VIETNAM WAR
MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS
(A-B)
*N.B. An asterisk in the
citation indicates that the award was given posthumously.
*ADAMS, WILLIAM E.
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army, A/227th Assault Helicopter
Company, 52d Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade. Place and Date:
Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, 25 May 1971. Entered Service at:
Kansas City, Mo. Born: 16 June 1939, Casper, Wyo. Citation: Maj. Adams
distinguished himself on 25 May 1971 while serving as a helicopter pilot in
Kontum Province in the Republic of Vietnam. On that date, Maj. Adams
volunteered to fly a lightly armed helicopter in an attempt to evacuate 3
seriously wounded soldiers from a small fire base which was under attack by
a large enemy force. He made the decision with full knowledge that numerous
antiaircraft weapons were positioned around the base and that the clear
weather would afford the enemy gunners unobstructed view of all routes into
the base. As he approached the base, the enemy gunners opened fire with
heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. Undaunted by
the fusillade, he continued his approach determined to accomplish the
mission. Displaying tremendous courage under fire, he calmly directed the
attacks of supporting gunships while maintaining absolute control of the
helicopter he was flying. He landed the aircraft at the fire base despite
the ever-increasing enemy fire and calmly waited until the wounded soldiers
were placed on board. As his aircraft departed from the fire base, it was
struck and seriously damaged by enemy anti-aircraft fire and began
descending. Flying with exceptional skill, he immediately regained control
of the crippled aircraft and attempted a controlled landing. Despite his
valiant efforts, the helicopter exploded, overturned, and plummeted to earth
amid the hail of enemy fire. Maj. Adams' conspicuous gallantry, intrepidity,
and humanitarian regard for his fellow man were in keeping with the most
cherished traditions of the military service and reflected utmost credit on
him and the U S. Army.
*ALBANESE, LEWIS
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 5th
Battalion (Airmobile), 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date:
Republic of Vietnam, 1 December 1966. Entered service at: Seattle, Wash.
Born: 27 April 1946, Venice, Italy. G.O. No.: 12, 3 April 1968. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life
and beyond the call of duty. Pfc. Albanese's platoon, while advancing
through densely covered terrain to establish a blocking position, received
intense automatic weapons fire from close range. As other members maneuvered
to assault the enemy position, Pfc. Albanese was ordered to provide security
for the left flank of the platoon. Suddenly, the left flank received fire
from enemy located in a well-concealed ditch. Realizing the imminent danger
to his comrades from this fire, Pfc. Albanese fixed his bayonet and moved
aggressively into the ditch. His action silenced the sniper fire, enabling
the platoon to resume movement toward the main enemy position. As the
platoon continued to advance, the sound of heavy firing emanated from the
left flank from a pitched battle that ensued in the ditch which Pfc.
Albanese had entered. The ditch was actually a well-organized complex of
enemy defenses designed to bring devastating flanking fire on the forces
attacking the main position. Pfc. Albanese, disregarding the danger to
himself, advanced 100 meters along the trench and killed 6 of the snipers,
who were armed with automatic weapons. Having exhausted his ammunition, Pfc.
Albanese was mortally wounded when he engaged and killed 2 more enemy
soldiers in fierce hand-to-hand combat. His unparalleled actions saved the
lives of many members of his platoon who otherwise would have fallen to the
sniper fire from the ditch, and enabled his platoon to successfully advance
against an enemy force of overwhelming numerical superiority. Pfc.
Albanese's extraordinary heroism and supreme dedication to his comrades were
commensurate with the finest traditions of the military service and remain a
tribute to himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*ANDERSON, JAMES, JR.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, 2d
Platoon, Company F, 2d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and
date: Republic of Vietnam, 28 February 1967. Entered service at: Los
Angeles, Calif. Born: 22 January 1947, Los Angeles, Calif. Citation: For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and
beyond the call of duty. Company F was advancing in dense jungle northwest
of Cam Lo in an effort to extract a heavily besieged reconnaissance patrol.
Pfc. Anderson's platoon was the lead element and had advanced only about 200
meters when they were brought under extremely intense enemy small-arms and
automatic weapons fire. The platoon reacted swiftly, getting on line as best
they could in the thick terrain, and began returning fire. Pfc. Anderson
found himself tightly bunched together with the other members of the platoon
only 20 meters from the enemy positions. As the fire fight continued several
of the men were wounded by the deadly enemy assault. Suddenly, an enemy
grenade landed in the midst of the marines and rolled alongside Pfc.
Anderson's head. Unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his personal
safety, he reached out, grasped the grenade, pulled it to his chest and
curled around it as it went off. Although several marines received shrapnel
from the grenade, his body absorbed the major force of the explosion. In
this singularly heroic act, Pfc. Anderson saved his comrades from serious
injury and possible death. His personal heroism, extraordinary valor, and
inspirational supreme self-sacrifice 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.
*ANDERSON, RICHARD A.
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company E, 3d
Reconnaissance Battalion, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Quang Tri
Province, Republic of Vietnam, 24 August 1969. Entered service at: Houston,
Tex. Born: 16 April 1948, Washington, D.C. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call
of duty while serving as an assistant team leader with Company E, in
connection with combat operations against an armed enemy. While conducting a
patrol during the early morning hours L/Cpl. Anderson's reconnaissance team
came under a heavy volume of automatic weapons and machine gun fire from a
numerically superior and well concealed enemy force. Although painfully
wounded in both legs and knocked to the ground during the initial moments of
the fierce fire fight, L/Cpl. Anderson assumed a prone position and
continued to deliver intense suppressive fire in an attempt to repulse the
attackers. Moments later he was wounded a second time by an enemy soldier
who had approached to within 8 feet of the team's position. Undaunted, he
continued to pour a relentless stream of fire at the assaulting unit, even
while a companion was treating his leg wounds. Observing an enemy grenade
land between himself and the other marine, L/Cpl. Anderson immediately
rolled over and covered the lethal weapon with his body, absorbing the full
effects of the detonation. By his indomitable courage, inspiring initiative,
and selfless devotion to duty, L/Cpl. Anderson was instrumental in saving
several marines from serious injury or possible death. His actions were in
keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S.
Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.
ANDERSON, WEBSTER
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Battery A, 2d
Battalion, 320th Field Artillery, 101st Airborne Infantry Division
(Airmobile). Place and date: Tam Ky, Republic of Vietnam, 15 October 1967.
Entered service at: Winnsboro, S.C. Born: 15 July 1933, Winnsboro, S.C.
Citation: Sfc. Anderson (then S/Sgt.), distinguished himself by conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as chief of section in
Battery A, against a hostile force. During the early morning hours Battery
A's defensive position was attacked by a determined North Vietnamese Army
infantry unit supported by heavy mortar, recoilless rifle, rocket propelled
grenade and automatic weapon fire. The initial enemy onslaught breached the
battery defensive perimeter. Sfc. Anderson, with complete disregard for his
personal safety, mounted the exposed parapet of his howitzer position and
became the mainstay of the defense of the battery position. Sfc. Anderson
directed devastating direct howitzer fire on the assaulting enemy while
providing rifle and grenade defensive fire against enemy soldiers attempting
to overrun his gun section position. While protecting his crew and directing
their fire against the enemy from his exposed position, 2 enemy grenades
exploded at his feet knocking him down and severely wounding him in the
legs. Despite the excruciating pain and though not able to stand, Sfc.
Anderson valorously propped himself on the parapet and continued to direct
howitzer fire upon the closing enemy and to encourage his men to fight on.
Seeing an enemy grenade land within the gun pit near a wounded member of his
gun crew, Sfc. Anderson heedless of his own safety, seized the grenade and
attempted to throw it over the parapet to save his men. As the grenade was
thrown from the position it exploded and Sfc. Anderson was again grievously
wounded. Although only partially conscious and severely wounded, Sfc.
Anderson refused medical evacuation and continued to encourage his men in
the defense of the position. Sfc. Anderson by his inspirational leadership,
professionalism, devotion to duty and complete disregard for his welfare was
able to maintain the defense of his section position and to defeat a
determined attack. Sfc. Anderson's gallantry and extraordinary heroism at
the risk 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.
*ASHLEY, EUGENE, JR.
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Company C, 5th
Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Place and date: Near
Lang Vei, Republic of Vietnam, 6th and 7th February 1968. Entered service
at: New York, N.Y. Born: 12 October 1931, Wilmington, N.C. Citation: Sfc.
Ashley, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while
serving with Detachment A-101, Company C. Sfc. Ashley was the senior special
forces Advisor of a hastily organized assault force whose mission was to
rescue entrapped U.S. special forces advisors at Camp Lang Vei. During the
initial attack on the special forces camp by North Vietnamese army forces,
Sfc. Ashley supported the camp with high explosive and illumination mortar
rounds. When communications were lost with the main camp, he assumed the
additional responsibility of directing air strikes and artillery support.
Sfc. Ashley organized and equipped a small assault force composed of local
friendly personnel. During the ensuing battle, Sfc. Ashley led a total of 5
vigorous assaults against the enemy, continuously exposing himself to a
voluminous hail of enemy grenades, machine gun and automatic weapons fire.
Throughout these assaults, he was plagued by numerous booby-trapped satchel
charges in all bunkers on his avenue of approach. During his fifth and final
assault, he adjusted air strikes nearly on top of his assault element,
forcing the enemy to withdraw and resulting in friendly control of the
summit of the hill. While exposing himself to intense enemy fire, he was
seriously wounded by machine gun fire but continued his mission without
regard for his personal safety. After the fifth assault he lost
consciousness and was carried from the summit by his comrades only to suffer
a fatal wound when an enemy artillery round landed in the area. Sfc. Ashley
displayed extraordinary heroism in risking his life in an attempt to save
the lives of his entrapped comrades and commanding officer. His total
disregard for his personal safety while exposed to enemy observation and
automatic weapons fire was an inspiration to all men committed to the
assault. The resolute valor with which he led 5 gallant charges placed
critical diversionary pressure on the attacking enemy and his valiant
efforts carved a channel in the overpowering enemy forces and weapons
positions through which the survivors of Camp Lang Vei eventually escaped to
freedom. Sfc. Ashley's bravery at the cost of his life was in the highest
traditions of the military service, and reflects great credit upon himself,
his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*AUSTIN, OSCAR P.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Company E,
2d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, (Rein), FMF. Place and date:
West of Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, 23 February 1969. Entered service at:
Phoenix, Ariz. Born: 15 January 1948, Nacogdoches, Tex. Citation: For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and
beyond the call of duty while serving as an assistant machine gunner with
Company E, in connection with operations against enemy forces. During the
early morning hours Pfc. Austin's observation post was subjected to a fierce
ground attack by a large North Vietnamese Army force supported by a heavy
volume of hand grenades, satchel charges, and small arms fire. Observing
that 1 of his wounded companions had fallen unconscious in a position
dangerously exposed to the hostile fire, Pfc. Austin unhesitatingly left the
relative security of his fighting hole and, with complete disregard for his
safety, raced across the fire-swept terrain to assist the marine to a
covered location. As he neared the casualty, he observed an enemy grenade
land nearby and, reacting instantly, leaped between the injured marine and
the lethal object, absorbing the effects of its detonation. As he ignored
his painful injuries and turned to examine the wounded man, he saw a North
Vietnamese Army soldier aiming a weapon at his unconscious companion. With
full knowledge of the probable consequences and thinking only to protect the
marine, Pfc. Austin resolutely threw himself between the casualty and the
hostile soldier, and, in doing, was mortally wounded. Pfc. Austin'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.
BACA, JOHN P.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company D, 1st
Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: Phuoc Long
Province, Republic of Vietnam, 10 February 1970. Entered service at: Fort
Ord, Calif. Born: 10 January 1949, Providence, R.I.. Citation: For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Baca, Company D, distinguished
himself while serving on a recoilless rifle team during a night ambush
mission A platoon from his company was sent to investigate the detonation of
an automatic ambush device forward of his unit's main position and soon came
under intense enemy fire from concealed positions along the trail. Hearing
the heavy firing from the platoon position and realizing that his recoilless
rifle team could assist the members of the besieged patrol, Sp4c. Baca led
his team through the hail of enemy fire to a firing position within the
patrol's defensive perimeter. As they prepared to engage the enemy, a
fragmentation grenade was thrown into the midst of the patrol. Fully aware
of the danger to his comrades, Sp4c. Baca unhesitatingly, and with complete
disregard for his own safety, covered the grenade with his steel helmet and
fell on it as the grenade exploded, thereby absorbing the lethal fragments
and concussion with his body. His gallant action and total disregard for his
personal well-being directly saved 8 men from certain serious injury or
death. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by Sp4c. Baca,
at the risk of his life, are in the highest traditions of the military
service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
BACON, NICKY DANIEL
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 4th
Battalion, 21st Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. Place
and date: West of Tam Ky, Republic of Vietnam, 26 August 1968. Entered
service at: Phoenix, Ariz. Born: 25 November 1945, Caraway, Ark. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Bacon distinguished himself while
serving as a squad leader with the 1st Platoon, Company B, during an
operation west of Tam Ky. When Company B came under fire from an enemy
bunker line to the front, S/Sgt. Bacon quickly organized his men and led
them forward in an assault. He advanced on a hostile bunker and destroyed it
with grenades. As he did so, several fellow soldiers including the 1st
Platoon leader, were struck by machine gun fire and fell wounded in an
exposed position forward of the rest of the platoon. S/Sgt. Bacon
immediately assumed command of the platoon and assaulted the hostile gun
position, finally killing the enemy gun crew in a single-handed effort. When
the 3d Platoon moved to S/Sgt. Bacon's location, its leader was also
wounded. Without hesitation S/Sgt. Bacon took charge of the additional
platoon and continued the fight. In the ensuing action he personally killed
4 more enemy soldiers and silenced an antitank weapon. Under his leadership
and example, the members of both platoons accepted his authority without
question. Continuing to ignore the intense hostile fire, he climbed up on
the exposed deck of a tank and directed fire into the enemy position while
several wounded men were evacuated. As a result of S/Sgt. Bacon's
extraordinary efforts, his company was able to move forward, eliminate the
enemy positions, and rescue the men trapped to the front. S/Sgt. Bacon's
bravery at the risk of his life was in the highest traditions of the
military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the
U.S. Army.
BAKER, JOHN F., JR.
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Pfc.), U.S. Army, Company A, 2d
Battalion, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Republic
of Vietnam, 5 November 1966. Entered service at: Moline, Ill. Born: 30
October 1945, Davenport, Iowa. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of
duty. En route to assist another unit that was engaged with the enemy,
Company A came under intense enemy fire and the lead man was killed
instantly. Sgt. Baker immediately moved to the head of the column and
together with another soldier knocked out 2 enemy bunkers. When his comrade
was mortally wounded, Sgt. Baker, spotting 4 Viet Cong snipers, killed all
of them, evacuated the fallen soldier and returned to lead repeated assaults
against the enemy positions, killing several more Viet Cong. Moving to
attack 2 additional enemy bunkers, he and another soldier drew intense enemy
fire and Sgt. Baker was blown from his feet by an enemy grenade. He quickly
recovered and single-handedly destroyed 1 bunker before the other soldier
was wounded. Seizing his fallen comrade's machine gun, Sgt. Baker charged
through the deadly fusillade to silence the other bunker. He evacuated his
comrade, replenished his ammunition and returned to the forefront to brave
the enemy fire and continue the fight. When the forward element was ordered
to withdraw, he carried 1 wounded man to the rear. As he returned to
evacuate another soldier, he was taken under fire by snipers, but raced
beyond the friendly troops to attack and kill the snipers. After evacuating
the wounded man, he returned to cover the deployment of the unit. His
ammunition now exhausted, he dragged 2 more of his fallen comrades to the
rear. Sgt. Baker's selfless heroism, indomitable fighting spirit, and
extraordinary gallantry were directly responsible for saving the lives of
several of his comrades, and inflicting serious damage on the enemy. His
acts 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.
BALLARD, DONALD E.
Rank and organization: Hospital Corpsman Second Class, U.S. Navy, Company
M, 3d Battalion, 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Quang Tri
Province, Republic of Vietnam, 16 May 1968. Entered service at: Kansas City,
Mo. Born: 5 December 1945, Kansas City, Mo. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life and beyond the call of
duty while serving as a HC2c. with Company M, in connection with operations
against enemy aggressor forces. During the afternoon hours, Company M was
moving to join the remainder of the 3d Battalion in Quang Tri Province.
After treating and evacuating 2 heat casualties, HC2c. Ballard was returning
to his platoon from the evacuation landing zone when the company was
ambushed by a North Vietnamese Army unit employing automatic weapons and
mortars, and sustained numerous casualties. Observing a wounded marine,
HC2c. Ballard unhesitatingly moved across the fire swept terrain to the
injured man and swiftly rendered medical assistance to his comrade. HC2c.
Ballard then directed 4 marines to carry the casualty to a position of
relative safety. As the 4 men prepared to move the wounded marine, an enemy
soldier suddenly left his concealed position and, after hurling a hand
grenade which landed near the casualty, commenced firing upon the small
group of men. Instantly shouting a warning to the marines, HC2c. Ballard
fearlessly threw himself upon the lethal explosive device to protect his
comrades from the deadly blast. When the grenade failed to detonate, he
calmly arose from his dangerous position and resolutely continued his
determined efforts in treating other marine casualties. HC2c. Ballard's
heroic actions and selfless concern for the welfare of his companions served
to inspire all who observed him and prevented possible injury or death to
his fellow marines. His courage, daring initiative, and unwavering devotion
to duty in the face of extreme personal danger, sustain and enhance the
finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
*BARKER, JEDH COLBY
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company F, 2d
Battalion, 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Near
Con Thein, Republic of Vietnam, 21 September 1967. Entered service at: Park
Ridge, N.J. Born: 20 June 1945, Franklin, N.H. 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 F. During a
reconnaissance operation L/Cpl. Barker's squad was suddenly hit by enemy
sniper fire. The squad immediately deployed to a combat formation and
advanced to a strongly fortified enemy position, when it was again struck by
small arms and automatic weapons fire, sustaining numerous casualties.
Although wounded by the initial burst of fire, L/Cpl. Barker boldly remained
in the open, delivering a devastating volume of accurate fire on the
numerically superior force. The enemy was intent upon annihilating the small
marine force and, realizing that L/Cpl. Barker was a threat to their
position, directed the preponderance of their fire on his position. He was
again wounded, this time in the right hand, which prevented him from
operating his vitally needed machine gun. Suddenly and without warning, an
enemy grenade landed in the midst of the few surviving marines.
Unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his personal safety, L/Cpl.
Barker threw himself upon the deadly grenade, absorbing with his body the
full and tremendous force of the explosion. In a final act of bravery, he
crawled to the side of a wounded comrade and administered first aid before
succumbing to his grievous wounds. His bold initiative, intrepid fighting
spirit and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of almost certain death
undoubtedly saved his comrades from further injury or possible death and
reflected great credit upon himself, the Marine Corps, and the U.S. Naval
Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
*BARNES, JOHN ANDREW III
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st
Battalion, 503d Infantry 173d Airborne Brigade. Place and date: Dak To,
Republic of Vietnam, 12 November 1967. Entered service at: Boston, Mass.
Born: 16 April 1945, Boston, Mass. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of
duty. Pfc. Barnes distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while engaged
in combat against hostile forces. Pfc. Barnes was serving as a grenadier
when his unit was attacked by a North Vietnamese force, estimated to be a
battalion. Upon seeing the crew of a machine gun team killed, Pfc. Barnes,
without hesitation, dashed through the bullet swept area, manned the machine
gun, and killed 9 enemy soldiers as they assaulted his position. While
pausing just long enough to retrieve more ammunition, Pfc. Barnes observed
an enemy grenade thrown into the midst of some severely wounded personnel
close to his position. Realizing that the grenade could further injure or
kill the majority of the wounded personnel, he sacrificed his life by
throwing himself directly onto the hand grenade as it exploded. Through is
indomitable courage, complete disregard for his own safety, and profound
concern for his fellow soldiers, he averted a probable loss of life and
injury to the wounded members of his unit. Pfc. Barnes' extraordinary
heroism, and intrepidity at the cost of his life, above and beyond the call
of duty, are in the highest traditions of military service and reflect great
credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
BARNUM, HARVEY C., IR.
Rank and organization: Captain (then Lt.), U.S. Marine Corps, Company H,
2d Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division (Rein). Place and date: Ky Phu
in Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam, 18 December 1965. Entered
service at: Cheshire, Conn. Born: 21 July 1940, Cheshire, Conn. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and
beyond the call of duty. When the company was suddenly pinned down by a hail
of extremely accurate enemy fire and was quickly separated from the
remainder of the battalion by over 500 meters of open and fire-swept ground,
and casualties mounted rapidly. Lt. Barnum quickly made a hazardous
reconnaissance of the area, seeking targets for his artillery. Finding the
rifle company commander mortally wounded and the radio operator killed, he,
with complete disregard for his safety, gave aid to the dying commander,
then removed the radio from the dead operator and strapped it to himself. He
immediately assumed command of the rifle company, and moving at once into
the midst of the heavy fire, rallying and giving encouragement to all units,
reorganized them to replace the loss of key personnel and led their attack
on enemy positions from which deadly fire continued to come. His sound and
swift decisions and his obvious calm served to stabilize the badly decimated
units and his gallant example as he stood exposed repeatedly to point out
targets served as an inspiration to all. Provided with 2 armed helicopters,
he moved fearlessly through enemy fire to control the air attack against the
firmly entrenched enemy while skillfully directing 1 platoon in a successful
counterattack on the key enemy positions. Having thus cleared a small area,
he requested and directed the landing of 2 transport helicopters for the
evacuation of the dead and wounded. He then assisted in the mopping up and
final seizure of the battalion's objective. His gallant initiative and
heroic conduct reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with
the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
BEIKIRCH, GARY B.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 5th Special Forces
Group, 1st Special Forces. Place and date: Kontum Province, Republic of
Vietnam, 1 April 1970. Entered service at: Buffalo, N.Y. Born: 29 August
1947, Rochester, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in
action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt.
Beikirch, medical aidman, Detachment B-24, Company B, distinguished himself
during the defense of Camp Dak Seang. The allied defenders suffered a number
of casualties as a result of an intense, devastating attack launched by the
enemy from well-concealed positions surrounding the camp. Sgt. Beikirch,
with complete disregard for his personal safety, moved unhesitatingly
through the withering enemy fire to his fallen comrades, applied first aid
to their wounds and assisted them to the medical aid station. When informed
that a seriously injured American officer was lying in an exposed position,
Sgt. Beikirch ran immediately through the hail of fire. Although he was
wounded seriously by fragments from an exploding enemy mortar shell, Sgt.
Beikirch carried the officer to a medical aid station. Ignoring his own
serious injuries, Sgt. Beikirch left the relative safety of the medical
bunker to search for and evacuate other men who had been injured. He was
again wounded as he dragged a critically injured Vietnamese soldier to the
medical bunker while simultaneously applying mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to
sustain his life. Sgt. Beikirch again refused treatment and continued his
search for other casualties until he collapsed. Only then did he permit
himself to be treated. Sgt. Beikirch's complete devotion to the welfare of
his comrades, at the risk of his 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.
*BELCHER, TED
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion,
14th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Plei Djerang,
Republic of Vietnam, 19 November 1966. Entered service at: Huntington, W .
Va. Born: 21 July 1924, Accoville, W . Va. Citation: Distinguishing himself
by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life. Sgt.
Belcher's unit was engaged in a search and destroy mission with Company B,
1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, the Battalion Reconnaissance Platoon and a
special forces company of civilian irregular defense group personnel. As a
squad leader of the 2d Platoon of Company C, Sgt. Belcher was leading his
men when they encountered a bunker complex. The reconnaissance platoon,
located a few hundred meters northwest of Company C, received a heavy volume
of fire from well camouflaged snipers. As the 2d Platoon moved forward to
assist the unit under attack, Sgt. Belcher and his squad, advancing only a
short distance through the dense jungle terrain, met heavy and accurate
automatic weapons and sniper fire. Sgt. Belcher and his squad were
momentarily stopped by the deadly volume of enemy fire. He quickly gave the
order to return fire and resume the advance toward the enemy. As he moved up
with his men, a hand grenade landed in the midst of the sergeant's squad.
Instantly realizing the immediate danger to his men, Sgt. Belcher,
unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his safety, lunged forward,
covering the grenade with his body. Absorbing the grenade blast at the cost
of his life, he saved his comrades from becoming casualties. Sgt. Belcher's
profound concern for his fellow soldiers, at the risk of his life above and
beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the
U.S. Army and reflect credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his
country.
*BELLRICHARD, LESLIE ALLEN
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st
Battalion, 8th Infantry. Place and date: Kontum Province Republic of
Vietnam, 20 May 1967. Entered service at: Oakland, Calif. Born: 4 December
1941, Janesville, Wis. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Acting
as a fire team leader with Company C, during combat operations Pfc.
Bellrichard was with 4 fellow soldiers in a foxhole on their unit's
perimeter when the position came under a massive enemy attack. Following a
30-minute mortar barrage, the enemy launched a strong ground assault. Pfc.
Bellrichard rose in face of a group of charging enemy soldiers and threw
hand grenades into their midst, eliminating several of the foe and forcing
the remainder to withdraw. Failing in their initial attack, the enemy
repeated the mortar and rocket bombardment of the friendly perimeter, then
once again charged against the defenders in a concerted effort to overrun
the position. Pfc. Bellrichard resumed throwing hand grenades at the
onrushing attackers. As he was about to hurl a grenade, a mortar round
exploded just in front of his position, knocking him into the foxhole and
causing him to lose his grip on the already armed grenade. Recovering
instantly, Pfc. Bellrichard recognized the threat to the lives of his 4
comrades and threw himself upon the grenade, shielding his companions from
the blast that followed. Although severely wounded, Pfc. Bellrichard
struggled into an upright position in the foxhole and fired his rifle at the
enemy until he succumbed to his wounds. His selfless heroism contributed
greatly to the successful defense of the position, and he was directly
responsible for saving the lives of several of his comrades. His acts are in
keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect
great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
BENAVIDEZ, ROY P.
Rank and Organization: Master Sergeant, Detachment B-56, 5th Special
Forces Group, Republic of Vietnam. Place and Date: West of Loc Ninh on 2 May
1968. Entered Service at: Houston, Texas June 1955. Date and Place of Birth:
5 August 1935, DeWitt County, Cuero, Texas. Master Sergeant (then Staff
Sergeant) Roy P. Benavidez United States Army, who distinguished himself by
a series of daring and extremely valorous actions on 2 May 1968 while
assigned to Detachment B56, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special
Forces, Republic of Vietnam. On the morning of 2 May 1968, a 12-man Special
Forces Reconnaissance Team was inserted by helicopters in a dense jungle
area west of Loc Ninh, Vietnam to gather intelligence information about
confirmed large-scale enemy activity. This area was controlled and routinely
patrolled by the North Vietnamese Army. After a short period of time on the
ground, the team met heavy enemy resistance, and requested emergency
extraction. Three helicopters attempted extraction, but were unable to land
due to intense enemy small arms and anti-aircraft fire. Sergeant Benavidez
was at the Forward Operating Base in Loc Ninh monitoring the operation by
radio when these helicopters returned to off-load wounded crewmembers and to
assess aircraft damage. Sergeant Benavidez voluntarily boarded a returning
aircraft to assist in another extraction attempt. Realizing that all the
team members were either dead or wounded and unable to move to the pickup
zone, he directed the aircraft to a nearby clearing where he jumped from the
hovering helicopter, and ran approximately 75 meters under withering small
arms fire to the crippled team. Prior to reaching the team's position he was
wounded in his right leg, face, and head. Despite these painful injuries, he
took charge, repositioning the team members and directing their fire to
facilitate the landing of an extraction aircraft, and the loading of wounded
and dead team members. He then threw smoke canisters to direct the aircraft
to the team's position. Despite his severe wounds and under intense enemy
fire, he carried and dragged half of the wounded team members to the
awaiting aircraft. He then provided protective fire by running alongside the
aircraft as it moved to pick up the remaining team members. As the enemy's
fire intensified, he hurried to recover the body and classified documents on
the dead team leader. When he reached the leader's body, Sergeant Benavidez
was severely wounded by small arms fire in the abdomen and grenade fragments
in his back. At nearly the same moment, the aircraft pilot was mortally
wounded, and his helicopter crashed. Although in extremely critical
condition due to his multiple wounds, Sergeant Benavidez secured the
classified documents and made his way back to the wreckage, where he aided
the wounded out of the overturned aircraft, and gathered the stunned
survivors into a defensive perimeter. Under increasing enemy automatic
weapons and grenade fire, he moved around the perimeter distributing water
and ammunition to his weary men, reinstilling in them a will to live and
fight. Facing a buildup of enemy opposition with a beleaguered team,
Sergeant Benavidez mustered his strength, began calling in tactical air
strikes and directed the fire from supporting gunships to suppress the
enemy's fire and so permit another extraction attempt. He was wounded again
in his thigh by small arms fire while administering first aid to a wounded
team member just before another extraction helicopter was able to land. His
indomitable spirit kept him going as he began to ferry his comrades to the
craft. On his second trip with the wounded, he was clubbed from additional
wounds to his head and arms before killing his adversary. He then continued
under devastating fire to carry the wounded to the helicopter. Upon reaching
the aircraft, he spotted and killed two enemy soldiers who were rushing the
craft from an angle that prevented the aircraft door gunner from firing upon
them. With little strength remaining, he made one last trip to the perimeter
to ensure that all classified material had been collected or destroyed, and
to bring in the remaining wounded. Only then, in extremely serious condition
from numerous wounds and loss of blood, did he allow himself to be pulled
into the extraction aircraft. Sergeant Benavidez' gallant choice to join
voluntarily his comrades who were in critical straits, to expose himself
constantly to withering enemy fire, and his refusal to be stopped despite
numerous severe wounds, saved the lives of at least eight men. His fearless
personal leadership, tenacious devotion to duty, and extremely valorous
actions in the face of overwhelming odds were in keeping with the highest
traditions of the military service, and reflect the utmost credit on him and
the United States Army.
*BENNETT, STEVEN L.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force. 20th Tactical Air Support
Squadron, Pacific Air Forces. Place and date: Quang Tri, Republic of
Vietnam, 29 June 1972. Entered service at: Lafayette, La. Born: 22 April
1946, Palestine, Tex. Citation: Capt. Bennett was the pilot of a light
aircraft flying an artillery adjustment mission along a heavily defended
segment of route structure. A large concentration of enemy troops was
massing for an attack on a friendly unit. Capt. Bennett requested tactical
air support but was advised that none was available. He also requested
artillery support but this too was denied due to the close proximity of
friendly troops to the target. Capt. Bennett was determined to aid the
endangered unit and elected to strafe the hostile positions. After 4 such
passes, the enemy force began to retreat. Capt. Bennett continued the
attack, but, as he completed his fifth strafing pass, his aircraft was
struck by a surface-to-air missile, which severely damaged the left engine
and the left main landing gear. As fire spread in the left engine, Capt.
Bennett realized that recovery at a friendly airfield was impossible. He
instructed his observer to prepare for an ejection, but was informed by the
observer that his parachute had been shredded by the force of the impacting
missile. Although Capt. Bennett had a good parachute, he knew that if he
ejected, the observer would have no chance of survival. With complete
disregard for his own life, Capt. Bennett elected to ditch the aircraft into
the Gulf of Tonkin, even though he realized that a pilot of this type
aircraft had never survived a ditching. The ensuing impact upon the water
caused the aircraft to cartwheel and severely damaged the front cockpit,
making escape for Capt. Bennett impossible. The observer successfully made
his way out of the aircraft and was rescued. Capt. Bennett's unparalleled
concern for his companion, extraordinary heroism and intrepidity above and
beyond the call of duty, 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. Air Force.
*BENNETT, THOMAS W.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, 2d Platoon, Company B, 1st
Battalion, 14th Infantry. Place and date: Chu Pa Region, Pleiku Province,
Republic of Vietnam, 9-11 February 1969. Entered service at: Fairmont, W.
Va. Born: 7 April 1947, Morgantown, W. Va. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty. Cpl. Bennett distinguished himself while serving as a
platoon medical aidman with the 2d Platoon, Company B, during a
reconnaissance-in-force mission. On 9 February the platoon was moving to
assist the 1st Platoon of Company D which had run into a North Vietnamese
ambush when it became heavily engaged by the intense small arms, automatic
weapons, mortar and rocket fire from a well fortified and numerically
superior enemy unit. In the initial barrage of fire, 3 of the point members
of the platoon fell wounded. Cpl. Bennett, with complete disregard for his
safety, ran through the heavy fire to his fallen comrades, administered
life-saving first aid under fire and then made repeated trips carrying the
wounded men to positions of relative safety from which they would be
medically evacuated from the battle position. Cpl. Bennett repeatedly braved
the intense enemy fire moving across open areas to give aid and comfort to
his wounded comrades. He valiantly exposed himself to the heavy fire in
order to retrieve the bodies of several fallen personnel. Throughout the
night and following day, Cpl. Bennett moved from position to position
treating and comforting the several personnel who had suffered shrapnel and
gunshot wounds. On 11 February, Company B again moved in an assault on the
well fortified enemy positions and became heavily engaged with the
numerically superior enemy force. Five members of the company fell wounded
in the initial assault. Cpl. Bennett ran to their aid without regard to the
heavy fire. He treated 1 wounded comrade and began running toward another
seriously wounded man. Although the wounded man was located forward of the
company position covered by heavy enemy grazing fire and Cpl. Bennett was
warned that it was impossible to reach the position, he leaped forward with
complete disregard for his safety to save his comrade's life. In attempting
to save his fellow soldier, he was mortally wounded. Cpl. Bennett's
undaunted concern for his comrades 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 upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*BLANCHFIELD, MICHAEL R.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 4th
Battalion, 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade. Place and date: Binh Dinh
Province, Republic of Vietnam, 3 July 1969. Entered service at: Chicago,
Ill. Born: 4 January 1950, Minneapolis, Minn. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty. Sp4c. Blanchfield distinguished himself while serving as a
rifleman in Company A on a combat patrol. The patrol surrounded a group of
houses to search for suspects. During the search of 1 of the huts, a man
suddenly ran out toward a nearby tree line. Sp4c. Blanchfield, who was on
guard outside the hut, saw the man, shouted for him to halt, and began
firing at him as the man ignored the warning and continued to run. The
suspect suddenly threw a grenade toward the hut and its occupants. Although
the exploding grenade severely wounded Sp4c. Blanchfield and several others,
he regained his feet to continue the pursuit of the enemy. The fleeing enemy
threw a second grenade which landed near Sp4c. Blanchfield and several
members of his patrol. Instantly realizing the danger, he shouted a warning
to his comrades. Sp4c. Blanchfield unhesitatingly and with complete
disregard for his safety, threw himself on the grenade, absorbing the full
and fatal impact of the explosion. By his gallant action and self-sacrifice,
he was able to save the lives and prevent injury to 4 members of the patrol
and several Vietnamese civilians in the immediate area. Sp4c. Blanchfield'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 upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*BOBO, JOHN P.
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 3d
Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date:
Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 30 March 1967. Entered service at:
Buffalo, N.Y. Born: 14 February 1943, Niagara Falls, N.Y. Citation: For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and
beyond the call of duty. Company 1 was establishing night ambush sites when
the command group was attacked by a reinforced North Vietnamese company
supported by heavy automatic weapons and mortar fire. 2d Lt. Bobo
immediately organized a hasty defense and moved from position to position
encouraging the outnumbered marines despite the murderous enemy fire.
Recovering a rocket launcher from among the friendly casualties, he
organized a new launcher team and directed its fire into the enemy machine
gun positions. When an exploding enemy mortar round severed 2d Lt. Bobo's
right leg below the knee, he refused to be evacuated and insisted upon being
placed in a firing position to cover the movement of the command group to a
better location. With a web belt around his leg serving as a tourniquet and
with his leg jammed into the dirt to curtain the bleeding, he remained in
this position and delivered devastating fire into the ranks of the enemy
attempting to overrun the marines. 2d Lt. Bobo was mortally wounded while
firing his weapon into the main point of the enemy attack but his valiant
spirit inspired his men to heroic efforts, and his tenacious stand enabled
the command group to gain a protective position where it repulsed the enemy
onslaught. 2d Lt. Bobo's superb leadership, dauntless courage, and bold
initiative 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.
BONDSTEEL, JAMES LEROY
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 2d
Battalion, 2d Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: An Loc
Province, Republic of Vietnam, 24 May 1969. Entered service at: Detroit,
Mich. Born: 18 July 1947, Jackson, Mich. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call
of duty. S/Sgt. Bondsteel distinguished himself while serving as a platoon
sergeant with Company A, near the village of Lang Sau. Company A was
directed to assist a friendly unit which was endangered by intense fire from
a North Vietnamese Battalion located in a heavily fortified base camp.
S/Sgt. Bondsteel quickly organized the men of his platoon into effective
combat teams and spearheaded the attack by destroying 4 enemy occupied
bunkers. He then raced some 200 meters under heavy enemy fire to reach an
adjoining platoon which had begun to falter. After rallying this unit and
assisting their wounded, S/Sgt. Bondsteel returned to his own sector with
critically needed munitions. Without pausing he moved to the forefront and
destroyed 4 enemy occupied bunkers and a machine gun which had threatened
his advancing platoon. Although painfully wounded by an enemy grenade,
S/Sgt. Bondsteel refused medical attention and continued his assault by
neutralizing 2 more enemy bunkers nearby. While searching one of these
emplacements S/Sgt. Bondsteel narrowly escaped death when an enemy soldier
detonated a grenade at close range. Shortly thereafter, he ran to the aid of
a severely wounded officer and struck down an enemy soldier who was
threatening the officer's life. S/Sgt. Bondsteel then continued to rally his
men and led them through the entrenched enemy until his company was
relieved. His exemplary leadership and great personal courage throughout the
4-hour battle ensured the success of his own and nearby units, and resulted
in the saving of numerous lives of his fellow soldiers. By individual acts
of bravery he destroyed 10 enemy bunkers and accounted for a large toll of
the enemy, including 2 key enemy commanders. His extraordinary heroism at
the risk of his life was in the highest traditions of the military service
and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
BOWEN, HAMMETT L., JR.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 2d
Battalion, 14th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Binh Duong
Province, Republic of Vietnam, 27 June 1969. Entered service at:
Jacksonville, Fla. Born: 30 November 1947, Lagrange, Ga. Citation: S/Sgt.
Bowen distinguished himself while serving as a platoon sergeant during
combat operations in Binh Duong Province, Republic of Vietnam. S/Sgt.
Bowen's platoon was advancing on a reconnaissance mission into enemy
controlled terrain when it came under the withering crossfire of small arms
and grenades from an enemy ambush force. S/Sgt. Bowen placed heavy
suppressive fire on the enemy positions and ordered his men to fall back. As
the platoon was moving back, an enemy grenade was thrown amid S/Sgt. Bowen
and 3 of his men. Sensing the danger to his comrades, S/Sgt. Bowen shouted a
warning to his men and hurled himself on the grenade, absorbing the
explosion with his body while saving the lives of his fellow soldiers.
S/Sgt. Bowen's extraordinary courage and concern for his men at the cost of
his life served as an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest
traditions of the military service and the U.S. Army.
BRADY, PATRICK HENRY
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army, Medical Service Corps, 54th
Medical Detachment, 67th Medical Group, 44th Medical Brigade. Place and
date: Near Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam, 6 January 1968. Entered service at:
Seattle, Wash. Born: 1 October 1936, Philip, S. Dak. Citation: For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty, Maj. Brady distinguished himself while
serving in the Republic of Vietnam commanding a UH-1H ambulance helicopter,
volunteered to rescue wounded men from a site in enemy held territory which
was reported to be heavily defended and to be blanketed by fog. To reach the
site he descended through heavy fog and smoke and hovered slowly along a
valley trail, turning his ship sideward to blow away the fog with the
backwash from his rotor blades. Despite the unchallenged, close-range enemy
fire, he found the dangerously small site, where he successfully landed and
evacuated 2 badly wounded South Vietnamese soldiers. He was then called to
another area completely covered by dense fog where American casualties lay
only 50 meters from the enemy. Two aircraft had previously been shot down
and others had made unsuccessful attempts to reach this site earlier in the
day. With unmatched skill and extraordinary courage, Maj. Brady made 4
flights to this embattled landing zone and successfully rescued all the
wounded. On his third mission of the day Maj. Brady once again landed at a
site surrounded by the enemy. The friendly ground force, pinned down by
enemy fire, had been unable to reach and secure the landing zone. Although
his aircraft had been badly damaged and his controls partially shot away
during his initial entry into this area, he returned minutes later and
rescued the remaining injured. Shortly thereafter, obtaining a replacement
aircraft, Maj. Brady was requested to land in an enemy minefield where a
platoon of American soldiers was trapped. A mine detonated near his
helicopter, wounding 2 crewmembers and damaging his ship. In spite of this,
he managed to fly 6 severely injured patients to medical aid. Throughout
that day Maj. Brady utilized 3 helicopters to evacuate a total of 51
seriously wounded men, many of whom would have perished without prompt
medical treatment. Maj. Brady's bravery was in the highest traditions of the
military service and reflects great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
*BRUCE, DANIEL D.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps,
Headquarters and Service Company, 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine
Division. Place and date: Fire Support Base Tomahawk, Quang Nam Province,
Republic of Vietnam, 1 March 1969. Entered service at: Chicago, 111. Born:
18 May 1950, Michigan City, Ind. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while
serving as a mortar man with Headquarters and Service Company 3d Battalion,
against the enemy. Early in the morning Pfc. Bruce was on watch in his night
defensive position at fire support base tomahawk when he heard movements
ahead of him. An enemy explosive charge was thrown toward his position and
he reacted instantly, catching the device and shouting to alert his
companions. Realizing the danger to the adjacent position with its 2
occupants, Pfc. Bruce held the device to his body and attempted to carry it
from the vicinity of the entrenched marines. As he moved away, the charge
detonated and he absorbed the full force of the explosion. Pfc. Bruce's
indomitable courage, inspiring valor and selfless devotion to duty saved the
lives of 3 of his fellow marines and upheld the highest traditions of the
Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his
country.
*BRYANT, WILLIAM MAUD
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 5th
Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. Place and date: Long Khanh
Province, Republic of Vietnam, 24 March 1969. Entered service at: Detroit,
Mich. Born: 16 February 1933, Cochran, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty. Sfc. Bryant, assigned to Company A, distinguished himself
while serving as commanding officer of Civilian Irregular Defense Group
Company 321, 2d Battalion, 3d Mobile Strike Force Command, during combat
operations. The battalion came under heavy fire and became surrounded by the
elements of 3 enemy regiments. Sfc. Bryant displayed extraordinary heroism
throughout the succeeding 34 hours of incessant attack as he moved
throughout the company position heedless of the intense hostile fire while
establishing and improving the defensive perimeter, directing fire during
critical phases of the battle, distributing ammunition, assisting the
wounded, and providing the leadership and inspirational example of courage
to his men. When a helicopter drop of ammunition was made to re-supply the
beleaguered force, Sfc. Bryant with complete disregard for his safety ran
through the heavy enemy fire to retrieve the scattered ammunition boxes and
distributed needed ammunition to his men. During a lull in the intense
fighting, Sfc. Bryant led a patrol outside the perimeter to obtain
information of the enemy. The patrol came under intense automatic weapons
fire and was pinned down. Sfc. Bryant single-handedly repulsed 1 enemy
attack on his small force and by his heroic action inspired his men to fight
off other assaults. Seeing a wounded enemy soldier some distance from the
patrol location, Sfc. Bryant crawled forward alone under heavy fire to
retrieve the soldier for intelligence purposes. Finding that the enemy
soldier had expired, Sfc. Bryant crawled back to his patrol and led his men
back to the company position where he again took command of the defense. As
the siege continued, Sfc. Bryant organized and led a patrol in a daring
attempt to break through the enemy encirclement. The patrol had advanced
some 200 meters by heavy fighting when it was pinned down by the intense
automatic weapons fire from heavily fortified bunkers and Sfc. Bryant was
severely wounded. Despite his wounds he rallied his men, called for
helicopter gunship support, and directed heavy suppressive fire upon the
enemy positions. Following the last gunship attack, Sfc. Bryant fearlessly
charged an enemy automatic weapons position, overrunning it, and
single-handedly destroying its 3 defenders. Inspired by his heroic example,
his men renewed their attack on the entrenched enemy. While regrouping his
small force for the final assault against the enemy, Sfc. Bryant fell
mortally wounded by an enemy rocket. Sfc. Bryant's selfless concern for his
comrades, 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 upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
BUCHA, PAUL WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Company D, 3d Battalion. 187th
Infantry, 3d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Place and date: Near Phuoc
Vinh, Binh Duong Province, Republic of Vietnam, 16- 19 March 1968. Entered
service at: U .S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. Born: 1 August 1943,
Washington, D.C. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in
action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt.
Bucha distinguished himself while serving as commanding officer, Company D,
on a reconnaissance-in-force mission against enemy forces near Phuoc Vinh,
The company was inserted by helicopter into the suspected enemy stronghold
to locate and destroy the enemy. During this period Capt. Bucha aggressively
and courageously led his men in the destruction of enemy fortifications and
base areas and eliminated scattered resistance impeding the advance of the
company. On 18 March while advancing to contact, the lead elements of the
company became engaged by the heavy automatic weapon, heavy machine gun,
rocket propelled grenade, Claymore mine and small-arms fire of an estimated
battalion-size force. Capt. Bucha, with complete disregard for his safety,
moved to the threatened area to direct the defense and ordered
reinforcements to the aid of the lead element. Seeing that his men were
pinned down by heavy machine gun fire from a concealed bunker located some
40 meters to the front of the positions, Capt. Bucha crawled through the
hail of fire to single-handedly destroy the bunker with grenades. During
this heroic action Capt. Bucha received a painful shrapnel wound. Returning
to the perimeter, he observed that his unit could not hold its positions and
repel the human wave assaults launched by the determined enemy. Capt. Bucha
ordered the withdrawal of the unit elements and covered the withdrawal to
positions of a company perimeter from which he could direct fire upon the
charging enemy. When 1 friendly element retrieving casualties was ambushed
and cut off from the perimeter, Capt. Bucha ordered them to feign death and
he directed artillery fire around them. During the night Capt. Bucha moved
throughout the position, distributing ammunition, providing encouragement
and insuring the integrity of the defense. He directed artillery, helicopter
gunship and Air Force gunship fire on the enemy strong points and attacking
forces, marking the positions with smoke grenades. Using flashlights in
complete view of enemy snipers, he directed the medical evacuation of 3
air-ambulance loads of seriously wounded personnel and the helicopter supply
of his company. At daybreak Capt. Bucha led a rescue party to recover the
dead and wounded members of the ambushed element. During the period of
intensive combat, Capt. Bucha, by his extraordinary heroism, inspirational
example, outstanding leadership and professional competence, led his company
in the decimation of a superior enemy force which left 156 dead on the
battlefield. His bravery and gallantry at the risk of his life are in the
highest traditions of the military service, Capt. Bucha has reflected great
credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*BUKER, BRIAN L.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Detachment B-55, 5th Special
Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. Place and date: Chau Doc Province,
Republic of Vietnam, 5 April 1970. Entered service at: Bangor, Maine. Born:
3 November 1949, Benton, Maine. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity in action at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.
Sgt. Buker, Detachment B-55, distinguished himself while serving as a
platoon adviser of a Vietnamese mobile strike force company during an
offensive mission. Sgt. Buker personally led the platoon, cleared a
strategically located well-guarded pass, and established the first foothold
at the top of what had been an impenetrable mountain fortress. When the
platoon came under the intense fire from a determined enemy located in 2
heavily fortified bunkers, and realizing that withdrawal would result in
heavy casualties, Sgt. Buker unhesitatingly, and with complete disregard for
his personal safety, charged through the hail of enemy fire and destroyed
the first bunker with hand grenades. While reorganizing his men for the
attack on the second bunker, Sgt. Buker was seriously wounded. Despite his
wounds and the deadly enemy fire, he crawled forward and destroyed the
second bunker. Sgt. Buker refused medical attention and was reorganizing his
men to continue the attack when he was mortally wounded. As a direct result
of his heroic actions, many casualties were averted, and the assault of the
enemy position was successful. Sgt. Buker's extraordinary heroism at the
cost of his life are in the highest traditions of the military service and
reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*BURKE, ROBERT C.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Company 1,
3d Battalion, 27th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date:
Southern Quang Nam Province Republic of Vietnam, 17 May 1968. Entered
service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 7 November 1949, Monticello, Ill. Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and
beyond the call of duty for service as a machine gunner with Company 1.
While on Operation ALLEN BROOK, Company 1 was approaching a dry river bed
with a heavily wooded treeline that borders the hamlet of Le Nam (1), when
they suddenly came under intense mortar, rocket propelled grenades,
automatic weapons and small-arms fire from a large, well concealed enemy
force which halted the company's advance and wounded several marines.
Realizing that key points of resistance had to be eliminated to allow the
units to advance and casualties to be evacuated, Pfc. Burke, without
hesitation, seized his machine gun and launched a series of 1-man assaults
against the fortified emplacements. As he aggressively maneuvered to the
edge of the steep river bank, he delivered accurate suppressive fire upon
several enemy bunkers, which enabled his comrades to advance and move the
wounded marines to positions of relative safety. As he continued his
combative actions, he located an opposing automatic weapons emplacement and
poured intense fire into the position, killing 3 North Vietnamese soldiers
as they attempted to flee. Pfc. Burke then fearlessly moved from one
position to another, quelling the hostile fire until his weapon
malfunctioned. Obtaining a casualty's rifle and hand grenades, he advanced
further into the midst of the enemy fire in an assault against another
pocket of resistance, killing 2 more of the enemy. Observing that a fellow
marine had cleared his malfunctioning machine gun he grasped his weapon and
moved into a dangerously exposed area and saturated the hostile treeline
until he fell mortally wounded. Pfc. Burke'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.
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