Medal of Honor: Jimmy G. Stewart – Vietnam War – May 18, 1966

Name: Jimmy G. Stewart
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Branch: U.S. Army
War: Vietnam War
Unit: Company B, 2d Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
Date of Action: May 18, 1966
Location: Republic of Vietnam

Summary of Action

On 18 May 1966, Staff Sergeant Jimmy G. Stewart displayed extraordinary heroism while defending an American defensive perimeter against a determined North Vietnamese assault.

In the early morning darkness, a reinforced enemy company launched a surprise attack against Company B.

The fierce assault struck directly into the sector occupied by a six-man squad, wounding five of the soldiers almost immediately.

Stewart suddenly found himself alone defending a critical section of the company perimeter against a platoon-sized enemy force.

A temporary lull in the fighting gave him a chance to withdraw.

He refused.

Knowing his wounded comrades could not escape and understanding the danger an enemy breakthrough posed to the entire company, Stewart chose to remain and fight.

As wave after wave of enemy soldiers charged his isolated position, he fought with relentless determination.

He emptied magazine after magazine into the advancing North Vietnamese troops, breaking repeated assaults at close range.

Enemy soldiers reached nearly to his foxhole and began throwing grenades into his position.

Stewart grabbed the grenades and hurled them back.

When his ammunition ran low, he crawled under intense enemy fire to collect ammunition from his wounded comrades, returning to continue the fight.

For four brutal hours he held the position alone.

Three separate enemy assaults crashed against his line, but Stewart’s fire shattered each attack before the North Vietnamese could penetrate the perimeter.

His stubborn defense bought precious time for reinforcements to arrive.

When an American platoon finally counterattacked, Stewart advanced forward from his own position to add his fire to the assault.

After the battle, his body was discovered in a shallow enemy fighting hole where he had continued fighting until the end.

Eight enemy dead surrounded his immediate position, while evidence indicated many more had been dragged away.

Most importantly, the wounded soldiers he had refused to abandon were successfully recovered and evacuated.

Medal of Honor Citation

STEWART, JIMMY G.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Early in the morning a reinforced North Vietnamese company attacked Company B, which was manning a defensive perimeter in Vietnam. The surprise onslaught wounded 5 members of a 6-man squad caught in the direct path of the enemy’s thrust. S/Sgt. Stewart became a lone defender of vital terrain–virtually 1 man against a hostile platoon. Refusing to take advantage of a lull in the firing which would have permitted him to withdraw, S/Sgt. Stewart elected to hold his ground to protect his fallen comrades and prevent an enemy penetration of the company perimeter. As the full force of the platoon-sized man attack struck his lone position, he fought like a man possessed; emptying magazine after magazine at the determined, on-charging enemy. The enemy drove almost to his position and hurled grenades, but S/Sgt. Stewart decimated them by retrieving and throwing the grenades back. Exhausting his ammunition, he crawled under intense fire to his wounded team members and collected ammunition that they were unable to use. Far past the normal point of exhaustion, he held his position for 4 harrowing hours and through 3 assaults, annihilating the enemy as they approached and before they could get a foothold. As a result of his defense, the company position held until the arrival of a reinforcing platoon which counterattacked the enemy, now occupying foxholes to the left of S/Sgt. Stewart’s position. After the counterattack, his body was found in a shallow enemy hole where he had advanced in order to add his fire to that of the counterattacking platoon. Eight enemy dead were found around his immediate position, with evidence that 15 others had been dragged away. The wounded whom he gave his life to protect, were recovered and evacuated. S/Sgt. Stewart’s indomitable courage, in the face of overwhelming odds, stands as a tribute to himself and an inspiration to all men of his unit. His actions were in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and the Armed Forces of his country.