Medal of Honor: Larry Leonard Maxam – U.S. Marine Corps – Vietnam – 1968

Name: Larry Leonard Maxam
Rank: Corporal
Branch: U.S. Marine Corps
Unit: Company D, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division (Rein), FMF
Place: Cam Lo District, Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam
Entered Service At: Los Angeles, California
Born: 9 January 1948, Glendale, California
Status: Killed in Action

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Summary of Action

During the early hours of the Tet Offensive, the Cam Lo District Headquarters came under a devastating enemy assault. Rockets, artillery, mortars, recoilless rifles, and small-arms fire smashed into the compound, tearing open a critical section of the defensive perimeter as a numerically superior North Vietnamese force prepared to overrun it.

Recognizing the imminent danger, Cpl. Larry L. Maxam ordered his assistant fire team leader to take charge and ran—fully exposed—toward the shattered perimeter. Wounded repeatedly by grenade fragments as he moved, he reached an abandoned machine gun position and immediately brought the weapon into action against the advancing enemy.

Despite being struck by a rocket-propelled grenade that inflicted severe wounds to his face and eye, and despite additional hits from small-arms fire and hand grenades, Cpl. Maxam refused to abandon his post. When he became too weak to reload the machine gun, he continued the fight with his rifle, firing from a prone position under relentless fire.

For more than an hour and a half, Corporal Maxam defended nearly half of the compound alone. He finally succumbed to his wounds—but not before breaking the enemy assault and preventing a catastrophic breach of the perimeter.

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Medal of Honor Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a fire team leader with Company D. The Cam Lo District Headquarters came under extremely heavy rocket, artillery, mortar, and recoilless rifle fire from a numerically superior enemy force, destroying a portion of the defensive perimeter. Cpl. Maxam, observing the enemy massing for an assault into the compound across the remaining defensive wire, instructed his assistant fire team leader to take charge of the fire team, and unhesitatingly proceeded to the weakened section of the perimeter. Completely exposed to the concentrated enemy fire, he sustained multiple fragmentation wounds from exploding grenades as he ran to an abandoned machine gun position. Reaching the emplacement, he grasped the machine gun and commenced to deliver effective fire on the advancing enemy. As the enemy directed maximum firepower against the determined Marine, Cpl. Maxam’s position received a direct hit from a rocket-propelled grenade, knocking him backwards and inflicting severe fragmentation wounds to his face and right eye. Although momentarily stunned and in intense pain, Cpl. Maxam courageously resumed his firing position and subsequently was struck again by small-arms fire. With resolute determination, he gallantly continued to deliver intense machine gun fire, causing the enemy to retreat through the defensive wire to positions of cover. In a desperate attempt to silence his weapon, the North Vietnamese threw hand grenades and directed recoilless rifle fire against him, inflicting two additional wounds. Too weak to reload his machine gun, Cpl. Maxam fell to a prone position and valiantly continued to deliver effective fire with his rifle. After one and one-half hours, during which he was hit repeatedly by fragments from exploding grenades and concentrated small-arms fire, he succumbed to his wounds, having successfully defended nearly half of the perimeter single-handedly. Cpl. Maxam’s aggressive fighting spirit, inspiring valor, and selfless devotion to duty reflected great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps and upheld the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.