Medal of Honor Day

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BigFatKen

BigFatKen

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I think that heroes like Johnson instill a desire to become good users of firearms.

My favorite story is:
dwightjohnson.gif

Dwight Johnson​


For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp5c. Johnson, a tank driver with Company B, was a member of a reaction force moving to aid other elements of his platoon, which was in heavy contact with a battalion size North Vietnamese force. Sp5c. Johnson's tank, upon reaching the point of contact, threw a track and became immobilized. Realizing that he could do no more as a driver, he climbed out of the vehicle, armed only with a .45 caliber pistol. Despite intense hostile fire, Sp5c. Johnson killed several enemy soldiers before he had expended his ammunition. Returning to his tank through a heavy volume of antitank rocket, small arms and automatic weapons fire, he obtained a submachine gun with which to continue his fight against the advancing enemy. Armed with this weapon, Sp5c. Johnson again braved deadly enemy fire to return to the center of the ambush site where he courageously eliminated more of the determined foe. Engaged in extremely close combat when the last of his ammunition was expended, he killed an enemy soldier with the stock end of his submachine gun. Now weaponless, Sp5c. Johnson ignored the enemy fire around him, climbed into his platoon sergeant's tank, extricated a wounded crew member and carried him to an armored personnel carrier. He then returned to the same tank and assisted in firing the main gun until it jammed. In a magnificent display of courage, Sp5c. Johnson exited the tank and again armed only with a .45 caliber pistol, engaged several North Vietnamese troops in close proximity to the vehicle. Fighting his way through devastating fire and remounting his own immobilized tank, he remained fully exposed to the enemy as he bravely and skillfully engaged them with the tank's externally-mounted .50 caliber machine gun; where he remained until the situation was brought under control. Sp5c. Johnson's profound concern for his fellow soldiers, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.

More here http://www.badassoftheweek.com/dwightjohnson.html
 
He certainly deserves the Medal of Honor and I hope his life after Vietnam was successful. Wow, what a hero!
 
Ken

What an amazing and heroic effort on the part of Sp5 Dwight Johnson! Certainly appears he made maximum use of all the weapons he had available to him. Thanks for sharing.
 
Not everyone who deserves a medal gets it. March 8, 1969, it was my duty to find four members of Bravo co. first platoon, to go out on a SSRP. Out of the ten men I was put in charge of in July 1968, five remained. We had just returned so me and three other men were excluded. I had pulled a double myself so I was out. One man was "Lil George". He was up in the rotation but Ray Bethea said "Lil George is short. I'll take his patrol". I did not think much of this at the time because these patrols had very little contact. That patrol was one that got wiped out.

I tried to get a medal for Ray but the only people who heard our talk were dead.
http://www.redwarriors.us/B_Bethea.htm
 
Milt1 said:
...I hope his life after Vietnam was successful...
Click to expand...

Sadly, it wasn't.

After returning from Vietnam, Johnson had difficulty adjusting to his post war role. Until he was awarded the Medal of Honor, he had trouble finding work and got into great debt. After receiving the medal, he went back to the Army and worked as a recruiter and made public relations appearances. When he began missing appointments and speaking engagements, he was sent for medical evaluation, at which he was diagnosed with a depression caused by Post Vietnam adjustment problems, often referred to now as PTSD.

Just after 11:30 PM on April 29, 1971, Johnson was shot during an armed robbery at an Open Pantry Market convenience store about a mile from his home, in Detroit. Although wounded in the left biceps during the altercation the store owner opened fire with a .38 caliber handgun. Johnson sustained four bullet wounds, three to the chest and one to the face, and died on the operating table at 4:00 AM on April 30. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery on May 6, 1971. His grave can be found in Section 31 Lot 471. Johnson's mother said: "Sometimes I wonder if Skip tired of this life and needed someone else to pull the trigger."
Click to expand...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_H._Johnson

A very brave man. RIP
 
How terribly sad, an ending like that for such a brave man. The old saying "Mom knows best" so perhaps mom was right but something tells me that if he was tired of this life it was probably from dealing with the bureaucracy in getting help for himself, that's even sadder! The wealthiest country in the world and to treat our vets as they've been treated, or perhaps I should say "not treated" is deplorable!
 
I have had the good fortune of meeting and talking at length with 2 MOH recipients. They are by far the most humble service members I have ever encountered.
 
BigFatKen said:
I think that heroes like Johnson instill a desire to become good users of firearms.

My favorite story is:
dwightjohnson.gif

Dwight Johnson​


For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp5c. Johnson, a tank driver with Company B, was a member of a reaction force moving to aid other elements of his platoon, which was in heavy contact with a battalion size North Vietnamese force. Sp5c. Johnson's tank, upon reaching the point of contact, threw a track and became immobilized. Realizing that he could do no more as a driver, he climbed out of the vehicle, armed only with a .45 caliber pistol. Despite intense hostile fire, Sp5c. Johnson killed several enemy soldiers before he had expended his ammunition. Returning to his tank through a heavy volume of antitank rocket, small arms and automatic weapons fire, he obtained a submachine gun with which to continue his fight against the advancing enemy. Armed with this weapon, Sp5c. Johnson again braved deadly enemy fire to return to the center of the ambush site where he courageously eliminated more of the determined foe. Engaged in extremely close combat when the last of his ammunition was expended, he killed an enemy soldier with the stock end of his submachine gun. Now weaponless, Sp5c. Johnson ignored the enemy fire around him, climbed into his platoon sergeant's tank, extricated a wounded crew member and carried him to an armored personnel carrier. He then returned to the same tank and assisted in firing the main gun until it jammed. In a magnificent display of courage, Sp5c. Johnson exited the tank and again armed only with a .45 caliber pistol, engaged several North Vietnamese troops in close proximity to the vehicle. Fighting his way through devastating fire and remounting his own immobilized tank, he remained fully exposed to the enemy as he bravely and skillfully engaged them with the tank's externally-mounted .50 caliber machine gun; where he remained until the situation was brought under control. Sp5c. Johnson's profound concern for his fellow soldiers, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.

More here http://www.badassoftheweek.com/dwightjohnson.html
Click to expand...
Speechless with awe after reading this.
 
While these stories of MOH recipients are certainly somber/inspiring, my hats of to ALL of our service men and women.

I attempted to serve but was MD at the end of basic. I was told I could heal up and would be welcomed back. I had every intention of doing so but "life" happened. I regret not going back often.

I have the utmost respect for ALL who have and are serving.
 
Milt1 said:
He certainly deserves the Medal of Honor and I hope his life after Vietnam was successful. Wow, what a hero!
Click to expand...
He may have survived Vietnam, but Detroit wasn't as kind to him. He was shot 4 times in April 1971 during an armed robbery of a convenience store, and died during surgery. He'd been diagnosed with "post combat depression", what we now call PTSD, after his return from SE Asia. Too many heroes go this way, unfortunately.

My own favorite is Gsgt. John Basilone. He'd served in the US Army in the Phillipines from 1934-1937; then joined the USMC in 1940. He and three other guys held off an entire regiment of Japanese on Guadalcanal with three machine guns. He was awarded the MOH for that and sent back to the US for a war bond tour. He requested combat duty again when his enlistment was up, and was killed on Iwo Jima in 1945 while knocking out a Japanese bunker. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his actions there.

Both his citations can be read here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Basilone
 
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I owned a company that manufactured medals for DOD, including the MOH. I was fortunate enough to meet 1SGT David McNerney who received a replacement Medal of Honor from the Army and upon receiving it, he discovered he and our company were only a few miles apart in the same town. He stopped into our plant and spent about half a day visiting with our employees, thanking each one of them and telling them how much the medals he and others received meant to each of them. We did get him to tell us a bit about what actions earned him the MOH, but like all other MOH recipients I have met, he was vey modest about what he did and insisted that the guys who didn't return home were the true heroes. There were a lot of wet eyes when he left our plant that day. I'm sad to say he passed away in 2010. We should all thank God that we have men (and women) who are willing to do the things these people did.

Here's his citation:

McNERNEY, DAVID H.
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. Place and date: polei Doc, Republic of Vietnam, 22 March 1967. Entered service at: Fort Bliss, Tex. Born: 2 June 1931, Lowell, Mass.
Citation:
1st Sgt. McNerney distinguished himself when his unit was attacked by a North Vietnamese battalion near polei Doc. Running through the hail of enemy fire to the area of heaviest contact, he was assisting in the development of a defensive perimeter when he encountered several enemy at close range. He killed the enemy but was painfully injured when blown from his feet by a grenade. In spite of this injury, he assaulted and destroyed an enemy machinegun position that had pinned down 5 of his comrades beyond the defensive line. Upon learning his commander and artillery forward observer had been killed, he assumed command of the company. He adjusted artillery fire to within 20 meters of the position in a daring measure to repulse numerous enemy assaults. When the smoke grenades used to mark the position were gone, he moved into a nearby clearing to designate the location to friendly aircraft. In spite of enemy fire he remained exposed until he was certain the position was spotted and then climbed into a tree and tied the identification panel to its highest branches. Then he moved among his men readjusting their position, encouraging the defenders and checking the wounded. As the hostile assaults slackened, he began clearing a helicopter landing site to evacuate the wounded. When explosives were needed to remove large trees, he crawled outside the relative safety of his perimeter to collect demolition material from abandoned rucksacks. Moving through a fusillade of fire he returned with the explosives that were vital to the clearing of the landing zone. Disregarding the pain of his injury and refusing medical evacuation 1st Sgt. McNerney remained with his unit until the next day when the new commander arrived. First Sgt. McNerney's outstanding heroism and leadership were inspirational to his comrades. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
 
When I was a child, our family lived next door in the same duplex house as Paul Huff. A quiet, friendly guy.

HUFF, PAUL B.

Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion. Place and date: Near Carano, Italy, 8 February 1944. Entered service at: Cleveland, Tenn. Birth: Cleveland, Tenn. G.O. No: 41, 26 May 1944.

Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, in action on 8 February 1944, near Carano, Italy. Cpl. Huff volunteered to lead a 6-man patrol with the mission of determining the location and strength of an enemy unit which was delivering fire on the exposed right flank of his company. The terrain over which he had to travel consisted of exposed, rolling ground, affording the enemy excellent visibility. As the patrol advanced, its members were subjected to small arms and machinegun fire and a concentration of mortar fire, shells bursting within 5 to 10 yards of them and bullets striking the ground at their feet. Moving ahead of his patrol, Cpl. Huff drew fire from 3 enemy machineguns and a 20mm. weapon. Realizing the danger confronting his patrol, he advanced alone under deadly fire through a minefield and arrived at a point within 75 yards of the nearest machinegun position. Under direct fire from the rear machinegun, he crawled the remaining 75 yards to the closest emplacement, killed the crew with his submachine gun and destroyed the gun. During this act he fired from a kneeling position which drew fire from other positions, enabling him to estimate correctly the strength and location of the enemy. Still under concentrated fire, he returned to his patrol and led his men to safety. As a result of the information he gained, a patrol in strength sent out that afternoon, 1 group under the leadership of Cpl. Huff, succeeded in routing an enemy company of 125 men, killing 27 Germans and capturing 21 others, with a loss of only 3 patrol members. Cpl. Huff's intrepid leadership and daring combat skill reflect the finest traditions of the American infantryman.
 
I've had the pleasure of personally knowing one WW-2 MOH recipient. Colonel Robert Nett received his MOH during WW-2, but continued to serve in Korea and Vietnam before became a middle school Industrial Arts teacher in the Columbus GA area after semi-retiring from the military.

https://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=tightropetb&p=robert+nett&type=23207_101916

I graduated from college and began teaching Industrial Arts in 1980, Colonel Nett was a few months older than my dad and was still very active as a middle school teacher as well as conducting classes at Ft. Benning for the military. At the time all IA teachers were all supposed to participate in a 3 week training session during the summers and a 1 week conference. We taught in different parts of the state, but I was able to work with him on several occasions and he was quite the character.

He is literally the last soldier profiled in Tom Brokaw's book "The Greatest Generation". Just a short 2 page write up on the last few pages.
 
I had the good fortune while in high school to work for two summers for Richard N. Antrim, one of the nicest and most humble men I've met. Sometimes the Medal of Honor is awarded for conspicuous valor and gallantry, above and beyond the call of duty even when the bullets and bombs are not flying but the risk of death is exremely high.

http://www.veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=656

L.W.
 
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