Kenneth J. David

Drawing fire away from wounded comrades

Kenneth J. David was born on 21 January 1950. He served in the United States Army with Company D, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War.

On 7 May 1970 near Fire Support Base Maureen in Thua Thien Province, Private First Class David's company came under heavy attack. He left his radio with the platoon sergeant and moved to the defensive perimeter. He then went outside it, deliberately drawing enemy fire away from wounded soldiers and evacuation helicopters. Although wounded himself, he continued fighting, carried a wounded comrade to shelter and covered the evacuation until the enemy withdrew.

President Joseph Biden presented David with the Medal of Honor at the White House on 3 January 2025. His highest rank was specialist fourth class.

Medal of Honor citation

Private First Class Kenneth J. David distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on May 7, 1970, while serving as a radio-telephone operator with Company D, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, near Fire Support Base Maureen, Thua Thien Province, Republic of Vietnam. On this date, Private First Class David's company came under an intense attack from a large hostile force.

The enemy’s ferocious initial assault mortally wounded the company’s Platoon Leader and resulted in numerous other friendly casualties. Upon the initial assault and without hesitation, Private First Class David handed his radio to his Platoon Sergeant and moved forward to the defensive perimeter, unleashing a barrage of automatic weapons fire on the enemy. From this location, Private First Class David bitterly resisted all enemy efforts to overrun his position.

Realizing the impact of the enemy assault on the wounded who were being brought to the center of the perimeter, Private First Class David, without regard for his own life, moved to a position outside of the perimeter while continuing to engage the enemy. Each time the enemy attempted to concentrate its fire on the wounded inside the perimeter, Private First Class David would jump from his position and yell to draw the enemy fire away from his injured comrades and back to himself.

Refusing to withdraw in the face of the concentrated enemy fire now directed toward him, he continued to engage the enemy. Although wounded by an exploding satchel charge and running perilously low on ammunition, he tossed hand grenades toward the attackers to effectively counter their fire. The unit’s medic, realizing that Private First Class David had been injured, moved to his position to provide aid, but Private First Class David assured him that he was okay and continued to fight on.

Private First Class David’s courageous and selfless actions continued to draw the enemy fire away from the incoming medevac helicopters, allowing the wounded to be safely evacuated. After allied reinforcements fought their way to his company’s position, Private First Class David carried a wounded comrade to a sheltered position.

He then returned to the contact area and continued to engage the enemy and provide covering fire for the wounded until the enemy broke contact and fled, at which point he too was medically evacuated. Private First Class David’s conspicuous gallantry, extraordinary heroism, and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.