Medal of Honor to 24 Army veterans: Vietnam War hero Sergeant First Class Melvin Morris
 |
| Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris |
Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris
will receive the Medal of Honor 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 in the vicinity of Chi
Lang, Republic of Vietnam on September 17, 1969.
Melvin Morris was born in Okmulgee, Okla., Jan. 7, 1942.
Citation:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of
Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure
in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Staff Sergeant Melvin
Morris, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with
military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in
the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Detachment A-403, Company D,
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Staff Sergeant
Morris distinguished himself while serving as commander of a strike
force on a mission north and east of Chi Lang. Sister companies of his
battalion had encountered an extensive enemy mine field and were
subsequently engaged by a hostile force. By radio Sergeant Morris
learned that a fellow team commander had been killed and had fallen near
an enemy bunker. Immediately reorganizing the strike forces into an
effective assault posture, he advanced them and then moved out with two
men to recover the body. Observing the maneuver, the hostile force
concentrated their fire and wounded both men accompanying Sergeant
Morris. After he assisted the two back to the lines of the main force,
he again charged into the hail of fire to approach the nearest enemy
bunker, throwing grenades into it. As his men laid a base of suppressive
fire, he neared the position of the team leader’s body. When a machine
gun emplacement directed it strafing fusillade at him, he annihilated
the position with hand grenades and continued his assault, eliminating
three additional bunkers. Driving the enemy from the entrenchment
nearest the fallen team leader, he retrieved his comrade and started to
his troop’s position. As he neared the strike force he was wounded three
times, but he struggled forward until he brought his fallen comrade to
the friendly position. Staff Sergeant Morris’ extraordinary heroism and
devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest tradition of the
military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and
the United States Army.
In addition to the Medal of
Honor, Morris received the Distinguished Service Cross (this award will be upgraded to the Medal of Honor on Mar. 18), Bronze Star Medal with
one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with one Bronze Oak Leaf
Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal
with “V” Device and one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal
Silver with one Loop, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces
Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with one Silver Star,
Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral
“3”, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with Numeral “4”,
Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Expert Marksmanship
Badge with Rifle Bar, Special Forces Tab, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry
Cross with Bronze Star, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with “60”
Device, Vietnam Parachutist Badge, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross
Unit Citation with Palm Device, Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor
Medal Citation, First Class.
![]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/medalofhonornews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/OlaLeeMizeMemorial-170x95.jpg","width":170},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/medalofhonornews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/OlaLeeMizeMemorial-270x152.jpg","width":270},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/medalofhonornews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/OlaLeeMizeMemorial-475x267.jpg","width":475}})
![]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/medalofhonornews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Hiroshi-170x95.jpg","width":170},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/medalofhonornews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Hiroshi-241x152.jpg","width":241},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/medalofhonornews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Hiroshi-241x267.jpg","width":241}})