Félix Modesto Conde Falcón

Some soldiers are remembered for surviving impossible battles. Staff Sergeant Félix Modesto Conde Falcón is remembered for advancing into one when retreat would have been the safer choice. A Puerto Rican-born United States Army soldier and Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient, Conde Falcón demonstrated extraordinary courage on April 4, 1969, when he personally led an assault against a heavily fortified enemy command post in the Republic of Vietnam. His final actions became one of the most powerful examples of battlefield leadership associated with the 82nd Airborne Division.

Félix Modesto Conde Falcón was born in Juncos, Puerto Rico, on February 24, 1938, and was later raised in Chicago, Illinois. He volunteered for the U.S. Army in April 1963 and developed into an experienced infantry noncommissioned officer. His military career included service as a drill sergeant and ultimately combat duty with Company D, 1st Battalion, 505th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division in Vietnam. By 1969, he was serving not simply as a soldier in the formation, but as a leader responsible for guiding men through some of the most dangerous conditions of the war.

That leadership was tested on April 4, 1969, near Ap Tan Hoa. During a sweep operation, Conde Falcón's company encountered an extensive enemy bunker complex that was later identified as a battalion command post. After artillery and air strikes struck the fortified position, his platoon was ordered to assault and clear the bunkers. Instead of directing the attack from behind, Conde Falcón moved ahead of his men and led it personally. www.army.mil What followed formed the heart of his Medal of Honor citation. Under increasing enemy fire, Conde Falcón charged the first bunker while throwing grenades, worked his way to its blind side, climbed onto the fortification and dropped a grenade through its opening. He then continued forward and destroyed two more bunkers in the same manner. After rejoining his platoon and advancing roughly another hundred meters, the soldiers again came under intense hostile fire. Conde Falcón selected three men and maneuvered toward the enemy's flank. Carrying a machine gun, he then assaulted another enemy position by himself, killing its occupants before exhausting his ammunition. www.army.mil He still did not stop. Conde Falcón returned to his men, exchanged his empty weapon for an M16 rifle and moved toward the next bunker. When he was within approximately ten meters of the position, he was struck by enemy fire. He died from his wounds that day, at the age of 31. His Medal of Honor citation recognized his gallantry, selflessness and willingness to sacrifice his own life while carrying out the mission and protecting the soldiers he led. Army officials later summarized his final assault as the personal elimination of four enemy bunkers before he was mortally wounded.

His heroism had originally been recognized with the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army's second-highest decoration for valor. Decades later, Congress directed a review of the records of Jewish American and Hispanic American veterans to determine whether discrimination had prevented deserving soldiers from receiving the Medal of Honor. Conde Falcón's combat record was among those reconsidered. His Distinguished Service Cross was subsequently upgraded, and on March 18, 2014, President Barack Obama posthumously presented the Medal of Honor to his son, Richard Conde, during the Valor 24 ceremony at the White House. Conde Falcón's record also reflects courage and distinguished service beyond the action for which he received the Medal of Honor. His recognized honours included the Bronze Star Medal with V Device and one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, representing two awards of the Bronze Star with valor recognized in his record, as well as the Purple Heart and Army Commendation Medal. His Vietnam service was further represented by three campaign stars on the Vietnam Service Medal and by honours from the Republic of Vietnam, including the Military Merit Medal and unit citations recognizing gallantry and civil actions. His military qualifications also included the Combat Infantryman Badge and multiple marksmanship distinctions.

Félix Modesto Conde Falcón's story is ultimately larger than the medal awarded to him. On April 4, 1969, he repeatedly chose to move toward enemy fire because his platoon needed someone to lead the way. Nearly forty-five years passed before the Medal of Honor formally recognized the full measure of that sacrifice, but the battlefield record had never changed. He had placed the mission and his soldiers ahead of his own survival, leaving behind an enduring legacy of courage, leadership and selfless service in the history of the U.S. Army, the 82nd Airborne Division and the Vietnam War.