Kenneth E. Stumpf, Medal of Honor recipient, passed away Saturday, April 23, 2022, in Tomah, Wisconsin, at age 77.
On April 25, 1967, U.S. Army Spc. 4th Class Kenneth E. Stumpf was in Duc Pho, Vietnam, when his platoon came under heavy fire from well-fortified enemy bunkers. Three of his fellow servicemen were injured. Ignoring the fire that was concentrated on him, Stumpf left cover three times to carry each one back to friendly lines. He then organized the remaining men to neutralize two enemy bunkers. Stumpf took on a third bunker by himself, despite machine gun fire directed on him, enabling the success of the mission and preventing further loss of American soldiers.
For his actions that day, Stumpf was presented the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B. Johnson on Sept. 19, 1968, in a White House ceremony.
Stumpf was born in Neenah, Wisconsin, on Sept. 28, 1944. He was drafted in 1965 from a factory job. He served three tours in Vietnam. In 1944, he retired from the Army as a Sergeant Major after 29 years of service.
When asked about his actions that day, Stumpf replied, “I’ve always said I didn’t do anything above and beyond the call of duty. What I did was my duty. I had to do that… it was a responsibility that I had to my men.”
He is survived by three children and numerous grandchildren. Burial arrangements are pending currently.
Citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Stumpf distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader of the 3d Platoon, Company C, on a search-and-destroy mission. As S/Sgt. Stumpf’s company approached a village, it encountered a North Vietnamese rifle company occupying a well-fortified bunker complex. During the initial contact, three men from his squad fell wounded in front of a hostile machine-gun emplacement. The enemy’s heavy volume of fire prevented the unit from moving to the aid of the injured men, but S/Sgt. Stumpf left his secure position in a deep trench and ran through the barrage of incoming rounds to reach his wounded comrades. He picked up one of the men and carried him back to the safety of the trench. Twice more S/Sgt. Stumpf dashed forward while the enemy turned automatic weapons and machine guns upon him, yet he managed to rescue the remaining two wounded squad members. He then organized his squad and led an assault against several enemy bunkers from which continuously heavy fire was being received. He and his squad successfully eliminated two of the bunker positions, but one to the front of the advancing platoon remained a serious threat. Arming himself with extra hand grenades, S/Sgt. Stumpf ran over open ground, through a volley of fire directed at him by a determined enemy, toward the machine-gun position. As he reached the bunker, he threw a hand grenade through the aperture. It was immediately returned by the occupants, forcing S/Sgt. Stumpf to take cover. Undaunted, he pulled the pins on two more grenades, held them for a few seconds after activation, then hurled them into the position, this time successfully destroying the emplacement. With the elimination of this key position, his unit was able to assault and overrun the enemy. S/Sgt. Stumpf’s relentless spirit of aggressiveness, intrepidity, and ultimate concern for the lives of his men, are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
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