Medal of Honor: Euripides Rubio – Vietnam War – November 8, 1966
Pinned down under overwhelming fire, Captain Euripides Rubio refused to stay behind cover. Bleeding from multiple wounds, he rose again and again to lead — and in his final act, marked the enemy for destruction, turning certain defeat into victory.
November 12, 2025
Name: Euripides Rubio
Rank: Captain
Organization: U.S. Army, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division
Place and Date: Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam – 8 November 1966
Entered Service At: Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico
Born: March 1, 1938 – Ponce, Puerto Rico
Departed: November 8, 1966 (Killed in Action)
Accredited To: Puerto Rico
Summary of Action
At Tay Ninh Province on November 8, 1966, Captain Euripides Rubio, serving as communications officer for the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, found himself in the middle of a massive Viet Cong assault. Mortar rounds rained down, rifle grenades burst across the perimeter, and machine-gun fire shredded the air.
Despite two serious wounds, Rubio left the relative safety of his command post and sprinted toward the heaviest fighting. He moved between foxholes and shattered positions, distributing ammunition, rallying his men, and personally administering first aid under constant fire.
When a company commander went down, Rubio immediately took command. Though bleeding and exhausted, he continued to expose himself again and again to enemy fire, refusing to quit. A third bullet tore into him, but still he moved along the line — urging his men to stand firm.
As helicopters circled above, a smoke grenade meant to mark enemy positions for air support landed dangerously close to friendly troops. Without hesitation, Rubio staggered to his feet, ran through a storm of bullets, and grabbed the smoking grenade. Mortally wounded as he did, he pushed forward another twenty meters toward the enemy and threw it directly into their lines before collapsing.
That single act saved countless lives. The corrected smoke signal guided airstrikes that crushed the attacking Viet Cong and turned the tide of battle. Captain Rubio’s courage, sacrifice, and leadership embodied the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and the Puerto Rican fighting spirit.
Medal of Honor Citation
Place and date: Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 8 November 1966.
Entered service at: Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico.
Born: 1 March 1938, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Rubio, Infantry, was serving as communications officer, 1st Battalion, when a numerically superior enemy force launched a massive attack against the battalion defense position. Intense enemy machinegun fire raked the area while mortar rounds and rifle grenades exploded within the perimeter. Leaving the relative safety of his post, Capt. Rubio received 2 serious wounds as he braved the withering fire to go to the area of most intense action where he distributed ammunition, re-established positions and rendered aid to the wounded. Disregarding the painful wounds, he unhesitatingly assumed command when a rifle company commander was medically evacuated. Capt. Rubio was wounded a third time as he selflessly exposed himself to the devastating enemy fire to move among his men to encourage them to fight with renewed effort. While aiding the evacuation of wounded personnel, he noted that a smoke grenade which was intended to mark the Viet Cong position for air strikes had fallen dangerously close to the friendly lines. Capt. Rubio ran to reposition the grenade but was immediately struck to his knees by enemy fire. Despite his several wounds, Capt. Rubio scooped up the grenade, ran through the deadly hail of fire to within 20 meters of the enemy position and hurled the already smoking grenade into the midst of the enemy before he fell for the final time. Using the repositioned grenade as a marker, friendly air strikes were directed to destroy the hostile positions. Capt. Rubio’s singularly heroic act turned the tide of battle, and his extraordinary leadership and valor were a magnificent inspiration to his men. His remarkable bravery and selfless concern for his men are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on Capt. Rubio and the U.S. Army.
