Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Vietnam Medal of Honor recipient Army SP4 Kenneth L. Olson.
Medal of Honor
Episode 2958 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature Medal of Honor recipient Army SP4 Kenneth L. Olson. Information featured in this episode comes from the Minnesota Medal of Honor Society website.
In the dense jungles of Vietnam, the air was thick with tension and the hum of cicadas was overshadowed by distant echoes of war. Specialist Fourth Class (SP4) Kenneth L. Olson, a young soldier from a small Midwestern town, found himself in the chaos of battle. His unit, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 12 Infantry Regiment, was ambushed by a heavily armed enemy force during Operation Toan Thang I in May 1968.
As they advanced, they were pinned down by intense automatic weapons fire from an enemy position ten meters to their front. With complete disregard for his own safety, Specialist Olson exposed himself and hurled a hand grenade into the Viet Cong position. Failing to silence the fire, he again exposed himself to the intense fire in preparation to assault the position. As he prepared to hurl the grenade he was wounded, causing him to drop the activated device within his own position. Realizing that it would explode immediately, Specialist Olson threw himself upon the grenade and pulled it into his body to take the full force of the explosion.
SP4 Kenneth L. Olson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His story resonates as a testament to the highest ideals of sacrifice and courage, reminding generations of the price of freedom. The memory of his bravery lives on, not only in the medals and citations but in the hearts of those he saved and those who honor his legacy.
Listen to Episode 2958 and discover more about Medal of Honor recipient Army SP4 Kenneth L. Olson.
