Gary W. Martini

He crossed the killing ground twice to bring wounded men in.

Gary Wayne Martini was born in Lexington, Virginia, on 21 September 1948. He attended school in West Virginia, first at Frankford and then in Charleston, where he took part in sports. After his family moved temporarily to Oregon, he attended David Douglas High School in Portland.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps there on 3 March 1966. Training at San Diego and Camp Pendleton prepared him for infantry service. In July he joined Company F, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, at Camp Lejeune, and was promoted to private first class that September. In December he went to Vietnam and joined Company F, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division.

On 21 April 1967, during Operation Union near Binh Son, his platoon came under intense enemy fire. Men fell in the exposed ground between the opposing positions. Martini moved forward to help organise the defence and assist casualties, placing concern for his comrades ahead of his own safety.

Seeing a wounded Marine lying in the open, he crawled out through the fire and brought him back. He then went out again to another casualty despite the danger and warnings to remain under cover. Mortally wounded during the second rescue, he continued trying to protect the injured man and directed fellow Marines to stay back rather than expose themselves on his account.

Martini died aged eighteen. His posthumous Medal of Honor recognised repeated, voluntary journeys into ground already swept by enemy weapons. His surviving decorations also included the Purple Heart and the medals of his short Vietnam service. He was buried in Rosewood Cemetery at Lewisburg, West Virginia. The brevity of his life and Marine career makes the sequence of his last actions especially clear: trained in 1966, deployed in December, he gave his life for fellow Marines four months later.

Medal of Honor citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On 21 April 1967, during Operation Union, elements of Company F, conducting offensive operations at Binh Son, encountered a firmly entrenched enemy force and immediately deployed to engage them. The marines in Pfc. Martini's platoon assaulted across an open rice paddy to within 20 meters of the enemy trench line where they were suddenly struck by hand grenades, intense small-arms, automatic-weapons, and mortar fire. The enemy onslaught killed 14 and wounded 18 marines, pinning the remainder of the platoon down behind a low paddy dike. In the face of imminent danger, Pfc. Martini immediately crawled over the dike to a forward open area within 15 meters of the enemy position where, continuously exposed to the hostile fire, he hurled hand grenades, killing several of the enemy. Crawling back through the intense fire, he rejoined his platoon which had moved to the relative safety of a trench line. From this position he observed several of his wounded comrades lying helpless in the fire-swept paddy. Although he knew that one man had been killed attempting to assist the wounded, Pfc. Martini raced through the open area and dragged a comrade back to a friendly position. In spite of a serious wound received during this first daring rescue, he again braved the unrelenting fury of the enemy fire to aid another companion lying wounded only 20 meters in front of the enemy trench line. As he reached the fallen marine, he received a mortal wound, but disregarding his own condition, he began to drag the marine toward his platoon's position. Observing men from his unit attempting to leave the security of their position to aid him, concerned only for their safety, he called to them to remain under cover, and through a final supreme effort, moved his injured comrade to where he could be pulled to safety, before he fell, succumbing to his wounds. Stouthearted and indomitable, Pfc. Martini unhesitatingly yielded his life to save two of his comrades and insure the safety of the remainder of his platoon. His outstanding courage, valiant fighting spirit and selfless devotion to duty reflected the highest credit upon himself, the Marine Corps, and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.