Vietnam War Medals of Honor: Above and Beyond the Call

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After exhausting his ammunition, he crawled under intense fire to his wounded team members and collected ammunition that they had not expended. He then held his position for four hours, through three assaults, killing many enemy soldiers. Because of his incredible one-man defense, the company position held until a reinforcing platoon arrived, which counterattacked the North Vietnamese.

Stewart’s body was later found in a foxhole, where he had advanced to add his fire to that of the reinforcing platoon. Eight enemy dead were found around his immediate position, with evidence that another 15 bodies had been dragged away. The American wounded for whom Stewart sacrificed his life were later evacuated.

CHARLES B. MORRIS

On June 29, 1966, Charles B. Morris was serving as a U.S. Army sergeant assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Sensing that the enemy was present in his area of operations, Morris went ahead of his platoon to reconnoiter. In so doing, he unwittingly crawled to within 30 yards of an enemy machine gun. He was fired upon and seriously wounded, but returned fire. Having killed the enemy gunner and fired at the crew, Sergeant Morris continued his reconnaissance. He returned to the platoon to report his findings. When the platoon came under heavy fire, Morris hurriedly assigned his men to better firing positions. Then, for eight hours, the platoon engaged the numerically superior foe.

Morris finally acknowledged that he needed medical attention, but the platoon medic had been killed. Morris administered first aid to himself and was returning to treat wounded members of his squad with the medic’s first-aid kit when he was again shot. He lost consciousness, but as soon as he regained it, he went right back to treating the other wounded men.

Noticing that an enemy machine gunner had maneuvered into position behind his platoon and was firing at his men, Morris and another soldier crawled toward the weapon. His comrade was killed, and Morris was wounded a fourth time. Firing his rifle with one hand, Morris silenced the machine gun. He later recovered from his wounds.

After the battle, documents found on a dead enemy soldier revealed a planned ambush of a South Vietnamese battalion. Use of this information prevented the ambush and saved lives. Morris also saved lives by his willingness to lead and protect his men, while treating the wounded and while continually under enemy fire.

JAMES ANDERSON, JR.

James Anderson, Jr., a private first class in the U.S. Marine Corps assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, received the Medal of Honor for his actions on February 28, 1967, northwest of Cam Lo. Private First Class Anderson’s company was hacking its way through dense jungle in an effort to save a besieged reconnaissance patrol.

Anderson’s platoon, which was the lead unit, had advanced only a short distance when it came under intense enemy fire. The platoon reacted quickly, returning fire. Anderson found himself tightly bunched together with other platoon members and close to enemy positions.

Several American soldiers were wounded by the enemy assault. Suddenly, a grenade landed in the midst of the pack of men and rolled alongside Anderson’s head. Instead of being concerned about his own safety, Anderson grabbed the grenade, pulled it to his chest and curled his body around the explosive as it detonated. His body absorbed most of the impact of the explosion. By his act of supreme self-sacrifice, Pfc Anderson saved fellow Marines.

DAVID G. OUELLET

On March 6, 1967, David G. Ouellet was a Navy seaman attached to River Squadron 5, My Tho Detachment 532, serving as the forward machine-gunner on river patrol boat (PBR) No. 124 on the Mekong River. On duty during the early evening hours, Seaman Ouellet saw suspicious activity near a riverbank. He alerted his captain and recommended that the boat move toward the area. While the PBR was conducting a high-speed reconnaissance run, Ouellet spotted a grenade coming toward the vessel. He left his protected position to run the length of the boat and warn crew members to take cover.

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Tags: 20th - 21st Century, Historical Conflicts, People, Vietnam War

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