List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War

The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipients must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented posthumously. ^[1]

The Vietnam War, (also known as the Second Indochina War, Vietnam Conflict, and in Vietnam as the American War), took place from 1955 to 1975. The war was fought between the Communist-supported Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the United States-supported Republic of Vietnam, beginning with the presence of a small number of US military advisors in 1955 and escalating into direct US involvement in a ground war in 1965. US combat forces were withdrawn in early 1973 pursuant to the Paris Peace Accords, but the war continued concluding with the Fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. ^[2]

During the Vietnam War and in the following twelve months, 235 Medals of Honor were awarded and since 1978 a further 33 awards have been presented. Of the total of 268 awards, 179 were to the US Army, 15 to the US Navy, 58 to the USMC and 14 to the USAF. ^[3] These totals do not include the award to the Vietnam Unknown Soldier.

The first Medal of Honor presentation for Vietnam was to Captain Roger Donlon for actions on 6 July 1964 as commanding officer of the U.S. Army Special Forces Detachment defending Camp Nam Dong against a Viet Cong attack. ^[4] The last actions to earn a Medal of Honor in this war were those of Bud Day, for actions as a prisoner of war from 26 August 1967 through 14 March 1973. Day and three others were presented with the Medal of Honor by President Ford at the White House on March 4, 1976. They were the last of the 235 servicemen awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War and in the following twelve months.

The first African American recipient of the war was Milton L. Olive III who sacrificed himself to save others by smothering a grenade with his body. ^[5] Riley L. Pitts was killed after attacking an enemy force with rifle fire and grenades and was the first African American commissioned officer of the war to receive the medal. ^[6] Thomas Bennett and Joseph LaPointe were conscientious objectors who received the medal for their actions as a medic; ^[7] three chaplains received the medal, including Vincent R. Capodanno, who served with the Marine Corps and was known as the "Grunt Padre". ^[8]

Recipients

  Grey background and   † indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously.
All locations are in South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) unless otherwise stated.

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Notes [9] [10]
	William E. Adams   †	Army	Major	Kon Tum Province	May 25, 1971	Killed while flying his helicopter in a rescue mission
	Bennie Adkins	Army	Sergeant First Class	A Shau Valley, South Vietnam	March 9, 1966	Distinguished himself during 38 hours of close-combat battle against Viet Cong forces during the Battle of A Shau
	Lewis Albanese   †	Army	Private First Class	South Vietnam	December 1, 1966	After participating in the defeat of an enemy assault he was killed in hand-to-hand combat
	Leonard L. Alvarado   †	Army	Specialist Four	Phước Long Province	August 12, 1969	For disrupting an enemy raid and saving the lives of several comrades
	James Anderson, Jr.   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	Near Cam Lộ	February 28, 1967	For covering an enemy grenade with his body to protect fellow Marines
	Richard A. Anderson   †	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	Quảng Trị Province	August 24, 1969	For covering an enemy grenade with his body to protect fellow Marines on a recon mission.
	Webster Anderson	Army	Staff Sergeant	Tam Kỳ	October 15, 1967	Although wounded multiple times he continued to fight and refused medical aid until the enemy attack was over.
	Eugene Ashley, Jr.   †	Army	Sergeant First Class	Lang Vei—South Vietnamnear Lang Vei	February 6, 1968 – February 7, 1968	Risked his life attempting to save the lives of his entrapped comrades and commanding officer
	Oscar P. Austin   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	Da Nang—South Vietnamwest of Da Nang	February 23, 1969	Threw himself between enemy fire and an injured fellow Marine
	John P. Baca	Army	Specialist Four	Phước Long Province	February 10, 1970	Covered a grenade with his helmet and body, saving eight men
	Nicky D. Bacon	Army	Staff Sergeant	Tam Ky—South Vietnamwest of Tam Kỳ	August 26, 1968	Risked his life by repeatedly leading groups of men in fighting back an enemy attack
	John F. Baker, Jr.	Army	Private First Class	South Vietnam	November 5, 1966	He was directly responsible for saving the lives of several of his comrades, and inflicting serious damage on the enemy.
	Donald E. Ballard	Navy	Hospital Corpsman Second Class	Quảng Trị Province	May 16, 1968	Risked his life by smothering a grenade with his own body
	Jedh C. Barker   †	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	Con Thien—South Vietnamnear Con Thien	September 21, 1967	Threw himself on a grenade to save fellow Marines
	John A. Barnes, III   †	Army	Private First Class	Đắk Tô	November 12, 1967	Sacrificed his life by throwing himself directly onto a hand grenade as it exploded.
	Harvey C. Barnum, Jr.	Marine Corps	First Lieutenant	Ky Phu, Quảng Tín Province	December 18, 1965	Assumed command of a rifle company upon death of the commander in an ambush and directed the counterattack.
	Gary B. Beikirch	Army	Sergeant	Kon Tum Province	April 1, 1970	Endured hostile gunfire and serious injuries to save several wounded soldiers.
	Ted Belcher   †	Army	Sergeant	Plei Djerang	November 19, 1966	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
—	Leslie A. Bellrichard   †	Army	Private First Class	Kon Tum Province	May 20, 1967	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	Roy P. Benavidez	Army	Staff Sergeant	Loc Ninh—South Vietnamwest of Lộc Ninh	May 2, 1968	For a series of daring and valorous actions despite severe wounds
	Steven L. Bennett   †	Air Force	Captain	Quảng Trị	June 29, 1972	Sacrificed his life to save the life of his passenger
	Thomas W. Bennett   †	Army	Corporal	Chu Pa Region, Pleiku Province	February 9, 1969 – February 11, 1969	For saving many lives as a medic during a number of vicious firefights. Second conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor.
	Dwight W. Birdwell	Army	Specialist Five	Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon	January 31, 1968	For his role in the Tet offensive attack on Tan Son Nhut Air Base. Medal awarded on 5 July 2022.
	Michael R. Blanchfield   †	Army	Specialist Four	Bình Định Province	July 3, 1969	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	John P. Bobo   †	Marine Corps	Second Lieutenant	Quảng Trị Province	March 30, 1967	Held his position in the face of enemy ambush despite having his lower leg blown off, allowing the remainder of his outnumbered unit to move to safety.
—	James L. Bondsteel	Army	Staff Sergeant	An Lộc, Bình Phước Province	May 24, 1969	He destroyed 10 enemy bunkers and accounted for a large toll of the enemy, including two key enemy commanders
—	Hammett L. Bowen, Jr.   †	Army	Staff Sergeant	Bình Dương Province	June 27, 1969	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	Patrick H. Brady	Army	Major	Chu Lai—South Vietnamnear Chu Lai	January 6, 1968	Flew multiple missions against heavy fire to evacuate 51 wounded men
	Daniel D. Bruce   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	Fire Support Base Tomahawk, Quảng Nam Province	March 1, 1969	Carried an explosive device away from three other Marines
—	William M. Bryant   †	Army	Sergeant First Class	Long Khánh District	March 24, 1969	Showed conspicuous leadership while organizing his unit's defense during a 34-hour enemy attack
	Paul W. Bucha	Army	Captain	Phuoc Vinh—Bình Dương Province—South Vietnamnear Phuoc Vinh, Bình Dương Province	March 16, 1968 – March 19, 1968	Led his company in the decimation of a superior enemy force which left 156 dead on the battlefield
—	Brian L. Buker   †	Army	Sergeant	Châu Đốc Province	April 5, 1970	Sacrificed his life to lead his men against the enemy and personally destroyed two enemy bunkers with hand grenades
	Robert C. Burke   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	southern Quảng Nam Province	May 17, 1968	After his unit was ambushed, he assaulted the enemy forces, allowing the remainder of the unit to recover wounded and continue their advance
	John Canley	Marine Corps	Gunnery sergeant	Huế	January 31, 1968 – February 6, 1968	Awarded for his role in the Battle of Huế. Originally awarded the Navy Cross which was upgraded to the Medal of Honor on October 17, 2018.
	Vincent R. Capodanno   †	Navy	Lieutenant	Quảng Tín Province	September 4, 1967	A Chaplain who was killed while attempting to rescue a wounded corpsman
	Wayne M. Caron   †	Navy	Hospital Corpsman Third Class	Quảng Nam Province	July 28, 1968	Was killed while providing medical attention to several wounded Marines
	Bruce W. Carter   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	Quảng Trị Province	August 7, 1969	Sacrificed his life to save several Marines by smothering a grenade with his body
	Jon R. Cavaiani	Army	Staff Sergeant	South Vietnam	June 4, 1971 – June 5, 1971	Risked his life by attacking a wave of enemy forces alone to allow the rest of his platoon to escape
	Raymond M. Clausen, Jr.	Marine Corps	Private First Class	South Vietnam	January 31, 1970	Risked his life to rescue several Marines and corpsman from a minefield
	Ronald L. Coker   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	Quảng Trị Province	March 24, 1969	For assaulting an enemy position and aiding a fallen Marine despite severe wounds to himself
	Felix M. Conde-Falcon   †	Army	Staff Sergeant	Ap Tan Hoa	April 4, 1969	Killed while assaulting heavily fortified enemy bunkers
	Peter S. Connor   †	Marine Corps	Staff Sergeant	Quảng Nam Province	February 25, 1966	For absorbing the blast of a malfunctioning grenade in order to protect his fellow Marines
	Donald G. Cook   †	Marine Corps	Captain	South Vietnam	December 31, 1964 – December 8, 1967	For assisting fellow prisoners while a prisoner of war
	Ardie R. Copas   †	Army	Specialist Four	Ph Romeas Hek, Cambodia	May 12, 1970	Killed while holding off an enemy ambush while wounded, so his comrades could be evacuated
	Bruce P. Crandall	Army	Major	Battle of Ia Drang	November 14, 1965	For repeatedly flying into a landing zone under intense enemy fire to rescue and resupply ground troops
	Thomas E. Creek   †	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	Cam Lo—South Vietnamnear Cam Lộ	February 13, 1969	Sacrificed his life to save five Marines by smothering a grenade with his body
	Michael J. Crescenz   †	Army	Corporal	Hiệp Đức Valley area	November 20, 1968	For single-handedly destroying two bunkers while under fire from a third machine gun during an ambush
—	Nicholas J. Cutinha   †	Army	Specialist Four	Gia Định—South Vietnamnear Gia Định	March 2, 1968	Maintained his position, refused assistance, and provided defensive fire for his comrades until he fell mortally wounded. He was solely responsible for killing 15 enemy soldiers while saving the lives of at least nine members of his own unit.
	Larry G. Dahl   †	Army	Specialist Four	An Khê, Bình Định Province	February 23, 1971	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	Paris Davis	Army	Captain	Bồng Sơn, Bình Định Province	July 18, 1965	For rescuing several of his men though wounded and defending their position until relieved
	Rodney M. Davis   †	Marine Corps	Sergeant	Quảng Nam Province	September 6, 1967	Sacrificed his life to save several of his fellow Marines by smothering a grenade with his body
	Sammy L. Davis	Army	Private First Class	Cai Lay—South VietnamWest of Cai Lậy	November 18, 1967	For defending his 42-man unit from hundreds of attacking Viet Cong
	George E. Day	Air Force	Major	North Vietnam	August 26, 1967	For actions as a prisoner of war from August 26, 1967 – March 4, 1973
	Emilio A. De La Garza, Jr.   †	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	Da Nang—South Vietnamnear Da Nang	April 11, 1970	Sacrificed his life and saved several Marines by blocking them from the blast of a grenade
	Merlyn H. Dethlefsen	Air Force	Captain	North Vietnamover North Vietnam	March 10, 1967	Flew repeated close range strikes to silence enemy defensive positions, ignoring overwhelming firepower and damage to his own aircraft
—	Edward A. DeVore, Jr.   †	Army	Specialist Four	Saigon—South Vietnamnear Saigon	March 17, 1968	Sacrificed his life to draw the enemy fire upon himself allowing a trapped squad to rejoin their platoon
	Ralph E. Dias   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	Quế Sơn Mountains	November 12, 1969	Although severely wounded multiple times by enemy fire, he continued to throw grenades at an enemy bunker until it was destroyed and he was killed by enemy gunfire.
	Douglas E. Dickey   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	South Vietnam	March 26, 1967	Sacrificed his life to save several fellow Marines by diving on a grenade and absorbing the explosion with his body
	Drew D. Dix	Army	Staff Sergeant	Châu Đốc Province	January 31, 1968 – February 1, 1968	His actions resulted in 14 confirmed Viet Cong killed in action and possibly 25 more, the capture of 20 prisoners, 15 weapons, and the rescue of the 14 United States and free world civilians
—	Stephen H. Doane   †	Army	First Lieutenant	Hậu Nghĩa Province	March 25, 1969	Although already wounded, he sacrificed his life to save other soldiers who were pinned down by silencing two enemy gun emplacements and diving into a third with a grenade.
	David C. Dolby	Army	Specialist Four	South Vietnam	May 21, 1966	For silencing three enemy positions and rescuing several wounded comrades
	Roger H. C. Donlon	Army	Captain	Nam Dong—South Vietnamnear Nam Đông	July 6, 1964	Rescued and administered first aid to several wounded soldiers and led a group to defeat an enemy force, causing them to retreat and leaving behind 54 of their dead, many weapons, and grenades.
	John J. Duffy	Army	Major	Firebase Charlie, Kon Tum province	April 14, 1972 – April 15, 1972	For his role leading the defense of Firebase Charlie during the Battle of Kontum. Medal awarded on 5 July 2022.
—	Kern W. Dunagan	Army	Captain	Quảng Tín Province	May 13, 1969	Although wounded, he directed fire onto enemy positions and rescued several wounded soldiers.
	Jesus S. Duran   †	Army	Sergeant	Ph Romeas Hek, Cambodia	April 10, 1969	Saved wounded Americans on a search and clear operation
—	Harold Bascom Durham, Jr.   †	Army	Second Lieutenant	Ong Thanh, South Vietnam	October 17, 1967	Although wounded he directed fire on enemy positions and continued to fight until he died from his wounds
	Glenn H. English, Jr.   †	Army	Staff Sergeant	Phù Mỹ District	September 7, 1970	Was killed while attempting to rescue a wounded soldier from a personnel carrier
	Santiago J. Erevia	Army	Specialist Four	near Tam Kỳ	May 21, 1969	For his courageous actions while serving as radio telephone operator in Company C, 1st Battalion (Airmobile), 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) during search and clear mission. [11] [12]
	Michael J. Estocin   †	Navy	Lieutenant Commander	Hai Phong, North Vietnam	April 20, 1967 and April 26, 1967	Risked his life by attacking an enemy SAM site and other enemy targets multiple times
	Richard Etchberger   †	Air Force	Chief Master Sergeant	Lima Site 85, Laos	March 11, 1968	Exposed himself to enemy fire in order to place his three surviving wounded comrades in rescue slings, permitting them to be airlifted to safety. It took an act of Congress for Etchberger to be reconsidered for this 2010 Medal of Honor, since the existence of Lima Site 85 had to be kept secret in 1968.
	Donald W. Evans, Jr.   †	Army	Specialist Four	Tam Tri	January 27, 1967	Was a medic who was killed while treating and rescuing members of his unit. Evans Army Community Hospital, Ft Carson, was named after Evans.
—	Rodney J. Evans   †	Army	Sergeant	Tây Ninh Province	July 18, 1969	Killed protecting others during an ambush
	Frederick E. Ferguson	Army	Chief Warrant Officer	Huế	January 31, 1968	Risked his life by flying his helicopter into heavy enemy fire to evacuate several wounded passengers and aircrew of a downed helicopter
	Daniel Fernandez   †	Army	Specialist Four	Củ Chi, Hậu Nghĩa Province	February 18, 1966	Threw himself on an enemy grenade as it exploded, saving the lives of four comrades at the sacrifice of his life
	Bernard F. Fisher	Air Force	Major	Biên Hòa and Pleiku, South Vietnam	March 10, 1966	For rescuing a downed airman despite heavy fire
	Michael J. Fitzmaurice	Army	Specialist Four	Khe Sanh	March 23, 1971	For absorbing an explosive charge and continuing to fight with weapons and hand to hand before successfully defending a bunker.
—	Charles C. Fleek   †	Army	Sergeant	Bình Dương Province	May 27, 1969	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	James P. Fleming	Air Force	First Lieutenant	Duc Co—South Vietnamnear Đức Cơ	November 26, 1968	For the rescue of a six-man special forces unit
	Robert F. Foley	Army	Captain	Quan Dầu Tiếng—South Vietnamnear Dầu Tiếng	November 5, 1966	Despite his painful wounds, he refused medical aid and persevered in the forefront of the attack on the enemy redoubt. He led the assault on several enemy gun emplacements and, single-handedly, destroyed three such positions.
—	Michael F. Folland   †	Army	Corporal	Long Khánh Province	July 3, 1969	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
	Paul H. Foster   †	Marine Corps	Sergeant	Con Thien—South Vietnamnear Con Thien	October 14, 1967	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
—	Douglas B. Fournet   †	Army	First Lieutenant	A Shau Valley	May 4, 1968	Sacrificed his life in an attempt to defuse a claymore mine
—	James W. Fous   †	Army	Private First Class	Kien Hoa Province	May 14, 1968	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	Wesley L. Fox	Marine Corps	First Lieutenant	Quảng Trị Province	February 22, 1969	Although wounded, he directed fire on the enemy and led his platoon to drive the enemy back.
—	Frank R. Fratellenico   †	Army	Corporal	Quảng Trị Province	August 19, 1970	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him.
	Ed Freeman	Army	Captain	Ia Drang Valley	November 14, 1965	For gallantry conducted as a UH–1 Huey pilot at LZ X–Ray
	Harold A. Fritz	Army	First Lieutenant	Bình Long Province	January 11, 1969	Despite his wounds, he returned to his position, assisted his men, and refused medical attention until all of his wounded comrades had been treated and evacuated.
	Dennis Fujii	Army	Specialist Four	Firebase Ranger North, Savannakhet province, Laos	February 18, 1971 – February 22, 1971	For his role in the defense of Firebase Ranger North during Operation Lam Son 719. Medal awarded on 5 July 2022.
	Candelario Garcia   †	Army	Sergeant	Lai Khê	December 8, 1968	Destroyed two enemy machine gun nests while saving wounded comrades
—	James A. Gardner   †	Army	First Lieutenant	My Canh, South Vietnam	February 7, 1966	Sacrificed his life by single-handedly destroying several enemy gun positions until he was killed
—	John G. Gertsch   †	Army	Staff Sergeant	A Shau Valley	July 15, 1969 – July 19, 1969	For providing covering fire for a medic working on a wounded soldier
	Alfredo C. Gonzalez   †	Marine Corps	Sergeant	Thừa Thiên—Huế—South Vietnam Huế	February 4, 1968	Although seriously wounded, he destroyed an enemy bunker and fought back an enemy attack until he was killed.
	James A. Graham   †	Marine Corps	Captain	Que Son Valley	June 2, 1967	After fighting off the enemy, he sacrificed his life by allowing the rest of his company to return to friendly lines, while he remained alone with an injured soldier who could not be moved due to his wounds.
—	Bruce A. Grandstaff   †	Army	Platoon Sergeant	Pleiku Province	May 18, 1967	Fought off an enemy attack until killed by an enemy rocket
—	Joseph X. Grant   †	Army	First Lieutenant	South Vietnam	November 13, 1966	Killed by enemy mortar fire while attempting to rescue several injured Marines
	Terrence C. Graves   †	Marine Corps	Second Lieutenant	Quảng Trị Province	February 16, 1968	For courageous leadership on an eight-man Marine recon patrol
—	Peter M. Guenette   †	Army	Specialist Four	Tân Uyên, Bình Dương	May 18, 1968	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
	Charles C. Hagemeister	Army	Specialist Four	Bình Định Province	March 20, 1967	Risked his life to render medical aid to several injured soldiers and protected them until they could be evacuated
—	Loren D. Hagen   †	Army	First Lieutenant	A Shau Valley	August 7, 1971	For attempting to aid a critically wounded Special reconnaissance team member Bruce Allen Berg during a massive North Vietnamese Army assault.
—	Robert W. Hartsock   †	Army	Staff Sergeant	Hậu Nghĩa Province	February 23, 1969	For smothering an explosion with his body to protect those around him
—	Carmel B. Harvey, Jr.   †	Army	Specialist Four	Bình Định Province	June 21, 1967	Sacrificed his life and attacked a group of enemy soldiers so that several injured members of his squad could escape
	Frank A. Herda	Army	Private First Class	Dak To—Quang Trang Province—South Vietnamnear Đắk Tô	June 29, 1968	Risked his life to protect several wounded soldiers by smothering a grenade with his body
—	Robert J. Hibbs   †	Army	Second Lieutenant	Don Dien Lo Ke, South Vietnam	March 5, 1966	Sacrificed his life to eliminate two companies of the enemy, rescue a fellow soldier and destroyed the starlight scope attached to his rifle to prevent its capture and use by the Viet Cong.
	John N. Holcomb   †	Army	Sergeant	Quan Loi—South Vietnamnear Quần Lợi, South Vietnam	December 3, 1968	Risked his life to lead his men to fight back an attacking enemy force three times
	Joe R. Hooper	Army	Sergeant	Huế—South Vietnamnear Huế	February 21, 1968	Airborne infantry company squad leader with many decorations and awards including eight Purple Hearts in the Vietnam War: Repeatedly risked his life to rescue wounded soldiers and attack groups of enemy soldiers, clearing multiple bunkers and houses sometimes single-handed. Refused medical treatment or evacuation until after action and his men were settled. "... His supreme valor, inspiring leadership and heroic self-sacrifice were directly responsible for the company's success and provided a lasting example in personal courage for every man in the field ...."
	Charles E. Hosking, Jr.   †	Army	Sergeant First Class	Phước Long Province	March 21, 1967	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	Jimmie E. Howard	Marine Corps	Staff Sergeant	South Vietnam	June 16, 1966	Repeateadly repulsed enemy attacks and although severely wounded was able maintain control of his unit until help could arrive
	Robert L. Howard	Army	Sergeant First Class	South Vietnam	December 30, 1968	For actions during a rescue mission in enemy territory
	James D. Howe   †	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	South Vietnam	May 6, 1970	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	George A. Ingalls   †	Army	Specialist Four	Đức Phổ—South Vietnamnear Đức Phổ	April 16, 1967	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	Robert R. Ingram	Navy	Hospital Corpsman Third Class	Quảng Ngãi Province	March 28, 1966	Although badly wounded, he continued to assist and treat the injuries of the Marines around him who had been hurt in combat with the enemy.
	Joe M. Jackson	Air Force	Lieutenant Colonel	Kham Duc	May 12, 1968	For a daring airborne rescue of American special forces troops
	Jack H. Jacobs	Army	First Lieutenant	Kien Phong Province	March 9, 1968	Drove off squads of enemy soldiers on three occasions who were searching for allied wounded and weapons. He killed three and wounded several others.
	Don J. Jenkins	Army	Private First Class	Kien Phong Province	January 6, 1969	Repeatedly attacked the enemy and although severely wounded risked his life to rescue several wounded soldiers
	Robert H. Jenkins, Jr.   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	Firebase Argonne, South Vietnam	March 5, 1969	For using his body to shield a fellow Marine from a grenade blast
—	Delbert O. Jennings	Army	Staff Sergeant	Kim Son Valley, South Vietnam	December 27, 1966	Repeatedly attacked and defended his unit from enemy fire and assisted 8 wounded men who were trapped behind enemy lines
	Jose F. Jimenez   †	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	Quảng Nam Province	August 28, 1969	Killed while attacking a group of enemy soldiers
	Lawrence Joel	Army	Specialist Five	South Vietnam	November 8, 1965	Provided medical treatment to fellow soldiers while under heavy fire, despite being wounded twice, during Operation Hump
	Dwight H. Johnson	Army	Specialist Five	Đắk Tô—Kon Tum Province—South Vietnamnear Đắk Tô, Kon Tum Province	January 15, 1968	Repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to man several different machine-guns until the enemy had been fought back
	Ralph H. Johnson   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	Quan Duc Valley—South Vietnamnear the Quan Duc Valley, South Vietnam	March 5, 1968	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	Donald R. Johnston   †	Army	Specialist Four	Tây Ninh Province	March 21, 1969	For smothering explosive blasts with his body to protect those around him
	William A. Jones, III   †	Air Force	Colonel	Đồng Hới—North Vietnamnear Đồng Hới, North Vietnam	September 1, 1968	Risked his life to fly his heavily damaged plane back to base to relay the location of a downed pilot
—	Edward N. Kaneshiro   †	Army	Staff sergeant	Kim Son Valley, Bình Định province	December 1, 1966	For his role in pushing forward an attack. Medal awarded on 5 July 2022.
—	Stephen E. Karopczyc   †	Army	First Lieutenant	Kon Tum Province	March 12, 1967	Sacrificed his life to save other soldiers by smothering a grenade with his body
	Terry T. Kawamura   †	Army	Corporal	Camp Radcliff, South Vietnam	March 20, 1969	For smothering an explosive blast with his body to protect those around him
	Kenneth M. Kays	Army	Private	Thừa Thiên Province	May 7, 1970	Risked his life to assist several fallen comrades and although injured in the attempt was able to administer first aid to himself and several of the wounded and helped them to safety.
	John J. Kedenburg   †	Army	Specialist Five	South Vietnam	June 13, 1968	For letting a Vietnamese soldier take his spot in a helicopter rescue, while he stayed behind to attempt to hold off advancing Viet Cong by which he was overrun.
	Miguel Keith   †	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	Quảng Ngãi Province	May 8, 1970	Sacrificed his life to single-handedly eliminate a group of enemy soldiers
	Leonard B. Keller	Army	Sergeant	Ap Bac Zone, South Vietnam	May 2, 1967	Assaulted an enemy platoon with another soldier preventing further casualties
	Thomas G. Kelley	Navy	Lieutenant	Ong Muong Canal, Kien Hoa Province, South Vietnam	June 15, 1969	Successfully relayed commands through one of his men until an enemy attack was silenced and the boats he was leading were able to move to safety
	Allan J. Kellogg	Marine Corps	Staff Sergeant	Quảng Nam Province	March 11, 1970	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	J. Robert Kerrey	Navy	Lieutenant, Junior Grade	Nha Trang Bay—South Vietnamnear Nha Trang Bay,South Vietnam	March 14, 1969	Led his SEAL team on a mission to capture important members of the enemy and although seriously injured in the battle they eliminated an enemy force and took several prisoners. Later became a U.S. Senator for the state of Nebraska. Prior to becoming a senator, he served as the governor from 1983 to 1987.
	Charles Kettles	Army	Major	near Đức Phổ, South Vietnam	May 15, 1967	As a helicopter pilot, reinforced and then evacuated an embattled unit despite intense hostile fire
	Thomas J. Kinsman	Army	Private First Class	Vinh Long—South Vietnamnear Vĩnh Long	February 6, 1968	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
—	Paul R. Lambers	Army	Sergeant	Tây Ninh Province	August 20, 1968	For taking command of his platoon and exposing himself to enemy fire to reestablish communication, tend to wounded men, and continued fighting
—	George C. Lang	Army	Specialist Four	Kien Hoa Province, South Vietnam	February 22, 1969	For destroying three enemy bunkers with grenades and rifle fire, helping to secure an enemy supply cache and directing his men after being seriously wounded.
—	Garfield M. Langhorn   †	Army	Private First Class	Pleiku Province, South Vietnam	January 15, 1969	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	Joseph G. LaPointe, Jr.   †	Army	Specialist Four	Quảng Tín Province	June 2, 1969	Sacrificed his life by using his own body as a shield in an attempt to save a wounded soldier.
	Clyde E. Lassen	Navy	Lieutenant, Junior Grade	North Vietnam	June 19, 1968	For the rescue of two downed naval aviators
—	Billy L. Lauffer   †	Army	Private First Class	Bong Son—Bình Định Province—South Vietnamnear Bong Son, Bình Định Province	September 21, 1966	Rushed an enemy machine gun to distract the enemy so that his wounded comrades could be moved to safety
—	Robert D. Law   †	Army	Specialist Four	Phước Thành Province	February 22, 1969	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	Howard V. Lee	Marine Corps	Captain	Cam Lo—South Vietnamnear Cam Lộ	August 8, 1966 – August 9, 1966	Volunteered to reinforce a squad of Marines who were under heavy fire. He assumed command and directed the defense of their position and despite being wounded by a grenade, he continued to direct them, saving many lives.
—	Milton A. Lee   †	Army	Private First Class	Phu Bai—Thừa Thiên Province—South Vietnamnear Phu Bai, Thừa Thiên Province	April 26, 1968	Exposed himself to enemy fire and overran an enemy squad, continuing to provide cover fire until the lead element had overrun a second enemy squad and he fell mortally wounded.
—	Robert R. Leisy   †	Army	Second Lieutenant	Phước Long Province	December 2, 1969	Sacrificed his life to shield another soldier from a rocket blast, absorbing the full blast with his body. He continued to direct his men and refused treatment until his men were taken care of.
	Peter C. Lemon	Army	Specialist Four	Firebase Illingworth, Tây Ninh Province	April 1, 1970	The only Canadian recipient since World War II, and one of only four since 1900. He received it for exposing himself to enemy gunfire multiple times. While wounded he secured a machine gun and fired on the enemy, refusing evacuation until his injured comrades were taken.
	Matthew Leonard   †	Army	Platoon Sergeant	Suoi Da—South Vietnamnear Suoi Da, South Vietnam	February 28, 1967	After being shot in the hand by a sniper, he exposed himself to enemy gunfire and charged a machine gun, killing the enemy there. He was shot multiple times and propped himself up against a tree and continued to fire until he succumbed to his injuries.
	John L. Levitow	Air Force	Airman First Class	Long Binh Army post, South Vietnam	February 24, 1969	For diving on top of a flare to eject it from an aircraft, saving the aircraft and the entire crew on board
	Angelo J. Liteky	Army	Captain	Phuoc—Lac—Biên Hòa Province—South Vietnamnear Phuoc-Lac, Biên Hòa Province	December 6, 1967	Was a Chaplain who carried 20 wounded men from the battlefield under heavy fire. He later renounced his medal of honor.
	Gary L. Littrell	Army	Sergeant First Class	Kon Tum Province	April 4, 1970 – April 8, 1970	Risked his life to direct artillery and air support by day and marked the unit's location by night; despite enemy fire he led his men against the enemy until help arrived.
	James E. Livingston	Marine Corps	Captain	Dai Do, South Vietnam	May 2, 1968	Although twice painfully wounded by grenade fragments, he refused medical treatment and courageously led his men in the destruction of over 100 mutually supporting bunkers, driving the remaining enemy from their positions, and relieving the pressure on the stranded Marine company. Also while wounded and in the open, continued to give orders to his troops to repel the enemy. He refused to be evacuated until his men were safe.
	Donald R. Long   †	Army	Sergeant	South Vietnam	June 30, 1966	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	Carlos J. Lozada   †	Army	Private First Class	Đắk Tô	November 20, 1967	For providing covering fire at the cost of his own life during a withdrawal
	Andre C. Lucas   †	Army	Lieutenant Colonel	Fire Support Base Ripcord	July 1, 1970 – July 23, 1970	For extraordinary heroism while serving as the commanding officer of the 2d Battalion
	Allen J. Lynch	Army	Specialist Four	My An—Bien Dinh Province—South Vietnamnear Mỹ An (2), Bình Định Province	December 15, 1967	For providing critical aid to wounded comrades under heavy fire
	Walter J. Marm, Jr.	Army	Second Lieutenant	Ia Drang Valley—South Vietnamnear Ia Drang Valley	November 14, 1965	For actions in Ia Drang, in which he led a successful one man assault on an enemy hill
	Gary W. Martini   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	Bình Sơn	April 21, 1967	Sacrificed his life to move a wounded comrade to safety
	Larry L. Maxam   †	Marine Corps	Corporal	Cam Lộ District, Quảng Trị Province	February 2, 1968	Sacrificed his life to single-handedly repel a large enemy force from attacking through a weakened perimeter for over 1½ hours.
	Finnis D. McCleery	Army	Platoon Sergeant	Quảng Tín Province	May 14, 1968	Although wounded in an assault on a bunker complex, he continued attacking until wounded a second time by shrapnel eliminating the enemy from the hill
	James C. McCloughan	Army	Private First Class	Quảng Nam Province	May 13, 1969–May 15, 1969	Continued to treat wounded and help repulse enemy assault although himself wounded
—	Phill G. McDonald   †	Army	Private First Class	Kon Tum City—South Vietnamnear Kon Tum City	June 7, 1968	Was killed after attacking the enemy multiple times with grenades and rifle fire
	John J. McGinty III	Marine Corps	Staff Sergeant	Quảng Trị Province	July 18, 1966	Found a separated unit of twenty wounded men, reloaded their weapons and directed their fire at the enemy until they attempted a counter-attack. He then directed fire at the enemy and although wounded adjusted artillery and air strikes within fifty yards of his position until the enemy had been repelled.
—	Ray McKibben   †	Army	Sergeant	near Song Mao, South Vietnam	December 8, 1968	Single-handedly destroyed an enemy bunker, rescued a wounded comrade from under heavy fire, and attacked and destroyed two more bunkers by himself before being mortally wounded while attacking a fourth bunker.
	Thomas J. McMahon   †	Army	Specialist Four	Quảng Tín Province	March 19, 1969	While attempting to rescue three wounded soldiers despite heavy enemy fire, he was able to carry two of the men to safety but was killed while trying to rescue the third.
	David H. McNerney	Army	First Sergeant	Polei Doc, South Vietnam	March 22, 1967	Despite being wounded after his unit was attacked, he assumed command of the unit when the company commander was killed, organized the defense, and helped arrange a helicopter evacuation of the wounded. He refused his own medical evacuation and instead stayed with the company until a new commander arrived.
	Edgar L. McWethy, Jr.   †	Army	Specialist Five	Bình Định Province	June 21, 1967	Repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to treat his wounded comrades despite being wounded three times himself and continued to help his fellow soldiers until suffering a fourth and fatal wound.
	Don L. Michael   †	Army	Specialist Four	South Vietnam	April 8, 1967	Single-handedly destroyed a Viet Cong bunker and was then killed while chasing the retreating enemy soldiers.
—	Franklin D. Miller	Army	Staff Sergeant	Kon Tum Province	January 5, 1970	He single-handedly held off an enemy assault, arranged for a helicopter extraction of his unit, and again fought off the enemy alone until relief arrived, although wounded himself.
—	Gary L. Miller   †	Army	First Lieutenant	Bình Dương Province	February 16, 1969	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	Robert J. Modrzejewski	Marine Corps	Captain	South Vietnam	July 15, 1966 – July 18, 1966	Led his men in the seizure of enemy ammunition and supplies and continued to counterattack the enemy using artillery fire and air support.
—	Ferenc Zoltán Molnár   †	Army	Staff Sergeant	Kon Tum Province	May 20, 1967	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	James H. Monroe   †	Army	Private First Class	Bồng Sơn, Hoài Nhơn District	February 16, 1967	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	William D. Morgan   †	Marine Corps	Corporal	Quảng Trị Province	February 25, 1969	For creating a diversion at the expense of his own life and providing his squad time to evacuate two wounded soldiers
	Charles B. Morris	Army	Sergeant	South Vietnam	June 29, 1966	Continued to lead his squad, fight the enemy, and help the wounded despite being wounded himself four separate times.
	Melvin Morris	Army	Staff Sergeant	near Chi Lăng	September 17, 1969	For his courageous actions while serving as Commander of a Strike Force drawn from Company D, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy. [11] [13]
—	Robert C. Murray   †	Army	Staff Sergeant	Hiep Duc—South Vietnamnear Hiệp Đức	June 7, 1970	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
—	David P. Nash   †	Army	Private First Class	Giao Duc District, Dinh Tuong Province	December 29, 1968	For covering a grenade with his body in order to protect those around him
	Melvin E. Newlin   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	Quảng Nam Province	July 4, 1967	Killed while single-handedly attacking an enemy force, breaking up and disorganizing the enemy
	Thomas P. Noonan, Jr.   †	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	near Vandegrift Combat Base, Quảng Trị Province	February 5, 1969	Killed while attempting to rescue a wounded man
	Thomas R. Norris	Navy	Lieutenant	Quảng Trị Province	April 10, 1972 – April 13, 1972	Rescued two downed pilots deep within heavily controlled enemy territory
	Michael J. Novosel	Army	Chief Warrant Officer	Kien Tuong Province	October 2, 1969	For the rescue of 29 American and South Vietnamese soldiers from a heavily fortified enemy training area without any cover or gunship support.
	Milton L. Olive, III   †	Army	Private First Class	Phu Cuong	October 22, 1965	For smothering a grenade blast with his body. The first African American Medal of Honor recipient of the Vietnam War.
	Kenneth L. Olson   †	Army	Specialist Four	Long An	May 13, 1968	For smothering a grenade blast with his body
	Robert E. O'Malley	Marine Corps	Corporal	An Cu'ong—South Vietnamnear An Cu'ong 2, South Vietnam	August 18, 1965	Risked his life and led his men to repeatedly attack the enemy, assist another Marine unit that had inflicted heavy casualties and led his unit to a helicopter for evacuation.
—	David G. Ouellet   †	Navy	Seaman	Mekong River	March 6, 1967	Placed himself between an enemy grenade and his shipmates, absorbing most of the blast fragments with his own body in order to protect his shipmates from injury and death.
	Robert M. Patterson	Army	Specialist Four	near La Chu, Thừa Thiên Province	May 6, 1968	During a firefight he single-handedly destroyed a series of enemy bunkers
	Joe C. Paul   †	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	Chu Lai—South Vietnamnear Chu Lai	August 18, 1965	Killed while defending his wounded comrades from the enemy and delivered effective suppressive fire in order to divert the Viet Cong long enough to allow the casualties to be evacuated.
	Richard A. Penry	Army	Sergeant	Bình Tuy Province	January 31, 1970	Helped to organize defenses and repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to retrieve supplies and return fire. 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 had been evacuated he joined another platoon and assisted in pursuing the enemy.
	William T. Perkins, Jr.   †	Marine Corps	Corporal	Quảng Trị Province	October 12, 1967	Sacrificed himself by smothering an enemy grenade with his body to save the lives of three fellow Marines and is the only combat photographer to have received the Medal of Honor.
	Lawrence D. Peters   †	Marine Corps	Sergeant	Quảng Tín Province	September 4, 1967	After being struck by enemy mortar, machine gun, and small arms fire he continuously fought and led his men against the enemy until dying from his wounds.
—	Danny J. Petersen   †	Army	Specialist Four	Tây Ninh Province	January 9, 1970	Repeatedly exposed himself and his armored personnel carrier to enemy fire in order to protect the other soldiers of his unit and after his vehicle was disabled, he stayed behind and was killed while providing covering fire so others could withdraw.
	Jimmy W. Phipps   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	near An Hoa Combat Base	May 27, 1969	Sacrificed himself to save others by smothering an enemy grenade with his body
	Larry S. Pierce   †	Army	Sergeant	Ben Cat—South Vietnamnear Bến Cát	September 20, 1965	Sacrificed himself to save others by smothering an enemy grenade with his body
	William H. Pitsenbarger   †	Air Force	Airman First Class	Cam My—South Vietnamnear Cẩm Mỹ	April 11, 1966	For refusing evacuation while tending wounded and defending the unit's position. Originally awarded the Air Force Cross, was upgraded to Medal of Honor by Congress in 2000, after review of his actions.
	Richard A. Pittman	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	Demilitarized Zone—South Vietnamnear the Demilitarized Zone	July 24, 1966	Risked his life to assist a group of Marines who had been attacked by a larger enemy force
	Riley L. Pitts   †	Army	Captain	Ap Dong	October 31, 1967	Killed after attacking an enemy force with rifle fire and grenades. Was the first African American commissioned officer to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
	Stephen W. Pless	Marine Corps	Captain	Quang Nai—South Vietnamnear Quảng Ngãi	August 19, 1967	For rescuing a group of surrounded American troops with his helicopter
—	William D. Port   †	Army	Private First Class	Que Son Valley, Quảng Tín Province	January 12, 1968	Rescued a wounded comrade and then smothered the blast of an enemy-thrown grenade with his body to protect other soldiers. He survived the blast, but was seriously wounded and captured by the enemy dying while a prisoner of war ten months later.
—	Robert L. Poxon   †	Army	First Lieutenant	Tây Ninh Province	June 2, 1969	Was wounded when attempting to rescue a wounded soldier and despite his injuries, led his platoon and succeeded in destroying an enemy bunker before being killed.
	William R. Prom   †	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	near An Hoa Combat Base	February 9, 1969	Sacrificed his life to direct fire at the enemy at point blank range
—	Robert J. Pruden   †	Army	Staff Sergeant	Quảng Ngãi Province	November 29, 1969	Sacrificed himself to ensure evacuation helicopters were able to withdraw his team.
	Laszlo Rabel   †	Army	Staff Sergeant	Bình Định Province	November 13, 1968	For falling on a grenade to save his comrades
	Alfred V. Rascon	Army	Specialist Four	South Vietnam	March 16, 1966	Specialist Rascon's showed extraordinary valor in the face of deadly enemy fire, heroism in rescuing the wounded, and gallantry by repeatedly risking his own life for his fellow soldiers.
	David R. Ray   †	Navy	Hospital Corpsman Second Class	Quảng Nam Province	March 19, 1969	For gallantry and intrepidity in defending his position and giving aid to wounded Marines
	Ronald E. Ray	Army	First Lieutenant	Ia Drang Valley	June 19, 1966	For eliminating enemy fire with available weapons and shielding his men from an enemy grenade
	Frank S. Reasoner   †	Marine Corps	First Lieutenant	Da Nang—South Vietnamnear Da Nang	July 12, 1965	For attempting to rescue one of his wounded men on a Marine recon patrol
—	Anund C. Roark   †	Army	Sergeant	Kon Tum Province	May 16, 1968	Sacrificed his life to save his fellow soldiers by smothering a grenade with his body
	Gordon R. Roberts	Army	Specialist Four	Thừa Thiên Province	July 11, 1969	For efforts in retrieving wounded personnel and defending his platoon
—	James W. Robinson, Jr.   †	Army	Sergeant	South Vietnam	April 11, 1966	Sacrificed his life to destroy an enemy bunker and protect several of his fellow soldiers
	Louis R. Rocco	Army	Sergeant First Class	northeast of Katum	May 24, 1970	Distinguished himself when he volunteered to accompany a medical evacuation team on an urgent mission to evacuate eight critically wounded Army of the Republic of Vietnam personnel.
	Jose Rodela	Army	Sergeant First Class	Phuoc Long Province	September 1, 1969	Repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to attend to the fallen and eliminate an enemy rocket position.
	Charles C. Rogers	Army	Lieutenant Colonel	Fishhook, near Cambodian border	November 1, 1968	Risked his life to repel the enemy and protect his soldiers during an enemy assault on his firebase.
	Gary M. Rose	Army	Captain	Chavan, Laos	September 11, 1970 – September 14, 1970	Risked his life to treat 60–70 personnel, despite being wounded multiple times during Operation Tailwind.
	Eurípides Rubio   †	Army	Captain	Tây Ninh Province	November 8, 1966	For efforts in directing an air strike on enemy forces
	Leslie H. Sabo, Jr.   †	Army	Specialist Four	Near Se San Village, Cambodia	May 10, 1970	For heroic action when his platoon was ambushed by North Vietnamese forces near the village of Se San in eastern Cambodia.
	Héctor Santiago-Colón   †	Army	Specialist Four	Quảng Trị Province	June 28, 1968	For falling on a grenade to save his comrades and is one of five Puerto Ricans who have been posthumously presented with the Medal of Honor.
—	Ruppert L. Sargent   †	Army	First Lieutenant	Hậu Nghĩa Province	March 15, 1967	On that day, while in Hậu Nghĩa Province in the Republic of Vietnam, Sargent threw himself on two enemy hand grenades, sacrificing himself but saving the lives of two men nearby.
	Clarence E. Sasser	Army	Private First Class	Dinh Tuong Province	January 10, 1968	Risked his life to save several wounded soldiers and although severely wounded himself continued treating their wounds for five hours until they were rescued.
	William W. Seay   †	Army	Sergeant	Ap Nhi—South Vietnamnear Ap Nhi	August 25, 1968	When his convoy came under attack that day, near Ap Nhi in the Republic of Vietnam, Seay twice left his protective cover to toss enemy-thrown hand grenades back at the North Vietnamese forces. Despite being wounded in the wrist, he again exposed himself to enemy fire and was fatally shot.
	Daniel J. Shea   †	Army	Private First Class	Quảng Trị Province	May 14, 1969	Killed by enemy gunfire after assisting in the defeat of an attacking enemy force
	Marvin G. Shields   †	Navy	Construction Mechanic Third Class	Đồng Xoài	June 10, 1965	Killed after rescuing several wounded, assisting in destroying an enemy gun emplacement and resupplying ammunition to his unit
	Lance P. Sijan   †	Air Force	Captain	North Vietnam	November 9, 1967	For actions as a prisoner of war from November 9, 1967 – January 22, 1968
—	Clifford C. Sims   †	Army	Staff Sergeant	Huế—South Vietnamnear Huế	February 21, 1968	Sims threw himself onto a triggered booby-trap device. He was killed in the ensuing explosion, but was successful in protecting the members of his squad.
	Walter K. Singleton   †	Marine Corps	Sergeant	Gio Linh District, Quảng Trị Province	March 24, 1967	Killed in an attack where he killed eight of the enemy and drove the remainder away
	George K. Sisler   †	Army	First Lieutenant	South Vietnam	February 7, 1967	Organized the defense, rescued a wounded soldier, and single-handedly attacked an enemy position before being killed
—	Donald S. Skidgel   †	Army	Sergeant	Song Be—South Vietnamnear Sông Bé	September 14, 1969	Killed attempting to draw enemy fire away from his convoy after manning a machine gun in his vehicle
	Donald P. Sloat   †	Army	Specialist Four	Quảng Tín Province	January 17, 1970	Killed using his body to shield comrades from a grenade blast
	Larry E. Smedley   †	Marine Corps	Corporal	Quảng Nam Province	December 21, 1967	Assaulted the enemy with grenades and rifle fire until dying from his wounds
	Elmelindo R. Smith   †	Army	Staff Sergeant	South Vietnam	February 16, 1967	Although wounded by a rocket he led his platoon in a patrol when enemy forces attacked with machine gun, mortars and rocket fire.
	James M. Sprayberry	Army	First Lieutenant	South Vietnam	April 25, 1968	Led a patrol which rescued men who had been wounded and cut off from the rest of the company and in the process destroyed several enemy bunkers and machine gun emplacements.
—	Russell A. Steindam   †	Army	First Lieutenant	Tây Ninh Province	February 1, 1970	For defending company from an enemy grenade
—	Jimmy G. Stewart   †	Army	Staff Sergeant	South Vietnam	May 18, 1966	Sacrificed himself to hold his company's position against the enemy allowing others to come to his aid and repel the enemy force
	James B. Stockdale	Navy	Captain	Hỏa Lò Prison, Hanoi, North Vietnam	September 4, 1969	For action as a prisoner of war
—	Lester R. Stone, Jr.   †	Army	Sergeant	west of Landing Zone Liz	March 3, 1969	Sacrificed his life by manning a machine gun in an exposed position during an enemy attack, allowing others to rescue a wounded comrade
—	Mitchell W. Stout   †	Army	Sergeant	Khe Gio Bridge	March 12, 1970	Sacrificed his life to save others by smothering a grenade with his body
—	Robert F. Stryker   †	Army	Specialist Four	Loc Ninh—South Vietnamnear Lộc Ninh	November 7, 1967	Sacrificed his life to save several fellow soldiers by smothering a claymore mine with his body
	Kenneth E. Stumpf	Army	Specialist Four	Duc Pho—South Vietnamnear Đức Phổ	April 25, 1967	Risked his life by rescuing three injured squad members and then led his squad to attack and destroy a heavily fortified enemy bunker complex.
	Jon E. Swanson   †	Army	Captain	Cambodia	February 26, 1971	Sacrificed his life by flying his aircraft dangerously slow and low to destroy enemy machine gun emplacements until his aircraft was shot down.
	James A. Taylor	Army	First Lieutenant	Que Son—South Vietnamwest of Quế Sơn	November 9, 1967	Risked his life to save the lives of a number of his fellow soldiers
	Karl G. Taylor, Sr.   †	Marine Corps	Staff Sergeant	Dodge City, Quảng Nam Province	December 8, 1968	Sacrificed his life to save the lives of several Marines by taking out an enemy bunker
	Larry Taylor	Army	First Lieutenant	Bình Dương province	June 12, 1969	AH-1 Cobra pilot who rescued four soldiers under enemy fire
	Brian M. Thacker	Army	First Lieutenant	Kon Tum Province	March 31, 1971	Risked his own life to allow his unit to escape
	Michael E. Thornton	Navy	Engineman Second Class	Quảng Trị Province	October 31, 1972	Saved the life of his superior officer and allowed the other members of his patrol to escape
	Leo K. Thorsness	Air Force	Major	over North Vietnam	April 19, 1967	Risked his life to assist in the rescue of three downed aviators
	Jay R. Vargas	Marine Corps	Captain	Dai Do	April 30, 1968 – May 2, 1968	Vargas requested that his mother's name, M. Sando Vargas, Jr., be engraved on the medal and added to the rolls.
	Humbert R. Versace   †	Army	Captain	Cà Mau	October 29, 1963 – September 26, 1965	Was executed by the Viet Cong while a prisoner of war after repeated escape attempts, torture and maltreatment
	John E. Warren, Jr.   †	Army	First Lieutenant	Tây Ninh Province	January 14, 1969	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
	Charles J. Watters   †	Army	Major	Battle of Dak To	November 19, 1967	Was a chaplain who sacrificed himself to rescue several wounded men
—	Dale E. Wayrynen   †	Army	Specialist Four	Quảng Ngãi Province	May 18, 1967	For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him
	Lester W. Weber   †	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	Quảng Nam Province	February 23, 1969	After fighting back four enemy soldiers and causing 11 others to retreat was killed by a fifth enemy soldier
	Gary G. Wetzel	Army	Private First Class	Ap dong An—South Vietnamnear Ap Dong An	January 8, 1968	Although losing his arm and repeatedly losing consciousness from loss of blood after the helicopter he was on was shot down he fought back an enemy gun emplacement and assisted in the rescue of a fallen officer.
	Roy M. Wheat   †	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	Dien Ban District, Quảng Nam Province	August 11, 1967	Sacrificed his life by smothering a mine with his body
	Jerry W. Wickam   †	Army	Corporal	Loc Ninh—South Vietnamnear Lộc Ninh	January 6, 1968	Killed after repeatedly attacking and defeating the enemy
	Hilliard A. Wilbanks   †	Air Force	Captain	Da Lat—South Vietnamnear Da Lat	February 24, 1967	Distinguished himself by realizing that Army Rangers were walking into an ambush and, with no air support close by and no radio communication with the Rangers, he sacrificed his life to alert the Rangers of the danger.
—	Louis E. Willett   †	Army	Private First Class	Kon Tum Province	February 15, 1967	For twice providing covering fire for his squad's withdrawal despite heavy enemy fire
—	Charles Q. Williams	Army	Second Lieutenant	Đồng Xoài	June 9, 1965 – June 10, 1965	After a group of enemy insurgents attacked he organized a defense and repelled the enemy throughout the night
	Dewayne T. Williams   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	Quảng Nam Province	September 18, 1968	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
	James E. Williams	Navy	Boatswain's Mate First Class	Mekong River	October 31, 1966	Against overwhelming odds, several times Williams led his PBRs (Patrol Boats, River) against concentrations of enemy junks and sampans. As a result of the three-hour battle, the American naval force killed numerous Viet Cong guerrillas, destroyed over fifty vessels, and disrupted a major enemy logistic operation.
	Alfred M. Wilson   †	Marine Corps	Private First Class	Quảng Trị Province	March 3, 1969	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
	David F. Winder   †	Army	Private First Class	South Vietnam	May 13, 1970	Sacrificed his life in an attempt to assist a wounded soldier
	Kenneth L. Worley   †	Marine Corps	Lance Corporal	Bo Ban, Quảng Nam Province	August 12, 1968	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
	Raymond R. Wright	Army	Specialist Four	Ap Bac Zone	May 2, 1967	Along with another soldier attacked and defeated multiple enemy bunkers
	Maximo Yabes   †	Army	First Sergeant	Phu Hoa Dong—South Vietnamnear Phu Hoa Dong	February 26, 1967	Used his body as a shield to protect others in a bunker, moved two wounded men to a safer position where they could be given medical treatment and destroyed an enemy machine gun position before being killed.
	Rodney J. T. Yano   †	Army	Sergeant First Class	Biên Hòa—South Vietnamnear Biên Hòa	January 1, 1969	For sacrificing his life to save the other members of his aircrew
—	Gordon D. Yntema   †	Army	Sergeant	Thang Binh—South Vietnamnear Thăng Bình	January 16, 1968 – January 18, 1968	Defended several fallen comrades and forced the Vietnamese to kill him rather than be captured.
	Gerald O. Young	Air Force	Captain	Khe Sanh	November 9, 1967	Distinguished himself while serving as a helicopter rescue crew commander
—	Marvin R. Young   †	Army	Staff Sergeant	Ben Cui—South Vietnamnear Bến Củi	August 21, 1968	For sacrificing his life so his unit could escape
—	Fred W. Zabitosky	Army	Staff Sergeant		February 19, 1968	Zabitosky directed the defense until rescue helicopters arrived, and when the helicopter that was to extract him from the battlefield crashed, he ignored his own injuries to save the downed craft's pilot.

Unknown soldier

The unknown soldier from the Vietnam War who was buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns was authorized a Medal of Honor and in 1998 was identified as 1st Lieutenant Michael Blassie, USAF. After DNA testing confirmed his identity, the remains were removed from the tomb and returned to Blassie's family, but the Medal of Honor did not transfer with him. It remains awarded to "the unknown soldier" as a tribute to the war dead who have not yet been identified. The Blassie family requested that the Medal of Honor be granted to him but the request was denied by the Department of Defense. ^[14]

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History .

1. "A Brief History — The Medal of Honor". Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Department of Defense. August 8, 2006. Archived from the original on May 19, 2009. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
2. "Vietnam War". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved March 5, 2008. Meanwhile, the United States, its military demoralized and its civilian electorate deeply divided, began a process of coming to terms with defeat in its longest and most controversial war
3. The Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States at http://www.mohhsus.com/medal-of-honor shows 266 awards for Vietnam excluding the Vietnam Unknown listed with the group of nine Unknowns. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society at http://www.cmohs.org/medal-statistics.php lists 262 awards for Vietnam including the Vietnam Unknown. Both societies include US Navy recipient William McGonagle, in the Eastern Mediterranean on June 8, 1967, in their Vietnam totals.
4. Murphy, 1987, pp. 13–23
5. Murphy, 1987, pp. 36–38
6. Murphy, 1987, p. 97
7. Murphy, 1987, pp. 156–158
8. Murphy, 1987, pp. 150–151
9. "Medal of Honor recipients". Vietnam War (A–L). United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on June 27, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
10. "Medal of Honor recipients". Vietnam War (M–Z). United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on April 24, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
11. Vergun, David (21 February 2014). "President announces 24 Soldiers to receive Medals of Honor". Army News Service. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
12. Wilson, Scott (21 February 2014). "Obama to award Medal of Honor to two dozen veterans, including 19 discrimination victims". Washington Post. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
13. "President Obama to Award Medal of Honor". The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. 21 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
14. "Vietnam Unknown's Medal of Honor Transfer Denied". Press release. American Forces Press Service. August 25, 1998. Archived from the original on December 1, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2010.

• Murphy, Edward F. (July 1987). Vietnam Medal of Honor Heroes. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN   978-0-345-33890-7.