Medal of Honor: Roger Hugh C. Donlon – Vietnam War – July 6, 1964

Name: Roger Hugh C. Donlon
Rank: Captain
Branch: U.S. Army
War: Vietnam War
Unit: Special Forces Detachment A-726, U.S. Army Special Forces
Date of Action: July 6, 1964
Location: Camp Nam Dong, Republic of Vietnam

Summary of Action

In the early hours of 6 July 1964, Captain Roger H. C. Donlon commanded U.S. Army Special Forces Detachment A-726 at Camp Nam Dong, an isolated outpost near the Laotian border.

Before dawn, a reinforced Viet Cong battalion launched a coordinated assault against the camp with mortars, grenades, automatic weapons, and infantry attacks.

As explosions rocked the perimeter, Donlon immediately organized the defense and ordered ammunition removed from a burning building before it could be destroyed.

Learning that the main gate was in danger of being breached, he raced through intense enemy fire toward the threatened position.

Along the way, he encountered a three-man Viet Cong demolition team preparing to destroy the entrance and personally eliminated all three enemy soldiers.

Continuing forward despite relentless enemy fire, he reached a 60mm mortar position, where he was struck by a severe stomach wound only a few yards from the gun pit.

Ignoring his injury, Donlon directed the withdrawal of the wounded mortar crew to a safer position while remaining behind to cover their movement.

When he discovered that his team sergeant was unable to escape the damaged position, he crawled back through enemy fire and dragged him to safety.

During the rescue, another exploding mortar shell wounded him in the shoulder.

Still refusing evacuation, Donlon carried the abandoned 60mm mortar to a new position, treated wounded defenders, and encouraged them to continue fighting.

He then retrieved a 57mm recoilless rifle, returned under fire to recover ammunition, and was wounded again by an enemy grenade while dragging desperately needed rounds across the battlefield.

Despite suffering multiple wounds, Donlon crawled approximately 175 meters to an 81mm mortar position and personally directed its fire, helping prevent the enemy from overrunning the eastern sector of the camp.

As the attack began to lose momentum, he reestablished another 60mm mortar position before once again moving around the perimeter, throwing grenades, encouraging defenders, and directing the battle.

During these actions he sustained additional wounds to his face and body from exploding mortar rounds.

After daylight finally forced the enemy to retreat, leaving dozens of their dead on the battlefield, Donlon immediately reorganized the camp's defenses and personally helped care for the wounded.

His extraordinary leadership inspired both his American Special Forces soldiers and their South Vietnamese defenders to hold the camp against overwhelming odds.

Captain Roger Hugh C. Donlon became the first recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions during the Vietnam War, and his courage reflected the highest traditions of the United States Army.

Medal of Honor Citation

DONLON, ROGER HUGH C.

Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army.

Place and date: Near Nam Dong, Republic of Vietnam, 6 July 1964.

Entered service at: Fort Chaffee, Arkansas.

Born: 30 January 1934, Saugerties, New York.

G.O. No.: 41, 17 December 1964.

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while defending a U.S. military installation against a fierce attack by hostile forces.

Captain Donlon was serving as the commanding officer of U.S. Army Special Forces Detachment A-726 at Camp Nam Dong when a reinforced Viet Cong battalion suddenly launched a full-scale predawn attack on the camp.

During the violent battle that ensued, lasting five hours and resulting in heavy casualties on both sides, Captain Donlon directed the defense operations in the midst of an enemy barrage of mortar shells, falling grenades, and extremely heavy gunfire.

Upon the initial onslaught, he swiftly marshaled his forces and ordered the removal of needed ammunition from a blazing building.

He then dashed through a hail of small-arms and exploding hand grenades to abort a breach of the main gate.

En route to this position, he detected an enemy demolition team of three in the proximity of the main gate and quickly annihilated them.

Although exposed to the intense grenade attack, he then succeeded in reaching a 60mm mortar position despite sustaining a severe stomach wound as he was within five yards of the gun pit.

When he discovered that most of the men in this gun pit were also wounded, he completely disregarded his own injury, directed their withdrawal to a location thirty meters away, and again risked his life by remaining behind and covering the movement with the utmost effectiveness.

Noticing that his team sergeant was unable to evacuate the gun pit, he crawled toward him and, while dragging the fallen soldier out of the gun pit, an enemy mortar exploded and inflicted a wound in Captain Donlon's left shoulder.

Although suffering from multiple wounds, he carried the abandoned 60mm mortar weapon to a new location thirty meters away where he found three wounded defenders.

After administering first aid and encouragement to these men, he left the weapon with them, headed toward another position, and retrieved a 57mm recoilless rifle.

Then, with great courage and coolness under fire, he returned to the abandoned gun pit, evacuated ammunition for the two weapons, and while crawling and dragging the urgently needed ammunition, received a third wound on his leg from an enemy hand grenade.

Despite his critical physical condition, he again crawled 175 meters to an 81mm mortar position and directed firing operations which protected the seriously threatened east sector of the camp.

He then moved to an eastern 60mm mortar position and, upon determining that the vicious enemy assault had weakened, crawled back to the gun pit with the 60mm mortar, set it up for defensive operations, and turned it over to two defenders with minor wounds.

Without hesitation, he left this sheltered position and moved from position to position around the beleaguered perimeter while hurling hand grenades at the enemy and inspiring his men to superhuman effort.

As he bravely continued to move around the perimeter, a mortar shell exploded, wounding him in the face and body.

As the long-awaited daylight brought defeat to the enemy forces and their retreat back to the jungle, leaving behind fifty-four of their dead, many weapons, and grenades, Captain Donlon immediately reorganized his defenses and administered first aid to the wounded.

His dynamic leadership, fortitude, and valiant efforts inspired not only the American personnel but the friendly Vietnamese defenders as well and resulted in the successful defense of the camp.

Captain Donlon's extraordinary heroism, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, are in the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.