17 March

SP/4 EDWARD A. DEVORE Jr.
Co. B, 4th Bn, 39th Inf, 9th ID
Approx 5 Klicks south of Saigon, RVN
17 March 1968

SP/4 DeVore, distinguished himself on the afternoon of 17 March 1968, while serving as a machine gunner on a reconnaissance mission approximately 5 kilometers south of Saigon.

SP/4 DeVore’s platoon came under intense fire from automatic weapons, Claymore mines, rockets and grenades from well-concealed bunkers in a nipa palm swamp.  One man was killed and 3 were wounded and laying in full view of the enemy gunners in the bunker about 20 meters away.

SP/4 DeVore raced through a hail of fire to take a position where he could provide covering fires while Medics recovered the 3 wounded soldiers.

A small group went forward to recover the bodies of their fallen comrades but intense enemy fire trapped the squad pinning them down with automatic weapons fire. SP/4 DeVore charged into the kill zone, with complete disregard for his personal safety. DeVore was wounded in the shoulder and knocked down just shy of his objective.

Ignoring his pain and the warnings of his fellow soldiers, DeVore jumped to his feet and continued his assault under intense hostile fire. Mortally wounded, he provided accurate suppressive fire forcing the enemy to hunker down and drawing the enemy fire on himself.

SP/4  DeVore’s actions opened an escape route for the trapped squad to pull back to safety.