4 July

Pfc MELVIN E NEWLIN
2d Bn, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division
Quang Nam Province, RVN
4 July 1967

Pfc Newlin was a machine gunner manning a key position on the perimeter of the Nong Son outpost when the enemy launched a savage mortar and infantry assault.

Of the 5 member gun crew, only Newlin survived albeit seriously wounded.

Pfc Newlin propped himself  against his machinegun and delivered a stream of accurate fire on the ranks of the advancing Viet Cong.

Ignoring his multiple additional wounds  he  repelled enemy attempts to overrun his position. During the third attempt, a grenade explosion wounded him again and knocked him to the ground unconscious.

The Viet Cong guerrillas thought he was dead and left him lying.

Meanwhile, Pfc. Newlin regained consciousness, crawled back to his weapon, and brought it to bear on the rear of the enemy, causing havoc and confusion among them.

Spotting the enemy attempting to bring a captured 106 recoilless weapon to bear on other marine positions, he shifted his fire, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy and preventing them from firing the captured weapon.

He then shifted his fire back to the primary enemy force, causing the enemy to stop their assault on the marine bunkers and to once again attack his machinegun position.

Pfc. Newlin single-handedly disbursed the entire enemy assault force and held his ground through repeated enemy assaults before he was mortally wounded.