Medal of Honor: Sammy L. Davis – Vietnam War, November 18, 1967

Sammy Lee Davis
Private First Class (then), U.S. Army
Conflict: Vietnam War
Unit: Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 4th Artillery Regiment, 9th Infantry Division
Date of Action: November 18, 1967
Location: Firebase Cudgel, near Cai Lay, Republic of Vietnam

Summary of Action:
In the black, smoke-choked early hours of November 18, 1967, the jungle erupted in fire and fury as a reinforced Viet Cong battalion struck Firebase Cudgel in a coordinated, deadly assault. Amid the chaos stood a young artilleryman — Private First Class Sammy L. Davis — who would turn the tide of that night through sheer grit and unshakable courage.

At approximately 0200 hours, mortars rained down on the fire support base, and enemy troops surged within 25 meters, using a nearby river as their only barrier. Davis, serving as a cannoneer with Battery C, spotted the muzzle flashes of enemy weapons and seized a machine gun, laying down a curtain of fire to protect his howitzer crew. But a recoilless rifle round slammed into their position, hurling Davis and his team into a foxhole.

Shaken and wounded, Davis refused to stay down. He pulled himself up and returned to the flames consuming his howitzer. Ignoring repeated warnings to stay in cover, he rammed a shell into the breach and fired into the advancing enemy. The force of the recoil knocked him flat — but he rose again. A mortar exploded just 20 meters away, wounding him further. Still, he loaded and fired again… and again… and again — each blast driving him back, each shot fired in defiance of death.

When the cries of wounded comrades echoed from across the river, Davis — unable to swim and already bleeding — grabbed an air mattress and pushed into the current. Reaching the far bank, he found three wounded men. With enemy forces closing in, Davis stood tall and fired his rifle into the tree line, holding the enemy at bay. He covered one man’s escape, then pulled the remaining two to safety — one after the other — across the river, never once thinking of himself.

Refusing medical aid, Davis returned to the line and manned another howitzer, continuing the fight until the enemy retreated. His valor became legendary — a living example of what one man’s willpower can achieve against overwhelming odds.

Medal of Honor Citation:
*"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Private First Class Davis (then Private) distinguished himself while serving with Battery C. Early in the morning, the fire support base came under heavy mortar attack and was then assaulted by a reinforced enemy battalion. Detecting enemy fire directed at a nearby howitzer position, PFC Davis manned a machine gun and provided covering fire for the gun crew. Despite being wounded and knocked into a foxhole by an enemy recoilless rifle round, he returned to the blazing howitzer, loaded, and fired three shells at the enemy. Each round of recoil knocked him to the ground, yet he continued the fight.

Hearing wounded comrades calling from across a river separating the enemy and friendly forces, and despite his inability to swim, he grabbed an air mattress and crossed to the far side under enemy fire. After assisting one soldier to safety, he returned twice more to rescue two others, providing covering fire while doing so. Refusing medical treatment, he joined another gun crew and continued to fire on the enemy until their assault was broken. PFC Davis’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army."*