Medal of Honor: Lieutenant Vincent R. Capodanno, Vietnam War, September 4, 1967

He carried no rifle, yet he stood in the firestorm. Lieutenant Vincent R. Capodanno, a Navy chaplain with the 5th Marines, gave his life not with bullets, but with prayer, compassion, and the fearless courage to stand between death and his Marines.

Summary of Action

Vincent Robert Capodanno was born on February 13, 1929, in Staten Island, New York, and was ordained a Catholic priest before volunteering for the Navy Chaplain Corps. He carried into Vietnam not only his faith, but a deep commitment to his Marines, whose respect and love for him was so profound that he was known simply as “the Grunt Padre.”

On September 4, 1967, in Quang Tin Province, South Vietnam, Capodanno’s battalion was caught in one of the most ferocious clashes of the war. Elements of M Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division were under heavy assault, facing encirclement and annihilation. When reports came that the 2nd Platoon of M Company was in danger of being overrun, Capodanno did the unthinkable. Leaving the relative safety of the command post, he ran straight into a killing field swept by enemy fire.

Moving from Marine to Marine, he offered last rites to the dying, comfort to the wounded, and courage to the living. Mortar fragments tore into his arms and legs, even severing part of his right hand, but he refused evacuation. With calm determination, he told corpsmen to tend to others while he carried on, crawling and running through the fire-swept battlefield.

At one point, Capodanno spotted a corpsman who had gone down in the open, only 15 yards from an enemy machine gun. Without hesitation, he rushed forward in a desperate attempt to save him. Just as he neared the wounded man, Capodanno was struck down by a burst of machine gun fire. He died in the open field, still reaching toward the fallen.

For his Marines, his sacrifice was unforgettable. They spoke not of a chaplain who stayed behind cover, but of one who moved among them, sharing their danger, their fear, and finally their fate. His valor on that day would make him not only a Medal of Honor recipient, but a symbol of selfless devotion.

Medal of Honor Citation

Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Chaplain of the 3d Battalion, in connection with operations against enemy forces. In response to reports that the 2d Platoon of M Company was in danger of being overrun by a massed enemy assaulting force, Lt. Capodanno left the relative safety of the company command post and ran through an open area raked with fire, directly to the beleaguered platoon. Disregarding the intense enemy small-arms, automatic-weapons, and mortar fire, he moved about the battlefield administering last rites to the dying and giving medical aid to the wounded. When an exploding mortar round inflicted painful multiple wounds to his arms and legs, and severed a portion of his right hand, he steadfastly refused all medical aid. Instead, he directed the corpsmen to help their wounded comrades and, with calm vigor, continued to move about the battlefield as he provided encouragement by voice and example to the valiant marines. Upon encountering a wounded corpsman in the direct line of fire of an enemy machine gunner positioned approximately 15 yards away, Lt. Capodanno rushed a daring attempt to aid and assist the mortally wounded corpsman. At that instant, only inches from his goal, he was struck down by a burst of machine gun fire. By his heroic conduct on the battlefield, and his inspiring example, Lt. Capodanno upheld the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the cause of freedom.