Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael J. Novosel Sr., Medal of Honor recipient.

Episode 2759 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Novosel Sr. 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: Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Novosel Sr. It was submitted by Katie Lange, the outstanding writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Joseph Novosel Sr. served in three wars, including a stint in which he flew side-by-side with his son. He was the last World War II pilot to actively fly in the military, and he’s so revered across the services that he recently became the new namesake of a storied military base. With all these accolades, it’s no surprise that he also earned the Medal of Honor.

Lange added this about Novosel, he was born on Sept. 3, 1922, in Etna, Pennsylvania. Since his parents emigrated from Yugoslavia and only spoke Croatian, Novosel said he didn’t begin to learn English until he started school. He did well, however, and graduated high school in 1940.

Less than a year later, in February 1941, 18-year-old Novosel joined the Army Air Corps so he could further his education and pay back the U.S. for welcoming his family with open arms.

The Air Force denied Novosel’s request to rejoin the service, so in 1964, he joined the Army to help alleviate its need for combat helicopter pilots.

He eventually caught a break and was quickly designated an Army aviator. He reported to Fort Bragg in early September 1964 and flew missions in the Dominican Republic with his new unit in 1965. He was there when he learned he’d be going to Vietnam.

Listen to episode 2759 and discover more about Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Novosel Sr. and his Congressional Medal of Honor award honors.

Recommended Reading

Buy Now

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Marine Corps Sgt. Lawrence D. Peters, Medal of Honor recipient.

Episode 2758 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Marine Corps Sgt. Lawrence Peters 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 Sgt. Lawrence Peters. It was submitted by Katie Lange, the outstanding writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that when you’re in charge during battle, you do whatever you can to keep your comrades safe. Marine Corps Sgt. Lawrence David Peters led a squad of men as they fought their way out of a firefight in Vietnam. He didn’t survive the ordeal, but his grace, leadership and bravery earned him the Medal of Honor.

Lange added this about Taylor; he was born Sept. 16, 1946, in Johnson City, New York, to Clyde and Mildred Peters.  He had three brothers and two sisters who called him Larry.

Peters’ parents said he’d wanted to be a Marine since he was a child, so during the fall of his senior year of high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve. Peters was assigned to the 48th Rifle Company out of nearby Binghamton, New York.

After Peters graduated from Binghamton North High School in 1964, he went right into the Marines. He completed all his training by the end of the year, then went back to serve with the 48th in Binghamton until he was discharged and transferred to the active-duty Marines in January 1966.

In May of that year, Peters volunteered to go to Vietnam with the 3rd Marine Division, where he served as a squad leader and non-commissioned officer in charge of the Combined Action Company.

Peters returned from his deployment in the spring of 1967. He re-enlisted for another tour and went back to Vietnam that May. By July 1967, he was a squad leader with Company M of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division.

Listen to episode 2758 and discover more about Marine Corps Sgt. Lawrence Peters and his Congressional Medal of Honor award honors.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Karl Gorman Taylor Sr., Medal of Honor recipient.

Episode 2757 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Karl G. Taylor Sr.  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 Staff Sgt. Karl G. Taylor Sr. It was submitted by Katie Lange, the outstanding writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that when Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Karl Gorman Taylor Sr. was called upon to rescue a trapped platoon in Vietnam, he didn’t hesitate to do whatever it took to get his comrades to safety. For Taylor, that meant giving his life for theirs — a sacrifice that earned him a posthumous Medal of Honor.

Lange added this about Taylor; he was born July 14, 1939, to parents Arthur and Anna Taylor. He and his younger brother, Walter, grew up on a small farm outside of Laurel, Maryland.

Taylor went to Arundel Senior High School but left after his junior year in 1956 to work in construction. In January 1959, both he and his brother joined the Marine Corps.

After infantry combat training, the elder Taylor served with the Fleet Marine Force at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In the early days of his career, he was able to study for his high school equivalency diploma and, in 1961, earned that from the former Armed Forces Institute in Madison, Wisconsin.

In February 1968, Taylor returned to Vietnam for his second tour of duty, again with the 3rd Marine Division. He was assigned as a platoon sergeant and company gunnery sergeant of Company I of the 3rd Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment.

Listen to episode 2757 and discover more about Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Karl G. Taylor Sr. and his Congressional Medal of Honor award honors.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Army Lt. Col. Charles C. Rogers, Medal of Honor recipient.

Episode 2756 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Army Maj. Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers 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: Army Maj. Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers. It was submitted by Katie Lange, the outstanding writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that From the 1950’s to the 1980’s, a lot changed in America and abroad, and Army Maj. Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers served through all of it. As a Black man, he worked for gender and race equality while in the service. But he’s perhaps most well-known for his leadership during an intense battle in Vietnam, which earned him the Medal of Honor.

Lange added this about Rogers; he was born on Sept. 6, 1929, and grew up with his brother and three sisters outside of the coal-mining town of Claremont, West Virginia. Rogers’ dad was a coal miner and World War I veteran, which could be what nurtured his desire to serve.

Rogers, who attended the all-Black Dubois High School during the segregation era, excelled as a student. He was consistently on the honor roll, played quarterback for the football team and was elected the student body president. He graduated in 1947 and attended West Virginia State College (now University), where he earned a degree in mathematics. Rogers commissioned into the Army through ROTC after he graduated in June of 1951.

Rogers was put in command of the 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery, 1st Infantry Division, and sent to Vietnam in July 1967. He spent the next two years on the battlefront.

Listen to episode 2756 and discover more about Army Maj. Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers and his Congressional Medal of Honor award honors.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Leonard, Medal of Honor recipient.

Episode 2755 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Army SFC Matthew Leonard 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: Army SFC Matthew Leonard. It was submitted by Katie Lange, the outstanding writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Leonard had completed nearly 20 years of service when he died in a firefight in the jungles of Vietnam. He sacrificed his life to save his platoon, and for that he earned the Medal of Honor.

Lange added this about Leonard; he was born Nov. 26, 1929, in Eutaw, Alabama. Not a lot has been published about his family or childhood, but Leonard was a Boy Scout who went to Ullman High School in Birmingham. His wife told a newspaper that as a teen, he worked at a drugstore for $15 a week to help his mother pay the bills.

Leonard enlisted in the Army in 1947 when he was in 11th grade. Shortly after that, he married his grade-school sweetheart, Lois. Over the next few years, they had five children, three girls and two boys.

Leonard served as a drill sergeant and trained young recruits at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. But as the war in Vietnam broke out, Leonard’s wife said he struggled to watch those young recruits, who weren’t much older than his sons, go to war and die. So, even though he was close to retirement, he volunteered to deploy in the hope of making a difference.

On Feb. 28, 1967, Leonard was serving as platoon sergeant for Company B of the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division.

Listen to episode 2755 and discover more about Army SFC Matthew Leonard  and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Navy Lt. j.g. Clyde E. Lassen wears his Medal of Honor, Feb. 3, 1969.

The men of Helicopter Squadron 7, Detachment 104, pose for a group photo during the Vietnam War. Navy Lt. j.g. Clyde E. Lassen, Medal of Honor recipient, is on the far left in the back row.

Episode 2754 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Navy Cmdr. Clyde Everett Lassen 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: Navy Cmdr. Clyde Everett Lassen. It was submitted by Katie Lange, the outstanding writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that not many helicopter pilots could pull off a mission to fly into enemy territory in complete darkness and rescue their stranded comrades. During the Vietnam War, however, Navy Cmdr. Clyde Everett Lassen did just that. It took him several attempts to make the pickup, and he barely made it back to tell the tale. But the valor he showed that day earned him the Medal of Honor.

Lange added this about Lassen; he was born in Fort Myers, Florida, on March 14, 1942. Since World War II was raging, and his father, Arthur, was in the service, Lassen’s mother, Jacqueline, moved in with her family in Lake Placid, New York, when Lassen was still an infant. His parents reunited when he was three years old, and they moved to Englewood, Florida, and had another son, Gary.

Lassen was an aviation electronics technician, but he wanted more from his military career. So, in 1964, he was accepted into the Naval Aviation Cadet Program. On Oct. 12, 1965, he received his commission and Wings of Gold as a helicopter pilot. That same month, he married his high school sweetheart, Linda. They went on to have two children, Daryl and Lynne.

Lassen’s first assignment was with Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 1, where he practiced search-and-rescue techniques in the Philippine jungle. Eventually, HC-1 was redesignated Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 7. Lassen became the officer in charge of the squadron’s Detachment 104 aboard USS Preble, which was deployed off the coast of Vietnam during the war.

Listen to episode 2754 and discover more about Navy Cmdr. Clyde Everett Lassen and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Medal of Honor recipient Retired Army Maj. John J. Duffy.

Episode 2753 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Army Maj. John J. Duffy 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: Army Maj. John J. Duffy. It was submitted by Katie Lange, the outstanding writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that Army Maj. John J. Duffy often operated behind enemy lines during his four tours of duty in Vietnam. During one of those deployments, he single-handedly saved a South Vietnamese battalion from decimation. Fifty years later, the Distinguished Service Cross he received for those actions was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

Lange added this about John Duffy; he was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 16, 1938, and joined the Army in March 1955 when he was only 17. By 1963, he’d earned his commission as an officer and joined the 5th Special Forces Group as an elite Green Beret.

Duffy deployed to Vietnam four times during his career; in 1967, 1968, 1971 and 1973. It was during his third tour of duty that he earned the Medal of Honor.

In early April 1972, Duffy was a senior advisor to an elite battalion of the South Vietnamese army. When North Vietnamese forces tried to overrun Fire Support Base Charlie in the country’s Central Highlands, Duffy’s soldiers were tasked with holding off the battalion-sized unit.

Army Gen. Joseph M. Martin, the vice chief of staff of the Army, said “It was Major Duffy’s many heroic acts, including calling for strikes on his own position to allow his battalion to retreat, that enabled the escape. Major Duffy’s Vietnamese brothers … credit him with saving their battalion from complete annihilation.”

According to Duffy’s website , he was a founding member of the Special Operations Association and, in 2013, was inducted into the Infantry OCS Hall Of Fame at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Listen to episode 2753 and discover more about Army Maj. John J. Duffy and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

Recommender Reading

Buy Now

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Army 2nd Lt. Harold Bascom Durham Jr., Medal of Honor recipient.

Episode 2752 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Army 2nd Lt. Harold Durham Jr. 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: Army 2nd Lt. Harold Durham Jr. It was submitted by Katie Lange, the outstanding writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that When his unit was overwhelmed in Vietnam, Army 2nd Lt. Harold Bascom Durham Jr. didn’t hesitate to unleash a barrage of artillery on the enemy to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. Durham didn’t survive to tell the tale, but his bravery was detailed to others by the men who were there with him. For his actions, he earned the Medal of Honor.

Lange added this about Harold Durham, Jr.; he was born Oct. 12, 1942, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. That day, he earned the nickname he would go by for the rest of his life: Pinky, reportedly because the hospital where he was born ran out of blue blankets, so he received a pink one instead.

Within a few months of his birth, Durham’s father, a Marine World War II veteran, and his mother, Grace, moved the family to Tifton, Georgia, where they raised Durham and his two siblings, older brother John and younger sister Eugenia.

Durham was a member of the 1st Infantry Division’s 15th Field Artillery Regiment, but on Oct. 17, 1967, he was serving as a forward observer with Company D of the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry, about 56 miles northwest of Saigon. Their goal was to do reconnaissance in the area, and Durham’s job was to plan and radio in requests for artillery fire to support infantry soldiers.

Listen to episode 2752 and discover more about Army 2nd Lt. Harold Durham Jr.and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Marine Corps Lt. Harvey C. “Barney” Barnum Jr., Medal of Honor recipient

Marine Corps Cpl. Patrick Iacunato and 1st Lt. Harvey C. “Barney” Barnum Jr. pose for a photo while serving in Vietnam.

Episode 2751 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Marine Corps Col. Harvey Barnum Jr.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 Col. Harvey Barnum Jr. It was submitted by Katie Lange, the outstanding writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that Marine Corps Col. Harvey Curtiss Barnum Jr. barely had time to adjust to Vietnam as a young lieutenant before he found himself commanding a company in the middle of an enemy ambush. Barnum’s calm demeanor and swift decisions helped stabilize his badly damaged unit, and they earned him the Medal of Honor.

Lange added this about Harvey M. Barnum, Jr., he was born July 21, 1940, in Cheshire, Connecticut, to parents Harvey and Ann Barnum. During an interview later in life, Barnum said he and his younger brother, Henry, were fortunate that their parents were both very involved in their upbringing, which is likely where his understanding and love of discipline began.

After graduating high school in 1958, Barnum went to St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, where he joined the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class, a summer program similar to ROTC. Four years later, he graduated with a degree in economics and was commissioned into the Marine Corps Reserve.

After training, Barnum was sent to serve with the 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa, Japan, before being stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in early 1965. Later that year, his unit was ordered to go to Vietnam on a temporary deployment, and the first shipment of Marines was slated to leave prior to the holidays. Barnum said that because he was single and most of his fellow Marines weren’t, he volunteered to go.

Listen to episode 2751 and discover more about Marine Corps Col. Harvey Barnum Jr.and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Army Sgt. 1st Class Melvin Morris earned the Medal of Honor in 2014 for actions he took in Vietnam on Sept. 17, 1969.

Retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Melvin Morris, Medal of Honor recipient, wears his 55-year old Green Beret, Jan. 31, 2017, at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. Morris’s Green Beret has never left his side since the day President John F. Kennedy visited Fort Bragg and authorized U.S. Army Special Forces to wear Green Berets. (U.S. Air Force photo by Phil Sunkel)
Share:

Episode 2750 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Army SFC Class Melvin Morris 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: Army SFC Class Melvin Morris. It was submitted by Katie Lange, the outstanding writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that In 1969, Army Sgt. 1st Class Melvin Morris waded through a blistering firefight in Vietnam to rescue a fallen comrade and keep crucial information out of the enemy’s hands. He was injured three times during the fight, but after recovering, went on with his military career. Forty-four years later, the initial accolades Morris received for his actions were upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

Lange added this about Melvin Morris, he was born Jan. 7, 1942, in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, a rural community east of Oklahoma City. His father, John, was a handyman who found work when he could, while his mother was a homemaker. Morris said when he was young, he enjoyed fishing, hunting and hanging out with his three brothers and four sisters.

There weren’t many Black men in the Oklahoma Army National Guard in the late 1950s, but the service was recruiting, so in 1959, Morris signed up. After about a year, he requested to join the active-duty Army. He attended artillery and airborne training before deciding he wanted to join the newly created Special Forces. He started that training in 1961, and by September 1963, was a fully qualified Green Beret.

While he was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Morris met Mary Nesbitt, whom he married three months later. The pair went on to have two sons and a daughter before he volunteered to go to Vietnam in February 1969.

Listen to episode 2750 and discover more about Army SFC Class Melvin Morris and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.