December 5: 1st Vietnam Medal of Honor

On this date in History .... 1964:

Capt. Roger Donlon became the first Vietnam soldier and the first member of Special Forces to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 6th 1964.

The Special Forces commander single-handed killed a 3-man enemy team during a surprise attack in which he and his troops were outnumbered three-to-one and resulted in 55 killed with 65 wounded. When he was hit in his stomach, he stuffed a shirt into the wound, tightened his belt, and refused medical care, even though he was wounded a total of four times during the fie-hour battle, while he dragged other wounded men out of danger  and hauled supplies to the gunners as they defended their position for the long five hours. 

When Pres. Johnson  gave Donlon the medal, Donlon had the nine remaining members of his Special Forces team with him.  He told Johnson, “The medal belongs to them, too."

Donlon was the eighth of ten children.  His father and all four of his brothers served in the military. He attended West Point for two years, eventually becoming a Special Forces officer of the Green Berets.

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the wound, tightened his belt, and refused medical care while he dragged other wounded men out of danger and hauled supplies to the gunners as they defended their position for five hours. When Pres. Johnson gave Donlon the medal, Donlon had the nine remaining members of his Special Forces team with him. He told Johnson, "The medal belongs to them, too."