Jesus Santiago Duran

Sergeant Jesus Santiago Duran was a United States Army veteran of the Vietnam War who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary heroism. Serving as an acting M-60 machinegunner in Company E, 2d Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), Duran distinguished himself during intense combat operations in the Republic of Vietnam on April 10, 1969.

During an enemy ambush that put his platoon's command post in imminent danger of being overrun, Specialist Four Duran rushed forward with his machinegun to assume a defensive position. Under heavy fire and bursting grenades, he stood ground and thwarted the enemy advance. Upon learning of two wounded troopers pinned down nearby, he courageously assaulted the enemy positions on the run, neutralizing several enemy combatants and forcing the rest to flee.

Decades after his service, following a congressionally mandated review to ensure Jewish American and Hispanic American veterans were not overlooked due to prejudice, Duran's valor was formally recognized. His daughter accepted the Medal of Honor on his behalf from President Barack Obama during a White House ceremony on March 18, 2014.