Name: Mitchell W. Stout
Rank: Sergeant
Branch: U.S. Army
Unit: Battery C, 1st Battalion, 44th Artillery
Place: Khe Gio Bridge, Republic of Vietnam
Entered Service At: Raleigh, North Carolina
Born: 24 February 1950, Knoxville, Tennessee
Summary of Action
On March 12, 1970, Sergeant Mitchell W. Stout was stationed with Battery C, 1st Battalion, 44th Artillery near Khe Gio Bridge in South Vietnam.
During the night, a North Vietnamese Army sapper company launched a coordinated assault against the artillery position.
Enemy mortars rained down on the firing base while ground troops attempted to penetrate the perimeter.
Sergeant Stout and several other soldiers were inside a bunker with a searchlight crew when the position came under heavy attack.
As the mortar barrage briefly subsided, an enemy grenade suddenly landed inside the bunker among the soldiers.
Without hesitation, Stout reacted instantly.
He rushed toward the grenade, grabbed it, and attempted to carry it out of the bunker before it could explode.
Just as he reached the doorway, the grenade detonated.
By holding the grenade close to his body and shielding its blast, he absorbed the full force of the explosion.
His selfless act protected the other soldiers in the bunker from certain death or severe injury.
Sergeant Stout gave his life in the attempt to save his comrades.
His courageous sacrifice stands as one of the most powerful examples of selfless heroism during the Vietnam War.
Medal of Honor Citation
STOUT, MITCHELL W.
