanson immediately
engaged the enemy bunkers with concussion grenades and machine gun
fire. After destroying five bunkers and evading intense ground-to-air
fire, he observed a .51 caliber machine gun position. With all his
heavy ordnance expended on the bunkers, he did not have sufficient
explosives to destroy the position. Consequently, he marked the
position with a smoke grenade and directed a Cobra gun ship attack.
After completion of the attack, Captain Swanson found the weapon
still intact and an enemy soldier crawling over to man it. He immediately
engaged the individual and killed him. During this time, his aircraft
sustained several hits from another .51 caliber machine gun. Captain
Swanson engaged the position with his aircraft's weapons, marked
the target, and directed a second Cobra gun ship attack. He volunteered
to continue the mission, despite the fact that he was now critically
low on ammunition and his aircraft was crippled by enemy fire. As
Captain Swanson attempted to fly toward another .51 caliber machine
gun position, his aircraft exploded in the air and crashed to the
ground, causing his death. Captain Swanson's courageous actions
resulted in at least eight enemy killed and the destruction of three
enemy anti-aircraft weapons. Captain Swanson's extraordinary heroism
and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions
of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit,
and the United States Army.
TAYLOR, JAMES ALLEN
Rank and organization: Captain (then 1st Lt.), U.S. Army, Troop
B, 1st Cavalry, Americal Division. Place and date: West of Que Son,
Republic of Vietnam, 9 November 1967. Entered service at: San Francisco,
Calif. Born: 31 December 1937, Arcata, Calif. Citation: Capt. Taylor,
Armor, was serving as executive officer of Troop B, 1st Squadron.
His troop was engaged in an attack on a fortified position west
of Que Son when it came under intense enemy recoilless rifle, mortar,
and automatic weapons fire from an enemy strong point located immediately
to its front. One armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit immediately
by recoilless rifle fire and all 5 crewmembers were wounded. Aware
that the stricken vehicle was in grave danger of exploding, Capt.
Taylor rushed forward and personally extracted the wounded to safety
despite the hail of enemy fire and exploding ammunition. Within
minutes a second armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit by multiple
recoilless rifle rounds. Despite the continuing intense enemy fire,
Capt. Taylor moved forward on foot to rescue the wounded men from
the burning vehicle and personally removed all the crewmen to the
safety of a nearby dike. Moments later the vehicle exploded. As
he was returning to his vehicle, a bursting mortar round painfully
wounded Capt. Taylor, yet he valiantly returned to his vehicle to
relocate the medical evacuation landing zone to an area closer to
the front lines. As he was moving his vehicle, it came under machinegun
fire from an enemy position not 50 yards away. Capt. Taylor engaged
the position with his machinegun, killing the 3-man crew. Upon arrival
at the new evacuation site, still another vehicle was struck. Once
again Capt. Taylor rushed forward and pulled the wounded from the
vehicle, loaded them aboard his vehicle, and returned them safely
to the evacuation site. His actions of unsurpassed valor were a
source of inspiration to his entire troop, contributed significantly
to the success of the overall assault on the enemy position, and
were directly responsible for saving the lives of a number of his
fellow soldiers. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions
of the military profession and reflect great credit upon himself,
his unit, and the U.S. Army
*TAYLOR, KARL G., SR.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company
1, 3d Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division (Rein),
FMF. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 8 December 1968. Entered
service at: Baltimore, Md. Born: 14 July 1939, Laurel, Md. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty while serving at night as a company
gunnery sergeant during Operation MEADE RIVER. Informed that the
commander of the lead platoon had been mortally wounded when his
unit was pinned down by a heavy volume of enemy fire, S/Sgt. Taylor
along with another marine, crawled forward to the beleaguered unit
through a hail of hostile fire, shouted encouragement and instructions
to the men, and deployed them to covered positions. With his companion,
he then repeatedly maneuvered across an open area to rescue those
marines who were too seriously wounded to move by themselves. Upon
learning that there were still other seriously wounded men Lying
in another open area, in proximity to an enemy machinegun position,
S/Sgt. Taylor, accompanied by 4 comrades, led his men forward across
the fire-swept terrain in an attempt to rescue the marines. When
his group was halted by devastating fire, he directed his companions
to return to the company command post; whereupon he took his grenade
launcher and in full view of the enemy, charged across the open
rice paddy toward the machinegun position, firing his weapon as
he ran. Although wounded several times, he succeeded in reaching
the machinegun bunker and silencing the fire from that sector, moments
before he was mortally wounded. Directly instrumental in saving
the lives of several of his fellow marines, S/Sgt. Taylor, by his
indomitable courage, inspiring leadership, and selfless dedication,
upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S.
Naval Service.
THACKER, BRIAN MILES
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Battery A,
1st Battalion, 92d Artillery. Place and date: Kontum Province, Republic
of Vietnam, 31 March 1971. Entered service at: Salt Lake City, Utah.
Born: 25 April 1945, Columbus, Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty. 1st Lt. Thacker, Field Artillery, Battery A, distinguished
himself while serving as the team leader of an Integrated Observation
System collocated with elements of 2 Army of the Republic of Vietnam
units at Fire Base 6. A numerically superior North Vietnamese Army
force launched a well-planned, dawn attack on the small, isolated,
hilltop fire base. Employing rockets, grenades, flame-throwers,
and automatic weapons, the enemy forces penetrated the perimeter
defenses and engaged the defenders in hand-to-hand combat. Throughout
the morning and early afternoon, 1st Lt. Thacker rallied and encouraged
the U.S. and Republic of Vietnam soldiers in heroic efforts to repulse
the enemy. He occupied a dangerously exposed observation position
for a period of 4 hours while directing friendly air strikes and
artillery fire against the assaulting enemy forces. His personal
bravery and inspired leadership enabled the outnumbered friendly
forces to inflict a maximum of casualties on the attacking enemy
forces and prevented the base from being overrun. By late afternoon,
the situation had become untenable. 1st Lt. Thacker organized and
directed the withdrawal of the remaining friendly forces. With complete
disregard for his personal safety, he remained inside the perimeter
alone to provide covering fire with his M-16 rifle until all other
friendly forces had escaped from the besieged fire base. Then, in
an act of supreme courage, he called for friendly artillery fire
on his own position to allow his comrades more time to withdraw
safely from the area and, at the same time, inflict even greater
casualties on the enemy forces. Although wounded and unable to escape
from the area himself, he successfully eluded the enemy forces for
8 days until friendly forces regained control of the fire base.
The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by 1st Lt.
Thacker were an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest
traditions of the military service .
THORNTON, MICHAEL EDWIN
Rank and organization: Petty Officer, U.S. Navy, Navy Advisory
Group. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 31 October 1972. Entered
service at: Spartanburg, S.C. Born: 23 March 1949, Greenville, S.C.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty while participating
in a daring operation against enemy forces. PO Thornton, as Assistant
U.S. Navy Advisor, along with a U.S. Navy lieutenant serving as
Senior Advisor, accompanied a 3-man Vietnamese Navy SEAL patrol
on an intelligence gathering and prisoner capture operation against
an enemy-occupied naval river base. Launched from a Vietnamese Navy
junk in a rubber boat, the patrol reached land and was continuing
on foot toward its objective when it suddenly came under heavy fire
from a numerically superior force. The patrol called in naval gunfire
support and then engaged the enemy in a fierce firefight, accounting
for many enemy casualties before moving back to the waterline to
prevent encirclement. Upon learning that the Senior Advisor had
been hit by enemy fire and was believed to be dead, PO Thornton
returned through a hail of fire to the lieutenant's last position;
quickly disposed of 2 enemy soldiers about to overrun the position,
and succeeded in removing the seriously wounded and unconscious
Senior Naval Advisor to the water's edge. He then inflated the lieutenant's
lifejacket and towed him seaward for approximately 2 hours until
picked up by support craft. By his extraordinary courage and perseverance,
PO Thornton was directly responsible for saving the life of his
superior officer and enabling the safe extraction of all patrol
members, thereby upholding the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval
Service.
THORSNESS, LEO K.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel (then Maj.), U.S. Air
Force, 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Place and date: Over North
Vietnam, 19 April 1967. Entered service at: Walnut Grove, Minn.
Born: 14 February 1932, Walnut Grove, Minn. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty. As pilot of an F- 105 aircraft, Lt.
Col. Thorsness was on a surface-to-air missile suppression mission
over North Vietnam. Lt. Col. Thorsness and his wingman attacked
and silenced a surface-to-air missile site with air-to-ground missiles,
and then destroyed a second surface-to-air missile site with bombs.
In tile attack on the second missile site, Lt. Col. Thorsness' wingman
was shot down by intensive antiaircraft fire, and the 2 crewmembers
abandoned their aircraft. Lt. Col. Thorsness circled the descending
parachutes to keep the crewmembers in sight and relay their position
to the Search and Rescue Center. During this maneuver, a MIG-17
was sighted in the area. Lt. Col. Thorsness immediately initiated
an attack and destroyed the MIG. Because his aircraft was low on
fuel, he was forced to depart the area in search of a tanker. Upon
being advised that 2 helicopters were orbiting over the downed crew's
position and that there were hostile MlGs in the area posing a serious
threat to the helicopters, Lt. Col. Thorsness, despite his low fuel
condition, decided to return alone through a hostile environment
of surface-to-air missile and antiaircraft defenses to the downed
crew's position. As he approached the area, he spotted 4 MIG-17
aircraft and immediately initiated an attack on the MlGs, damaging
1 and driving the others away from the rescue scene. When it became
apparent that an aircraft in the area was critically low on fuel
and the crew would have to abandon the aircraft unless they could
reach a tanker, Lt. Col. Thorsness, although critically short on
fuel himself, helped to avert further possible loss of life and
a friendly aircraft by recovering at a forward operating base, thus
allowing the aircraft in emergency fuel condition to refuel safely.
Lt. Col. Thorsness' extraordinary heroism, self-sacrifice, and personal
bravery involving conspicuous risk of life were in the highest traditions
of the military service, and have reflected great credit upon himself
and the U.S. Air Force.
VARGAS, M. SANDO, JR.
Rank and organization: Major (then Capt.), U.S. Marine Corps, Company
G, 2d Battalion, 4th Marines, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade. Place
and date: Dai Do, Republic of Vietnam, 30 April to 2 May 1968. Entered
service at: Winslow, Ariz. Born: 29 July 1940, Winslow, Ariz. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty while serving as commanding officer,
Company G, in action against enemy forces from 30 April to 2 May
1968. On 1 May 1968, though suffering from wounds he had incurred
while relocating his unit under heavy enemy fire the preceding day,
Maj. Vargas combined Company G with two other companies and led
his men in an attack on the fortified village of Dai Do. Exercising
expert leadership, he maneuvered his marines across 700 meters of
open rice paddy while under intense enemy mortar, rocket and artillery
fire and obtained a foothold in 2 hedgerows on the enemy perimeter,
only to have elements of his company become pinned down by the intense
enemy fire. Leading his reserve platoon to the aid of his beleaguered
men, Maj. Vargas inspired his men to renew their relentless advance,
while destroying a number of enemy bunkers. Again wounded by grenade
fragments, he refused aid as he moved about the hazardous area reorganizing
his unit into a strong defense perimeter at the edge of the village.
Shortly after the objective was secured the enemy commenced a series
of counterattacks and probes which lasted throughout the night but
were unsuccessful as the gallant defenders of Company G stood firm
in their hard-won enclave. Reinforced the following morning, the
marines launched a renewed assault through Dai Do on the village
of Dinh To, to which the enemy retaliated with a massive counterattack
resulting in hand-to-hand combat. Maj. Vargas remained in the open,
encouraging and rendering assistance to his marines when he was
hit for the third time in the 3-day battle. Observing his battalion
commander sustain a serious wound, he disregarded his excruciating
pain, crossed the fire-swept area and carried his commander to a
covered position, then resumed supervising and encouraging his men
while simultaneously assisting in organizing the battalion's perimeter
defense. His gallant actions uphold the highest traditions of the
Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
*VERSACE, HUMBERT R.
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act
of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of The Congress
the Medal of Honor to
CAPTAIN HUMBERT R. VERSACE
UNITED STATES ARMY
for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty:
Captain Humbert R. Versace distinguished himself by extraordinary
heroism during the period of 29 October 1963 to 26 September 1965,
while serving as S-2 Advisor, Military Assistance Advisory Group,
Detachment 52, Ca Mau, Republic of Vietnam. While accompanying a
Civilian Irregular Defense Group patrol engaged in combat operations
in Thoi Binh District, An Xuyen Province, Captain Versace and the
patrol came under sudden and intense mortar, automatic weapons,
and small arms fire from elements of a heavily armed enemy battalion.
As the battle raged, Captain Versace, although severely wounded
in the knee and back by hostile fire, fought valiantly and continued
to engage enemy targets. Weakened by his wounds and fatigued by
the fierce firefight, Captain Versace stubbornly resisted capture
by the over-powering Viet Cong force with the last full measure
of his strength and ammunition. Taken prisoner by the Viet Cong,
he exemplified the tenets of the Code of Conduct from the time he
entered into Prisoner of War status. Captain Versace assumed command
of his fellow American soldiers, scorned the enemy's exhaustive
interrogation and indoctrination efforts, and made three unsuccessful
attempts to escape, despite his weakened condition which was brought
about by his wounds and the extreme privation and hardships he was
forced to endure. During his captivity, Captain Versace was segregated
in an isolated prisoner of war cage, manacled in irons for prolonged
periods of time, and placed on extremely reduced ration. The enemy
was unable to break his indomitable will, his faith in God, and
his trust in the United States of America. Captain Versace, an American
fighting man who epitomized the principles of his country and the
Code of Conduct, was executed by the Viet Cong on 26 September 1965.
Captain Versace's gallant actions in close contact with an enemy
force and unyielding courage and bravery while a prisoner of war
are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect
the utmost credit upon himself and the United States Army.
*WARREN, JOHN E., JR.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company C,
2d Battalion, (Mechanized), 22d Infantry, 25th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 14 January
1969. Entered service at: New York, N.Y . Born: 16 November 1946,
Brooklyn, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.
1st Lt. Warren, distinguished himself at the cost of his life while
serving as a platoon leader with Company C. While moving through
a rubber plantation to reinforce another friendly unit, Company
C came under intense fire from a well-fortified enemy force. Disregarding
his safety, 1st Lt. Warren with several of his men began maneuvering
through the hail of enemy fire toward the hostile positions. When
he had come to within 6 feet of one of the enemy bunkers and was
preparing to toss a hand grenade into it, an enemy grenade was suddenly
thrown into the middle of his small group. Thinking only of his
men, 1st Lt. Warren fell in the direction of the grenade, thus shielding
those around him from the blast. His action, performed at the cost
of his life, saved 3 men from serious or mortal injury. First Lt.
Warren's ultimate action of sacrifice to save the lives of his men
was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service
and reflects great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*WATTERS, CHARLES JOSEPH
Rank and organization: Chaplain (Maj.), U .S. Army, Company A,
173d Support Battalion, 173d Airborne Brigade. Place and date: Near
Dak To Province, Republic of Vietnam, 19 November 1967. Entered
service at: Fort Dix, N.J. Born: 17 January 1927, Jersey City, N.J.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at
the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Chaplain
Watters distinguished himself during an assault in the vicinity
of Dak To. Chaplain Watters was moving with one of the companies
when it engaged a heavily armed enemy battalion. As the battle raged
and the casualties mounted, Chaplain Watters, with complete disregard
for his safety, rushed forward to the line of contact. Unarmed and
completely exposed, he moved among, as well as in front of the advancing
troops, giving aid to the wounded, assisting in their evacuation,
giving words of encouragement, and administering the last rites
to the dying. When a wounded paratrooper was standing in shock in
front of the assaulting forces, Chaplain Watters ran forward, picked
the man up on his shoulders and carried him to safety. As the troopers
battled to the first enemy entrenchment, Chaplain Watters ran through
the intense enemy fire to the front of the entrenchment to aid a
fallen comrade. A short time later, the paratroopers pulled back
in preparation for a second assault. Chaplain Watters exposed himself
to both friendly and enemy fire between the 2 forces in order to
recover 2 wounded soldiers. Later, when the battalion was forced
to pull back into a perimeter, Chaplain Watters noticed that several
wounded soldiers were Lying outside the newly formed perimeter.
Without hesitation and ignoring attempts to restrain him, Chaplain
Watters left the perimeter three times in the face of small arms,
automatic weapons, and mortar fire to carry and to assist the injured
troopers to safety. Satisfied that all of the wounded were inside
the perimeter, he began aiding the medics--applying field bandages
to open wounds, obtaining and serving food and water, giving spiritual
and mental strength and comfort. During his ministering, he moved
out to the perimeter from position to position redistributing food
and water, and tending to the needs of his men. Chaplain Watters
was giving aid to the wounded when he himself was mortally wounded.
Chaplain Watters' unyielding perseverance and selfless devotion
to his comrades was in keeping with the highest traditions of the
U.S. Army.
*WAYRYNEN, DALE EUGENE
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company
B, 2d Battalion, 502d Infantry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.
Place and date: Quang Ngai, Province, Republic of Vietnam, 18 May
1967. Entered service at: Minneapolis, Minn. Born: 18 January 1947,
Moose Lake, Minn. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.
Sp4c. Wayrynen distinguished himself with Company B, during combat
operations near Duc Pho. His platoon was assisting in the night
evacuation of the wounded from an earlier enemy contact when the
lead man of the unit met face to face with a Viet Cong soldier.
The American's shouted warning also alerted the enemy who immediately
swept the area with automatic weapons fire from a strongly built
bunker close to the trail and threw hand grenades from another nearby
fortified position. Almost immediately, the lead man was wounded
and knocked from his feet. Sp4c. Wayrynen, the second man in the
formation, leaped beyond his fallen comrade to kill another enemy
soldier who appeared on the trail, and he dragged his injured companion
back to where the point squad had taken cover. Suddenly, a live
enemy grenade landed in the center of the tightly grouped men. Sp4c.
Wayrynen, quickly assessing the danger to the entire squad as well
as to his platoon leader who was nearby, shouted a warning, pushed
one soldier out of the way, and threw himself on the grenade at
the moment it exploded. He was mortally wounded. His deep and abiding
concern for his fellow soldiers was significantly reflected in his
supreme and courageous act that preserved the lives of his comrades.
Sp4c. Wayrynen's heroic actions are in keeping with the highest
traditions of the service, and they reflect great credit upon himself
and the U.S. Army.
*WEBER, LESTER W.
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company
M, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place and date:
Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, 23 February 1969. Entered
service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 30 July 1948, Aurora, Ill. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a machinegun
squad leader with Company M, in action against the enemy. The 2d
Platoon of Company M was dispatched to the Bo Ban area of Hieu Duc
District to assist a squad from another platoon which had become
heavily engaged with a well entrenched enemy battalion. While moving
through a rice paddy covered with tall grass L/Cpl. Weber's platoon
came under heavy attack from concealed hostile soldiers. He reacted
by plunging into the tall grass, successfully attacking 1 enemy
and forcing 11 others to break contact. Upon encountering a second
North Vietnamese Army soldier he overwhelmed him in fierce hand-to-hand
combat. Observing 2 other soldiers firing upon his comrades from
behind a dike, L/Cpl. Weber ignored the frenzied firing of the enemy
and racing across the hazardous area, dived into their position.
He neutralized the position by wrestling weapons from the hands
of the 2 soldiers and overcoming them. Although by now the target
for concentrated fire from hostile riflemen, L/Cpl. Weber remained
in a dangerously exposed position to shout words of encouragement
to his emboldened companions. As he moved forward to attack a fifth
enemy soldier, he was mortally wounded. L/Cpl. Weber's indomitable
courage, aggressive fighting spirit and unwavering devotion to duty
upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S.
Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
WETZEL, GARY GEORGE
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class (then Pfc.), U.S.
Army, 173d Assault Helicopter Company. Place and date: Near Ap Dong
An, Republic of Vietnam, 8 January 1968. Entered service at: Milwaukee,
Wis. Born: 29 September 1947, South Milwaukee, Wis. Citation. Sp4c.
Wetzel, 173d Assault Helicopter Company, distinguished himself by
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life. above
and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Wetzel was serving as door gunner
aboard a helicopter which was part of an insertion force trapped
in a landing zone by intense and deadly hostile fire. Sp4c. Wetzel
was going to the aid of his aircraft commander when he was blown
into a rice paddy and critically wounded by 2 enemy rockets that
exploded just inches from his location. Although bleeding profusely
due to the loss of his left arm and severe wounds in his right arm,
chest, and left leg, Sp4c. Wetzel staggered back to his original
position in his gun-well and took the enemy forces under fire. His
machinegun was the only weapon placing effective fire on the enemy
at that time. Through a resolve that overcame the shock and intolerable
pain of his injuries, Sp4c. Wetzel remained at his position until
he had eliminated the automatic weapons emplacement that had been
inflicting heavy casualties on the American troops and preventing
them from moving against this strong enemy force. Refusing to attend
his own extensive wounds, he attempted to return to the aid of his
aircraft commander but passed out from loss of blood. Regaining
consciousness, he persisted in his efforts to drag himself to the
aid of his fellow crewman. After an agonizing effort, he came to
the side of the crew chief who was attempting to drag the wounded
aircraft commander to the safety of a nearby dike. Unswerving in
his devotion to his fellow man, Sp4c. Wetzel assisted his crew chief
even though he lost consciousness once again during this action.
Sp4c. Wetzel displayed extraordinary heroism in his efforts to aid
his fellow crewmen. His gallant actions were in keeping with the
highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon
himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
*WHEAT, ROY M.
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company
K, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place and date:
Republic of Vietnam, 11 August 1967. Entered service a*: Jackson,
Miss. Born: 24 July 1947, Moselle, Miss. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty. L/Cpl. Wheat and 2 other marines were assigned
the mission of providing security for a Navy construction battalion
crane and crew operating along Liberty Road in the vicinity of the
Dien Ban District, Quang Nam Province. After the marines had set
up security positions in a tree line adjacent to the work site,
L/Cpl. Wheat reconnoitered the area to the rear of their location
for the possible presence of guerrillas. He then returned to within
10 feet of the friendly position, and here unintentionally triggered
a well concealed, bounding type, antipersonnel mine. Immediately,
a hissing sound was heard which was identified by the 3 marines
as that of a burning time fuse. Shouting a warning to his comrades,
L/Cpl. Wheat in a valiant act of heroism hurled himself upon the
mine, absorbing the tremendous impact of the explosion with his
body. The inspirational personal heroism and extraordinary valor
of his unselfish action saved his fellow marines from certain injury
and possible death, reflected great credit upon himself, and upheld
the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
He gallantly gave his life for his country.
*WICKAM, JERRY WAYNE
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Troop F, 2d Squadron,
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Place and date: Near Loc Ninh, Republic
of Vietnam, 6 January 1968. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born:
19 January 1942, Rockford, Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty. Cpl. Wickam, distinguished himself while serving
with Troop F. Troop F was conducting a reconnaissance in force mission
southwest of Loc Ninh when the lead element of the friendly force
was subjected to a heavy barrage of rocket, automatic weapons, and
small arms fire from a well concealed enemy bunker complex. Disregarding
the intense fire, Cpl. Wickam leaped from his armored vehicle and
assaulted one of the enemy bunkers and threw a grenade into it,
killing 2 enemy soldiers. He moved into the bunker, and with the
aid of another soldier, began to remove the body of one Viet Cong
when he detected the sound of an enemy grenade being charged. Cpl.
Wickam warned his comrade and physically pushed him away from the
grenade thus protecting him from the force of the blast. When a
second Viet Cong bunker was discovered, he ran through a hail of
enemy fire to deliver deadly fire into the bunker, killing one enemy
soldier. He also captured 1 Viet Cong who later provided valuable
information on enemy activity in the Loc Ninh area. After the patrol
withdrew and an air strike was conducted, Cpl. Wickam led his men
back to evaluate the success of the strike. They were immediately
attacked again by enemy fire. Without hesitation, he charged the
bunker from which the fire was being directed, enabling the remainder
of his men to seek cover. He threw a grenade inside of the enemy's
position killing 2 Viet Cong and destroying the bunker. Moments
later he was mortally wounded by enemy fire. Cpl. Wickam's extraordinary
heroism at the cost of his life were in keeping with the highest
traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon
himself and the U.S. Army.
*WILBANKS, HILLIARD A.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force, 21st. Tactical
Air Support Squadron, Nha Trang AFB, RVN. Place and date: Near Dalat,
Republic of Vietnam, 24 February 1967. Entered service at: Atlanta,
Ga. Born: 26 July 1933, Cornelia, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty. As a forward air controller Capt. Wilbanks
was pilot of an unarmed, light aircraft flying visual reconnaissance
ahead of a South Vietnam Army Ranger Battalion. His intensive search
revealed a well-concealed and numerically superior hostile force
poised to ambush the advancing rangers. The Viet Cong, realizing
that Capt. Wilbanks' discovery had compromised their position and
ability to launch a surprise attack, immediately fired on the small
aircraft with all available firepower. The enemy then began advancing
against the exposed forward elements of the ranger force which were
pinned down by devastating fire. Capt. Wilbanks recognized that
close support aircraft could not arrive in time to enable the rangers
to withstand the advancing enemy, onslaught. With full knowledge
of the limitations of his unarmed, unarmored, light reconnaissance
aircraft, and the great danger imposed by the enemy's vast firepower,
he unhesitatingly assumed a covering, close support role. Flying
through a hail of withering fire at treetop level, Capt. Wilbanks
passed directly over the advancing enemy and inflicted many casualties
by firing his rifle out of the side window of his aircraft. Despite
increasingly intense antiaircraft fire, Capt. Wilbanks continued
to completely disregard his own safety and made repeated low passes
over the enemy to divert their fire away from the rangers. His daring
tactics successfully interrupted the enemy advance, allowing the
rangers to withdraw to safety from their perilous position. During
his final courageous attack to protect the withdrawing forces, Capt.
Wilbanks was mortally wounded and his bullet-riddled aircraft crashed
between the opposing forces. Capt. Wilbanks' magnificent action
saved numerous friendly personnel from certain injury or death.
His unparalleled concern for his fellow man and his extraordinary
heroism were in the highest traditions of the military service,
and have reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.
*WILLETT, LOUIS E.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company
C, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. Place and
date: Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, 15 February 1967. Entered
service at: Brooklyn, N.Y. Born: 19 June 1945, Brooklyn, N.Y. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty. Pfc. Willett distinguished himself
while serving as a rifleman in Company C, during combat operations.
His squad was conducting a security sweep when it made contact with
a large enemy force. The squad was immediately engaged with a heavy
volume of automatic weapons fire and pinned to the ground. Despite
the deadly fusillade, Pfc. Willett rose to his feet firing rapid
bursts from his weapon and moved to a position from which he placed
highly effective fire on the enemy. His action allowed the remainder
of his squad to begin to withdraw from the superior enemy force
toward the company perimeter. Pfc. Willett covered the squad's withdrawal,
but his position drew heavy enemy machinegun fire, and he received
multiple wounds enabling the enemy again to pin down the remainder
of the squad. Pfc. Willett struggled to an upright position, and,
disregarding his painful wounds, he again engaged the enemy with
his rifle to allow his squad to continue its movement and to evacuate
several of his comrades who were by now wounded. Moving from position
to position, he engaged the enemy at close range until he was mortally
wounded. By his unselfish acts of bravery, Pfc. Willett insured
the withdrawal of his comrades to the company position, saving their
lives at the cost of his life. Pfc. Willett's valorous actions were
in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect
great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
WILLIAMS, CHARLES Q.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant (then 2d Lt.), U.S. Army,
5th Special Forces Group. Place and date: Dong Xoai, Republic of
Vietnam, 9 to 10 June 1965. Entered service at: Fort Jackson, S.C.
Born: 17 September 1933, Charleston, S.C. G.O. No.: 30, 5 July 1966.
Citation: 1st Lt. Williams distinguished himself by conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty while defending the Special Forces Camp against
a violent attack by hostile forces that lasted for 14 hours. 1st
Lt. Williams was serving as executive officer of a Special Forces
Detachment when an estimated Vietcong reinforced regiment struck
the camp and threatened to overrun it and the adjacent district
headquarters. He awoke personnel, organized them, determined the
source of the insurgents' main effort and led the troops to their
defensive positions on the south and west walls. Then, after running
to the District Headquarters to establish communications, he found
that there was no radio operational with which to communicate with
his commanding officer in another compound. To reach the other compound,
he traveled through darkness but was halted in this effort by a
combination of shrapnel in his right leg and the increase of the
Vietcong gunfire. Ignoring his wound, he returned to the district
headquarters and directed the defense against the first assault.
As the insurgents attempted to scale the walls and as some of the
Vietnamese defenders began to retreat, he dashed through a barrage
of gunfire, succeeded in rallying these defenders, and led them
back to their positions. Although wounded in the thigh and left
leg during this gallant action, he returned to his position and,
upon being told that communications were reestablished and that
his commanding officer was seriously wounded, 1st Lt. Williams took
charge of actions in both compounds. Then, in an attempt to reach
the communications bunker, he sustained wounds in the stomach and
right arm from grenade fragments. As the defensive positions on
the walls had been held for hours and casualties were mounting,
he ordered the consolidation of the American personnel from both
compounds to establish a defense in the district building. After
radio contact was made with a friendly air controller, he disregarded
his wounds and directed the defense from the District building,
using descending flares as reference points to adjust air strikes.
By his courage, he inspired his team to hold out against the insurgent
force that was closing in on them and throwing grenades into the
windows of the building. As daylight arrived and the Vietcong continued
to besiege the stronghold, firing a machinegun directly south of
the district building, he was determined to eliminate this menace
that threatened the lives of his men. Taking a 3.5 rocket launcher
and a volunteer to load it, he worked his way across open terrain,
reached the berm south of the district headquarters, and took aim
at the Vietcong machinegun 150 meters away. Although the sight was
faulty, he succeeded in hitting the machinegun. While he and the
loader were trying to return to the district headquarters, they
were both wounded. With a fourth wound, this time in the right arm
and leg, and realizing he was unable to carry his wounded comrade
back to the district building, 1st Lt. Williams pulled him to a
covered position and then made his way back to the district building
where he sought the help of others who went out and evacuated the
injured soldier. Although seriously wounded and tired, he continued
to direct the air strikes closer to the defensive position. As morning
turned to afternoon and the Vietcong pressed their effort with direct
recoilless rifle fire into the building, he ordered the evacuation
of the seriously wounded to the safety of the communications bunker.
When informed that helicopters would attempt to land as the hostile
gunfire had abated, he led his team from the building to the artillery
position, making certain of the timely evacuation of the wounded
from the communications area, and then on to the pickup point. Despite
resurgent Vietcong gunfire, he directed the rapid evacuation of
all personnel. Throughout the long battle, he was undaunted by the
vicious Vietcong assault and inspired the defenders in decimating
the determined insurgents. 1st Lt. Williams' extraordinary heroism,
are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great
credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
*WILLIAMS, DEWAYNE T.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps,
Company H, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place
and date: Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, 18 September
1968. Entered service at: Saint Clair, Mich. Born: 18 September
1949, Brown City, Mich. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of
duty while serving as a rifleman with the 1st Platoon, Company H,
in action against communist insurgent forces. Pfc. Williams was
a member of a combat patrol sent out from the platoon with the mission
of establishing positions in the company's area of operations, from
which it could intercept and destroy enemy sniper teams operating
in the area. In the night as the patrol was preparing to move from
its daylight position to a preselected night position, it was attacked
from ambush by a squad of enemy using small arms and hand grenades.
Although severely wounded in the back by the close intense fire,
Pfc. Williams, recognizing the danger to the patrol, immediately
began to crawl forward toward a good firing position. While he was
moving under the continuing intense fire, he heard one of the members
of the patrol sound the alert that an enemy grenade had landed in
their position. Reacting instantly to the alert, he saw that the
grenade had landed close to where he was Lying and without hesitation,
in a valiant act of heroism, rolled on top of the grenade as it
exploded, absorbing the full and tremendous impact of the explosion
with his body. Through his extraordinary initiative and inspiring
valor in the face of certain death, he saved the other members of
his patrol from serious injury and possible loss of life, and enabled
them to successfully defeat the attackers and hold their position
until assistance arrived. His personal heroism and devotion to duty
upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval
Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
WILLIAMS, JAMES E.
Rank and organization: Boatswain's Mate First Class (PO1c.), U.S.
Navy, River Section 531, My Tho, RVN, Place and date: Mekong River,
Republic of Vietnam, 31 October 1966. Entered service at: Columbia,
S.C. Born: 13 June 1930, Rock Hill, S.C. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty. PO1c. Williams was serving as Boat Captain and
Patrol Officer aboard River Patrol Boat (PBR) 105 accompanied by
another patrol boat when the patrol was suddenly taken under fire
by 2 enemy sampans. PO1c. Williams immediately ordered the fire
returned, killing the crew of 1 enemy boat and causing the other
sampan to take refuge in a nearby river inlet. Pursuing the fleeing
sampan, the U.S. patrol encountered a heavy volume of small-arms
fire from enemy forces, at close range, occupying well-concealed
positions along the river bank. Maneuvering through this fire, the
patrol confronted a numerically superior enemy force aboard 2 enemy
junks and 8 sampans augmented by heavy automatic weapons fire from
ashore. In the savage battle that ensued, PO1c. Williams, with utter
disregard for his safety exposed himself to the withering hail of
enemy fire to direct counter-fire and inspire the actions of his
patrol. Recognizing the overwhelming strength of the enemy force,
PO1c. Williams deployed his patrol to await the arrival of armed
helicopters. In the course of his movement his discovered an even
larger concentration of enemy boats. Not waiting for the arrival
of the armed helicopters, he displayed great initiative and boldly
led the patrol through the intense enemy fire and damaged or destroyed
50 enemy sampans and 7 junks. This phase of the action completed,
and with the arrival of the armed helicopters, PO1c. Williams directed
the attack on the remaining enemy force. Now virtually dark, and
although PO1c. Williams was aware that his boats would become even
better targets, he ordered the patrol boats' search lights turned
on to better illuminate the area and moved the patrol perilously
close to shore to press the attack. Despite a waning supply of ammunition
the patrol successfully engaged the enemy ashore and completed the
rout of the enemy force. Under the leadership of PO 1 c. Williams,
who demonstrated unusual professional skill and indomitable courage
throughout the 3 hour battle, the patrol accounted for the destruction
or loss of 65 enemy boats and inflicted numerous casualties on the
enemy personnel. His extraordinary heroism and exemplary fighting
spirit in the face of grave risks inspired the efforts of his men
to defeat a larger enemy force, and are in keeping with the finest
traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
*WILSON, ALFRED M.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps,
Company M, 3d Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place
and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 3 March 1969.
Entered service at: Abilene, Tex. Born: 13 January 1948, Olney,
Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the
risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving
as a rifleman with Company M in action against hostile forces. While
returning from a reconnaissance-in-force mission in the vicinity
of Fire Support Base Cunningham, the 1st Platoon of Company M came
under intense automatic weapons fire and a grenade attack from a
well concealed enemy force. As the center of the column was pinned
down, the leading squad moved to outflank the enemy. Pfc. Wilson,
acting as squad leader of the rear squad, skillfully maneuvered
his men to form a base of fire and act as a blocking force. In the
ensuing fire fight, both his machine gunner and assistant machine
gunner were seriously wounded and unable to operate their weapons.
Realizing the urgent need to bring the weapon into operation again,
Pfc. Wilson, followed by another marine and with complete disregard
for his safety, fearlessly dashed across the fire-swept terrain
to recover the weapon. As they reached the machinegun, an enemy
soldier stepped from behind a tree and threw a grenade toward the
2 marines. Observing the grenade fall between himself and the other
marine, Pfc. Wilson, fully realizing the inevitable result of his
actions, shouted to his companion and unhesitating threw himself
on the grenade, absorbing the full force of the explosion with his
own body. His heroic actions inspired his platoon members to maximum
effort as they aggressively attacked and defeated the enemy. Pfc.
Wilson's indomitable courage, inspiring valor and selfless devotion
to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the
U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
*WINDER, DAVID F.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Headquarters
and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Infantry, 11th Infantry
Brigade, Americal Division. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam,
13 May 1970. Entered service at: Columbus, Ohio. Born: 10 August
1946, Edinboro, Pa. Citation: Pfc. Winder distinguished himself
while serving in the Republic of Vietnam as a senior medical aidman
with Company A. After moving through freshly cut rice paddies in
search of a suspected company-size enemy force, the unit started
a thorough search of the area. Suddenly they were engaged with intense
automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fire by a well entrenched
enemy force. Several friendly soldiers fell wounded in the initial
contact and the unit was pinned down. Responding instantly to the
cries of his wounded comrades, Pfc. Winder began maneuvering across
approximately 100 meters of open, bullet-swept terrain toward the
nearest casualty. Unarmed and crawling most of the distance, he
was wounded by enemy fire before reaching his comrades. Despite
his wounds and with great effort, Pfc. Winder reached the first
casualty and administered medical aid. As he continued to crawl
across the open terrain toward a second wounded soldier he was forced
to stop when wounded a second time. Aroused by the cries of an injured
comrade for aid, Pfc. Winder's great determination and sense of
duty impelled him to move forward once again, despite his wounds,
in a courageous attempt to reach and assist the injured man. After
struggling to within 10 meters of the man, Pfc. Winder was mortally
wounded. His dedication and sacrifice inspired his unit to initiate
an aggressive counterassault which led to the defeat of the enemy.
Pfc. Winder's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at
the cost of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions
of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit
and the U.S. Army.
*WORLEY, KENNETH L.
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, 3d Battalion,
7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Bo
Ban, Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, 12 August 1968. Entered
service at: Fresno, Calif. Born: 27 April 1948, Farmington, N. Mex.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a
machine gunner with Company L, 3d Battalion, in action against enemy
forces. After establishing a night ambush position in a house in
the Bo Ban, Hamlet of Quang Nam Province, security was set up and
the remainder of the patrol members retired until their respective
watch. During the early morning hours the marines were abruptly
awakened by the platoon leader's warning that "grenades" had landed
in the house. Fully realizing the inevitable result of his actions,
L/Cpl. Worley, in a valiant act of heroism, instantly threw himself
upon the grenade nearest him and his comrades, absorbing with his
body, the full and tremendous force of the explosion. Through his
extraordinary initiative and inspiring valor in the face of almost
certain death, he saved his comrades from serious injury and possible
loss of life although 5 of his fellow marines incurred minor wounds
as the other grenades exploded. L/Cpl. Worley's gallant actions
upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval
Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
WRIGHT, RAYMOND R.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company
A, 3d Battalion, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. Place and
date: Ap Bac Zone, Republic of Vietnam, 2 May 1967. Entered service
at: Moriah, N.Y. Born: 5 December 1945, Moriah, N.Y. Citation: For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty. While serving as a rifleman with Company
A, Sp4c. Wright distinguished himself during a combat patrol in
an area where an enemy ambush had occurred earlier. Sp4c. Wright's
unit suddenly came under intense automatic weapons and small-arms
fire from an enemy bunker system protected by numerous snipers in
nearby trees. Despite the heavy enemy fire, Sp4c. Wright and another
soldier leaped to the top of a dike to assault the position. Armed
with a rifle and several grenades, he and his comrade exposed themselves
to intense fire from the bunkers as they charged the nearest one.
Sp4c. Wright raced to the bunker, threw in a grenade, killing its
occupant. The 2 soldiers then ran through a hail of fire to the
second bunker. While his comrade covered him with his machinegun,
Sp4c. Wright charged the bunker and succeeded in killing its occupant
with a grenade. A third bunker contained an automatic rifleman who
had pinned down much of the friendly platoon. While his comrade
again covered him with machinegun fire, Sp4c. Wright charged in
and killed the enemy rifleman with a grenade. The 2 soldiers worked
their way through the remaining bunkers, knocking out 4 of them.
Throughout their furious assault, Sp4c. Wright and his comrade had
been almost continuously exposed to intense sniper fire from the
treeline as the enemy desperately sought to stop their attack. Overcoming
stubborn resistance from the bunker system, the men advanced into
the treeline forcing the snipers to retreat, giving immediate chase,
and driving the enemy away from the friendly unit so that it advanced
across the open area without further casualty. When his ammunition
was exhausted, Sp4c. Wright returned to his unit to assist in the
evacuation of the wounded. This 2-man assault had driven an enemy
platoon from a well prepared position, accounted for numerous enemy
casualties, and averted further friendly casualties. Sp4c. Wright's
extraordinary heroism, courage, and indomitable fighting spirit
saved the lives of many of his comrades and inflicted serious damage
on the enemy. His acts were in keeping with the highest traditions
of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and
the U.S. Army.
*YABES, MAXIMO
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 4th
Battalion, 9th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date:
Near Phu Hoa Dong, Republic of Vietnam, 26 February 1967. Entered
service at: Eugene, Oreg. Born: 29 January 1932, Lodi, Calif. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Sgt. Yabes distinguished
himself with Company A, which was providing security for a land
clearing operation. Early in the morning the company suddenly came
under intense automatic weapons and mortar fire followed by a battalion
sized assault from 3 sides. Penetrating the defensive perimeter
the enemy advanced on the company command post bunker. The command
post received increasingly heavy fire and was in danger of being
overwhelmed. When several enemy grenades landed within the command
post, 1st Sgt. Yabes shouted a warning and used his body as a shield
to protect others in the bunker. Although painfully wounded by numerous
grenade fragments, and despite the vicious enemy fire on the bunker,
he remained there to provide covering fire and enable the others
in the command group to relocate. When the command group had reached
a new position, 1st Sgt. Yabes moved through a withering hail of
enemy fire to another bunker 50 meters away. There he secured a
grenade launcher from a fallen comrade and fired point blank into
the attacking Viet Cong stopping further penetration of the perimeter.
Noting 2 wounded men helpless in the fire swept area, he moved them
to a safer position where they could be given medical treatment.
He resumed his accurate and effective fire killing several enemy
soldiers and forcing others to withdraw from the vicinity of the
command post. As the battle continued, he observed an enemy machinegun
within the perimeter which threatened the whole position. On his
own, he dashed across the exposed area, assaulted the machinegun,
killed the crew, destroyed the weapon, and fell mortally wounded.
1st Sgt. Yabes' valiant and selfless actions saved the lives of
many of his fellow soldiers and inspired his comrades to effectively
repel the enemy assault. His indomitable fighting spirit, extraordinary
courage and intrepidity at the cost of his life are in the highest
military traditions and reflect great credit upon himself and the
Armed Forces of his country.
*YANO, RODNEY J. T.
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Air Cavalry
Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Place and date: Near Bien
Hao, Republic of Vietnam, 1 January 1969. Entered service at: Honolulu,
Hawaii. Born: 13 December 1943, Kealakekua Kona, Hawaii. Citation:
Sfc. Yano distinguished himself while serving with the Air Cavalry
Troop. Sfc. Yano was performing the duties of crew chief aboard
the troop's command-and-control helicopter during action against
enemy forces entrenched in dense jungle. From an exposed position
in the face of intense small arms and antiaircraft fire he delivered
suppressive fire upon the enemy forces and marked their positions
with smoke and white phosphorous grenades, thus enabling his troop
commander to direct accurate and effective artillery fire against
the hostile emplacements. A grenade, exploding prematurely, covered
him with burning phosphorous, and left him severely wounded. Flaming
fragments within the helicopter caused supplies and ammunition to
detonate. Dense white smoke filled the aircraft, obscuring the pilot's
vision and causing him to lose control. Although having the use
of only 1 arm and being partially blinded by the initial explosion,
Sfc. Yano completely disregarded his welfare and began hurling blazing
ammunition from the helicopter. In so doing he inflicted additional
wounds upon himself, yet he persisted until the danger was past.
Sfc. Yano's indomitable courage and profound concern for his comrades
averted loss of life and additional injury to the rest of the crew.
By his conspicuous gallantry at the cost of his life, in the highest
traditions of the military service, Sfc. Yano has reflected great
credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*YNTEMA, GORDON DOUGLAS
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company D, 5th Special
Forces Group (Airborne). Place and date: Near Thong Binh, Republic
of Vietnam, 16-18 January 1968. Entered service at: Detroit, Mich.
Born: 26 June 1945, Bethesda, Md. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life and above and
beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Yntema, U.S. Army, distinguished himself
while assigned to Detachment A-431, Company D. As part of a larger
force of civilian irregulars from Camp Cai Cai, he accompanied 2
platoons to a blocking position east of the village of Thong Binh,
where they became heavily engaged in a small-arms fire fight with
the Viet Cong. Assuming control of the force when the Vietnamese
commander was seriously wounded, he advanced his troops to within
50 meters of the enemy bunkers. After a fierce 30 minute fire fight,
the enemy forced Sgt. Yntema to withdraw his men to a trench in
order to afford them protection and still perform their assigned
blocking mission. Under cover of machinegun fire, approximately
1 company of Viet Cong maneuvered into a position which pinned down
the friendly platoons from 3 sides. A dwindling ammunition supply,
coupled with a Viet Cong mortar barrage which inflicted heavy losses
on the exposed friendly troops, caused many of the irregulars to
withdraw. Seriously wounded and ordered to withdraw himself, Sgt.
Yntema refused to leave his fallen comrades. Under withering small
arms and machinegun fire, he carried the wounded Vietnamese commander
and a mortally wounded American Special Forces advisor to a small
gully 50 meters away in order to shield them from the enemy fire.
Sgt. Yntema then continued to repulse the attacking Viet Cong attempting
to overrun his position until, out of ammunition and surrounded,
he was offered the opportunity to surrender. Refusing, Sgt. Yntema
stood his ground, using his rifle as a club to fight the approximately
15 Viet Cong attempting his capture. His resistance was so fierce
that the Viet Cong were forced to shoot in order to overcome him.
Sgt. Yntema's personal bravery in the face of insurmountable odds
and supreme self-sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions
of the military service and reflect the utmost credit upon himself,
the 1st Special Forces, and the U.S. Army.
YOUNG, GERALD O.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force, 37th ARS Da Nang
AFB, Republic of Vietnam. Place and date: Khesanh, 9 November 1967.
Entered service at: Colorado Springs, Colo. Born: 9 May 1930, Chicago,
Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the
risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Young
distinguished himself while serving as a helicopter rescue crew
commander. Capt. Young was flying escort for another helicopter
attempting the night rescue of an Army ground reconnaissance team
in imminent danger of death or capture. Previous attempts had resulted
in the loss of 2 helicopters to hostile ground fire. The endangered
team was positioned on the side of a steep slope which required
unusual airmanship on the part of Capt. Young to effect pickup.
Heavy automatic weapons fire from the surrounding enemy severely
damaged 1 rescue helicopter, but it was able to extract 3 of the
team. The commander of this aircraft recommended to Capt. Young
that further rescue attempts be abandoned because it was not possible
to suppress the concentrated fire from enemy automatic weapons.
With full knowledge of the danger involved, and the fact that supporting
helicopter gunships were low on fuel and ordnance, Capt. Young hovered
under intense fire until the remaining survivors were aboard. As
he maneuvered the aircraft for takeoff, the enemy appeared at point-blank
range and raked the aircraft with automatic weapons fire. The aircraft
crashed, inverted, and burst into flames. Capt. Young escaped through
a window of the burning aircraft. Disregarding serious burns, Capt.
Young aided one of the wounded men and attempted to lead the hostile
forces away from his position. Later, despite intense pain from
his burns, he declined to accept rescue because he had observed
hostile forces setting up automatic weapons positions to entrap
any rescue aircraft. For more than 17 hours he evaded the enemy
until rescue aircraft could be brought into the area. Through his
extraordinary heroism, aggressiveness, and concern for his fellow
man, Capt. Young reflected the highest credit upon himself, the
U.S. Air Force, and the Armed Forces of his country.
*YOUNG, MARVIN R.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st
Battalion, (Mechanized), 5th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place
and date: Near Ben Cui, Republic of Vietnam, 21 August 1968. Entered
service at: Odessa, Tex. Born: 11 May 1947, Alpine, Tex. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk
of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Young distinguished
himself at the cost of his life while serving as a squad leader
with Company C. While conducting a reconnaissance mission in the
vicinity of Ben Cui, Company C was suddenly engaged by an estimated
regimental-size force of the North Vietnamese Army. During the initial
volley of fire the point element of the 1st Platoon was pinned down,
sustaining several casualties, and the acting platoon leader was
killed. S/Sgt. Young unhesitatingly assumed command of the platoon
and immediately began to organize and deploy his men into a defensive
position in order to repel the attacking force. As a human wave
attack advanced on S/Sgt. Young's platoon, he moved from position
to position, encouraging and directing fire on the hostile insurgents
while exposing himself to the hail of enemy bullets. After receiving
orders to withdraw to a better defensive position, he remained behind
to provide covering fire for the withdrawal. Observing that a small
element of the point squad was unable to extract itself from its
position, and completely disregarding his personal safety, S/Sgt.
Young began moving toward their position, firing as he maneuvered.
When halfway to their position he sustained a critical head injury,
yet he continued his mission and ordered the element to withdraw.
Remaining with the squad as it fought its way to the rear, he was
twice seriously wounded in the arm and leg. Although his leg was
badly shattered, S/Sgt. Young refused assistance that would have
slowed the retreat of his comrades, and he ordered them to continue
their withdrawal while he provided protective covering fire. With
indomitable courage and heroic self-sacrifice, he continued his
self-assigned mission until the enemy force engulfed his position.
By his gallantry at the cost of his life are in the highest traditions
of the military service, S/Sgt. Young has reflected great credit
upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
ZABITOSKY, FRED WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class (then S/Sgt.), U.S.
Army, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Place and date: Republic
of Vietnam, 19 February 1968. Entered service at: Trenton, N.J.
Born: 27 October 1942, Trenton, N.J. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty. Sfc. Zabitosky, U.S. Army, distinguished himself
while serving as an assistant team leader of a 9-man Special Forces
long-range reconnaissance patrol. Sfc. Zabitosky's patrol was operating
deep within enemy-controlled territory when they were attacked by
a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army unit. Sfc. Zabitosky
rallied his team members, deployed them into defensive positions,
and, exposing himself to concentrated enemy automatic weapons fire,
directed their return fire. Realizing the gravity of the situation,
Sfc. Zabitosky ordered his patrol to move to a landing zone for
helicopter extraction while he covered their withdrawal with rifle
fire and grenades. Rejoining the patrol under increasing enemy pressure,
he positioned each man in a tight perimeter defense and continually
moved from man to man, encouraging them and controlling their defensive
fire. Mainly due to his example, the outnumbered patrol maintained
its precarious position until the arrival of tactical air support
and a helicopter extraction team. As the rescue helicopters arrived,
the determined North Vietnamese pressed their attack. Sfc. Zabitosky
repeatedly exposed himself to their fire to adjust suppressive helicopter
gunship fire around the landing zone. After boarding 1 of the rescue
helicopters, he positioned himself in the door delivering fire on
the enemy as the ship took off. The helicopter was engulfed in a
hail of bullets and Sfc. Zabitosky was thrown from the craft as
it spun out of control and crashed. Recovering consciousness, he
ignored his extremely painful injuries and moved to the flaming
wreckage. Heedless of the danger of exploding ordnance and fuel,
he pulled the severely wounded pilot from the searing blaze and
made repeated attempts to rescue his patrol members but was driven
back by the intense heat. Despite his serious burns and crushed
ribs, he carried and dragged the unconscious pilot through a curtain
of enemy fire to within 10 feet of a hovering rescue helicopter
before collapsing. Sfc. Zabitosky's extraordinary heroism and devotion
to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military
service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the
U.S. Army.
|
|
Last updated 3 October 2003
|
|