Edward A. DeVore Jr.

He charged enemy bunkers to free comrades trapped by shells.

Edward Allen DeVore Jr. was a machine-gunner with Company B, 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, in Vietnam. Born on 15 June 1947, he grew up in California and joined the Army in 1966. His family retained connections with Henryetta, Oklahoma, where the state military hall of fame records his origins.

On 17 March 1968 his platoon led a company reconnaissance southwest of Saigon. The troops encountered prepared enemy positions firing automatic weapons, rockets and grenades across difficult ground. When a squad attempting to recover casualties became trapped, Specialist Four DeVore used his M 60 machine gun to suppress the enemy.

He then advanced against the positions himself. A bullet struck his shoulder and knocked him down, but he rose and pressed forward despite warnings to take cover. His assault drew the defenders' fire and allowed the isolated soldiers to withdraw to their platoon. Mortally wounded, he continued firing until he could no longer fight. He died on 18 March.

DeVore received the Medal of Honor posthumously for creating an escape route through his own exposure. He was buried at Green Hills Memorial Park in California, and both California and Oklahoma communities have preserved his memory.