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Marine Lance Cpl. Lester W. Weber, Medal of Honor recipient, poses for a photograph in his dress uniform.
Episode 2726 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Lester Weber and his Congressional Medal of Honor award. The featured story comes from The U.S. Department of Defense website and was titled: Medal of Honor Monday: Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Lester Weber. It was submitted by Katie Lange, a writer for DOD News.
Lange, in her story, reported that Courage under fire is something we would all hope to have, but you never actually know until you’re tested. When 22-year-old Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Lester W. Weber was tested in Vietnam, he proved his courage — and then some — by taking out several enemy soldiers to keep his fellow Marines safe. Weber never got to come home, but his valor during the hardest of times earned him the Medal of Honor.
Weber was born July 30, 1948, in Aurora, Illinois, to George and Elsie Weber. He had two brothers, including George Jr., who also became a Marine. He attended Hinsdale Central High School for two years before he dropped out to enlist in the Marine Corps Reserve in September 1966. By then, the war in Vietnam was escalating. So, about four months later, on Jan. 23, 1967, Weber enlisted in the regular Marine Corps.
On Feb. 23, 1969, Weber was leading his Marines during a search and clear operation in the Bo Ban area of the Hieu Duc district in Quang Nam Province. They were sent to help a squad from another platoon, which was in the middle of a fierce firefight with a well-entrenched enemy battalion.
As Weber’s platoon moved through a rice paddy, they were suddenly attacked by enemy soldiers hiding in the paddy’s tall grass. Weber quickly dove into one patch of grass and took down an enemy soldier before forcing 11 others to break their contact with his fellow Marines. He then overwhelmed another North Vietnamese Army soldier in hand-to-hand combat.
Listen to episode 2726 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Lester Weber and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.
