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_______Construction Mechanic 3rd ClassUnited States Navy
Rank and organization: Construction Mechanic Third Class, U.S. Navy, Seabee Team 1104
Place and Date: Dong Xoai, Republic of Vietnam, 10 June 1965
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, ____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, ______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, _____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. _____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.
1. Who was this? = 5 pts.
2. What was he awarded? 5 pts.
Extra Credit. Good way to add 10 points to your final grade.
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5 comments:
Marvin Shields
The Congressional Medal of Honor
:) You are correct.
AT EASE, CLASS!
Outstanding!! Better than many of the bootcamp Seabees would have done.
LTjg Frank Peterlin (Marvin Shields OIC) and Master Chief Johnny McCully spoke at our Seabee Ball in Fort Worth a few years ago about all that happened, and about Mavin Shields.
I love the Vietnam stories. I haven't met a Vietnam vet that I didn't respect.
The day after Aaron was buried, Greg and I drove out to the cemetery and as we approached Aaron's grave, we saw a guy on a Harley there and I remember seeing his shirt or something that said Marines on it. He was off his bike and standing at Aaron's grave. He looked the age of a Vietnam vet. When he saw we were coming there, he got on his bike and left. I really didn't want him to.
About a year ago, Greg Maxie, a Marine vet came to my house and gave me a Silver Star Medal that belonged to someone who wanted to remain anonymous. It was his medal. He wanted me to have it because of Aaron. After a while, I pushed only hard enough to find out that it came from a Vietnam Marine. He lived alone I think, and I don't guess I'll ever know who he was, but it touched me deeply. I even wore it on Christmas last year.
I forget what movie it was that I went to, but it was from that war. In the bathroom, a lady and I were talking about the movie and she said, "How we treated the Vietnam vet is a black mark on our history." I agreed.
I do think a lot of people are much more aware of how critical and harsh their attitude was toward them then, and feel remorse about it. Though we have our own loons now, no doubt. The Vietnam vets help with that too i.e. they use their bikes to blockade the loons that show up at the funerals.
Last year I rode in the Hobbs Veteran's Day parade in a convertible with a Vietnam vet who'd had his car airbrushed with scenes from Vietnam. It really was beautifully and professionally done.
One of our first commentors here was a gunner from that war. Are you still with us gunner?
I was in high school when we pulled out of Vietnam. I suppose Dumas felt differently about the men fighting in that war because the school had taken all the trophies out of one of the trophy cases and placed in there the pictures of the Moore County guys who were fighting. I remember there were cards next to the pictures that noted what medals the men had received.
But there's one memory that has stayed with me all this time. As kids my friends and I hiked all over the place. The dried creek beds south of town were great places for us to explore.
One time we had hiked out to this place we called Second Bridge, further than we usually hiked. We were walking back to town, and we were tired. A car pulled over and the man driving asked if we wanted a ride. Those were the days when it was safe for kids to get in a car with strangers, I guess. I don't ever remember being told not to do that.
We piled in the backseat, and the man's wife would look back at us and smile with kindness. I noticed there was a little homemade plaque on the dash that had their son's name on it and then KIA Vietnam 1969.
The woman was silent for a bit, then she turned back to us and said, "It's so nice to have tired boys in the backseat again."
Even at that age, I understood that she missed her son deeply, and she was happy just to have some grimy boys riding in her car again.
I've never forgotten how she looked at us.
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