John Larry Jeffers, age 19, from Camden, South Carolina, Kershaw county.
Service era: Vietnam
Military history: 35th Infantry Regiment
Date of death: Tuesday, July 25, 1967
Death details: Bronze Star citation: For heroism in connection with military operations against an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. On 25 July 1967, Specialist Four Jeffers distinguished himself while serving as a Fire Team Leader in the Reconnaissance Platoon of the 2/35th Infantry. After an observation helicopter engaged and either killed or wounded four enemy soldiers, Specialist Four Jeffers’ squad was flown in to recover their weapons and equipment. Once the squad had dismounted the helicopter, it came under heavy automatic weapons fire and was forced to take cover. Defying intense enemy fire, Specialist Four Jeffers moved across approximately 20 meters of open terrain to a position where he had very little cover, in order to suppress the enemy fire. Placing an intense volume of fire on their positions, he kept the enemy forces pinned down long enough for his squad to reach the safety of a trench line. Specialist Four Jeffers heroic action resulted in his death, but it had eliminated a grave threat to the safety of his comrades. His self-sacrificing devotion to the welfare of his fellow soldiers is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit on himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Source: National Archives, 35th Infantry Regiment Association