Medal of Honor: Sergeant Rodney Maxwell Davis Vietnam War, September 6, 1967

Sergeant Rodney Maxwell Davis 

Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, September 6, 1967

The trenches of Quang Nam were filled with fire and chaos when Sergeant Rodney M. Davis, a son of Macon, Georgia, made the ultimate choice that would immortalize his name among the bravest of the brave.

Davis served as the right guide of the 2nd Platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. On September 6, 1967, his platoon was suddenly pinned down by a superior North Vietnamese force. The enemy surged forward with small arms, mortars, and hand grenades, determined to wipe out the Marines. The remnants of the platoon huddled in a trench line, their survival uncertain.

In the midst of this storm, Sgt. Davis rose above fear. Moving from man to man under relentless fire, he shouted encouragement, steadied their nerves, and hurled grenades back at the enemy. His calm defiance under fire steadied his Marines when all seemed lost.

Then, fate hurled a deadly challenge into the trench—a grenade landed among the men. In that instant, Davis understood the cost of hesitation. Without thought for his own safety, he flung himself upon it. The explosion ripped through him, but his Marines were shielded. His sacrifice saved lives and enabled his platoon to hold their vital position against the onslaught.

Sgt. Davis’s gallantry was more than bravery—it was a conscious act of self-sacrifice, a decision to give his own life so that his comrades could live. He died as he had lived: a leader, a protector, and a Marine whose name would echo in the annals of honor.

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 the right guide of the 2d Platoon, Company B, in action against enemy forces. Elements of the 2d Platoon were pinned down by a numerically superior force of attacking North Vietnamese Army Regulars. Remnants of the platoon were located in a trench line where Sgt. Davis was directing the fire of his men in an attempt to repel the enemy attack. Disregarding the enemy hand grenades and high volume of small arms and mortar fire, Sgt. Davis moved from man to man shouting words of encouragement to each of them while firing and throwing grenades at the onrushing enemy. When an enemy grenade landed in the trench in the midst of his men, Sgt. Davis, realizing the gravity of the situation, and in a final valiant act of complete self-sacrifice, instantly threw himself upon the grenade, absorbing with his body the full and terrific force of the explosion. Through his extraordinary initiative and inspiring valor in the face of almost certain death, Sgt. Davis saved his comrades from injury and possible loss of life, enabled his platoon to hold its vital position, and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.