Medal of Honor

Atkins, Travis William
Army Staff Sergeant

Travis William Atkins, age 31, from Bozeman, Montana, Gallatin county.

Service era: Iraq
Military history: Company D, 2D Battalion, 14Th Infantry, Fort Drum, New York; Medal of Honor

Date of death: Friday, June 1, 2007
Death details: Hostile; Sadr Al Yusufiyah, Iraq; The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Staff Sergeant Travis William Atkins, United States Army. Staff Sergeant Atkins distinguished himself by conspicuous acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 1 June, 2007, while serving as a Squad Leader with Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While manning a static observation post in the town of Abu Samak, Iraq, Staff Sergeant Atkins was notified that four suspicious individuals, walking in two pairs, were crossing an intersection not far from his position. Staff Sergeant Atkins immediately moved his squad to interdict them. One of the individuals began behaving erratically, prompting Staff Sergeant Atkins to disembark from his patrol vehicle and approach to conduct a search. Both individuals responded belligerently toward Staff Sergeant Atkins, who then engaged the individual he had intended to search in hand-to-hand combat. When he noticed the insurgent was reaching for something under his clothes, Staff Sergeant Atkins immediately wrapped him in a bear hug and threw him to the ground, away from his fellow soldiers. Maintaining his hold on the insurgent, he pinned him to the ground, further sheltering his patrol. The insurgent then detonated a bomb strapped to his body, killing Staff Sergeant Atkins. In this critical and selfless act of valor, Staff Sergeant Atkins acted with complete disregard for his own safety, saving the lives of the three soldiers who were with him and gallantly giving his life for his country. Staff Sergeant Atkins’s undaunted courage, warrior spirit, and steadfast devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, and the United States Army.

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

Monsoor, Michael Anthony
Navy Petty officer 2

Michael Anthony Monsoor, age 25, from Garden Grove, California, Orange county.

Service era: Iraq
Schools: Garden Grove High
Military history: Seal Team Three, San Diego Ca.; Medal of Honor

Date of death: Friday, September 29, 2006
Death details: Medal of Honor citation: The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Master-At-Arms Second Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor, United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Automatic Weapons Gunner in SEAL Team 3, Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 29 September 2006.

As a member of a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army sniper overwatch element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent-held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger. In the early morning, insurgents prepared to execute a coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the element’s position. Element snipers thwarted the enemy’s initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents. The enemy continued to assault the element, engaging them with a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire. As enemy activity increased, Petty Officer Monsoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof. While the SEALs vigilantly watched for enemy activity, an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location, which bounced off Petty Officer Monsoor’s chest and landed in front of him. Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor chose instead to protect his teammates. Instantly and without regard for his own safety, he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates. By his undaunted courage, fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Cemetery: Garden Grove High’s football stadium named in his honor

Source: Department of Defense, Washington Post, Orange County Register, U.S. Navy

Chapman, John Allan
Air Force Technical sergeant

John Allan Chapman, age 36, from Waco, Texas, Mclennan county.

Service era: Iraq
Military history: 24Th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Afb, Nc

Spouse: Valerie Nessel

Date of death: Tuesday, March 4, 2002
Death details: Medal of Honor citiation: The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman, United States Air Force, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Technical Sergeant Chapman distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism as an Air Force Special Tactics Combat Controller of the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, attached to a Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Team conducting reconnaissance operations in Takur Ghar, Afghanistan, on 4 March 2002. During insertion, the team’s helicopter was ambushed causing a teammate to fall into an entrenched group of enemy combatants below. Sergeant Chapman and the team voluntarily reinserted onto the snow-capped mountain, into the heart of a known enemy stronghold to rescue one of their own. Without regard for his own safety, Sergeant Chapman immediately engaged, moving in the direction of the closest enemy position despite coming under heavy fire from multiple directions. He fearlessly charged an enemy bunker, up a steep incline in thigh-deep snow and into hostile fire, directly engaging the enemy. Upon reaching the bunker, Sergeant Chapman assaulted and cleared the position, killing all enemy occupants. With complete disregard for his own life, Sergeant Chapman deliberately moved from cover only 12 meters from the enemy, and exposed himself once again to attack a second bunker, from which an emplaced machine gun was firing on his team. During this assault from an exposed position directly in the line of intense fire, Sergeant Chapman was struck and injured by enemy fire. Despite severe, mortal wounds, he continued to fight relentlessly, sustaining a violent engagement with multiple enemy personnel before making the ultimate sacrifice. By his heroic actions and extraordinary valor, sacrificing his life for the lives of his teammates, Technical Sergeant Chapman upheld the highest traditions of military service and reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

English, Glenn Harry Jr.
Army Staff Sergeant

Glenn Harry Jr. English, age 30, from Altoona, Pennsylvania, Blair County.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, September 7, 1970
Death details: The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Staff Sergeant Glenn Harry English, Jr., United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company E, 3d Battalion, 503d Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade, in action against enemy aggressor forces at Phu My District, Republic of Vietnam, on 7 September 1970. Staff Sergeant English was riding in the lead armored personnel carrier in a four-vehicle column when an enemy mine exploded in front of his vehicle. As the vehicle swerved from the road, a concealed enemy force waiting in ambush opened fire with automatic weapons and anti-tank grenades, striking the vehicle several times and setting it on fire. Staff Sergeant English escaped from the disabled vehicle and, without pausing to extinguish the flames on his clothing, rallied his stunned unit. He then led it in a vigorous assault, in the face of heavy enemy automatic weapons fire, on the entrenched enemy position. This prompt and courageous action routed the enemy and saved his unit from destruction. Following the assault, Staff Sergeant English heard the cries of three men still trapped inside the vehicle. Paying no heed to warnings that the ammunition and fuel in the burning personnel carrier might explode at any moment, Staff Sergeant English raced to the vehicle and climbed inside to rescue his wounded comrades. As he was lifting one of the men to safety, the vehicle exploded, mortally wounding him and the man he was attempting to save. By his extraordinary devotion to duty, indomitable courage, and utter disregard for his own safety, Staff Sergeant English saved his unit from destruction and selflessly sacrificed his life in a brave attempt to save three comrades. Staff Sergeant English’s conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the cost of his life were an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest traditions of the United States Army.

Cemetery: Altorest, Altoona

Source: National Archives, grave marker, Military Times

Keith, Miguel
Marines Lance corporal

Miguel Keith, age 18, from Omaha, Nebraska, Douglas county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Friday, May 8, 1970
Death details: 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 a machine gunner with Combined Action Platoon 1-3-2. During the early morning L/Cpl. Keith was seriously wounded when his platoon was subjected to a heavy ground attack by a greatly outnumbering enemy force. Despite his painful wounds, he ran across the fire-swept terrain to check the security of vital defensive positions and then, while completely exposed to view, proceeded to deliver a hail of devastating machine-gun fire against the enemy. Determined to stop five of the enemy soldiers approaching the command post, he rushed forward, firing as he advanced. He succeeded in disposing of three of the attackers and in dispersing the remaining two. At this point, a grenade detonated near L/Cpl. Keith, knocking him to the ground and inflicting further severe wounds. Fighting pain and weakness from loss of blood, he again braved the concentrated hostile fire to charge an estimated 25 enemy soldiers who were massing to attack. The vigor of his assault and his well-placed fire eliminated four of the enemy soldiers while the remainder fled for cover. During this valiant effort, he was mortally wounded by an enemy soldier. By his courageous and inspiring performance in the face of almost overwhelming odds, L/Cpl. Keith contributed in large measure to the success of his platoon in routing a numerically superior enemy force, and upheld the finest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S. Naval Service.

Source: National Archives, Congressional Medal of Honor Society

DeLaGarza, Emilio A. Jr.
Marines Lance corporal

Emilio A. Jr. DeLaGarza, age 20, from East Chicago, Indiana, Lake county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Saturday, April 11, 1970
Death details: Medal of Honor citation presented September 9, 1971: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a machine gunner with Company E. Returning with his squad from a night ambush operation, L/Cpl. De La Garza joined his platoon commander and another marine in searching for two enemy soldiers who had been observed fleeing for cover toward a small pond. Moments later, he located one of the enemy soldiers hiding among the reeds and brush. As the three marines attempted to remove the resisting soldier from the pond, L/Cpl. De La Garza observed him pull the pin on a grenade. Shouting a warning, L/Cpl. De La Garza placed himself between the other two marines and the ensuing blast from the grenade, thereby saving the lives of his comrades at the sacrifice of his life. By his prompt and decisive action and his great personal valor in the face of almost certain death, L/Cpl. De La Garza upheld and further enhanced the finest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
Cemetery: Saint John’s in Hammond, Indiana

Source: National Archives, Medal of Honor Society

Sloat, Donald Paul
Army Specialist 4

Donald Paul Sloat, age 20, from Coweta, Oklahoma, Wagoner county.

Parents: Evelyn Sloat

Service era: Vietnam
Military history: Awarded the Medal of Honor in 2014.

Date of death: Saturday, January 17, 1970
Death details: Killed after covering a live hand grenade to protect three fellow soldiers.

Source: National Archives, Daily Oklahoman (1970), Record Journal (2014)

Miller, Gary Lee
1st lieutenant

Gary Lee Miller from Covington, Virginia, Covington county.

Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Virginia Tech University
Military history: Medal of Honor

Date of death: Sunday, February 16, 1969
Death details: Died after he smothered a grenade to protect others.

Source: National Archives, Roanoke Times

Holcomb, John Noble
Army Sergeant

John Noble Holcomb, age 22, from Richland, Oregon, Baker county.

Parents: George and Wadean Holcomb

Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Eagle Valley High at Richland (1964)
Military history: Medal of Honor. John’s medals, as of 2022, were on displacy in the Baker County courthouse

Date of death: Tuesday, December 3, 1968
Death details: Killed during a firefight in Vietnam

Source: National Archives, Baker City Herald (2022)

Karopczyc, Stephen Edward
Army 1st Lieutenant

Stephen Edward Karopczyc, age 23, from Bethpage, New York, Nassau county.

Service era: Vietnam
Military history: 35th Infantry Regiment

Date of death: Sunday, March 12, 1967
Death details: Medal of Honor citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While leading the 3rd Platoon, Company A on a flanking maneuver against a superior enemy force, 1LT Karopczyc observed that his lead element was engaged with a small enemy unit along his route. Aware of the importance of quickly pushing through to the main enemy force in order to provide relief for a hard pressed friendly platoon, he dashed through the intense fire into the open and hurled colored smoke grenades to designate the foe for attack helicopter gunships. He moved among his men to embolden their advance, and he guided their attack by marking enemy locations with bursts of fire from his own weapon. His forceful leadership quickened the advance, forced the enemy to retreat, and allowed his unit to close with the main hostile force. Continuing the deployment of his platoon, he constantly exposed himself as he ran from man to man to give encouragement and to direct their efforts. A shot from an enemy sniper struck him above the heart but he refused aid for this serious injury, plugging the bleeding wound with his finger until it could be properly dressed. As the enemy strength mounted, he ordered his men to organize a defensive position in and around some abandoned bunkers where he conducted a defense against the increasingly strong enemy attacks. After several hours, a North Vietnamese soldier hurled a hand grenade to within a few feet of 1LT Karopczyc and two other men. Although his position protected him, he leaped up to cover the deadly grenade with a steel helmet. It exploded to drive fragments into 1LT Karopczyc’s legs but his action prevented further injury to the two wounded men. Severely weakened by his multiple wounds, he continued to direct the actions of his men until he succumbed two hours later. 1LT Karopczyc’s heroic leadership, unyielding perseverance, and selfless devotion to his men were directly responsible for the successful and spirited action of his platoon throughout the battle and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.

Cemetery: Long Island National

Source: National Archives, 35th Infantry Regiment Association

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