Loren Douglas Hagen

Led a trapped team and crawled under fire to rescue comrades

On 7 August 1971, Loren Douglas Hagen led a small reconnaissance team deep inside enemy-held territory in the A Shau Valley, Vietnam. When a much larger force attacked with rockets, mortars and automatic weapons, he helped repel the first assault and moved his men into stronger defensive positions. He repeatedly crossed the perimeter under fire, directing resistance, rallying the team and carrying ammunition to its defenders.

An enemy rocket destroyed one of the team's bunkers. Hagen crawled toward it to search for his men, returning fire as he advanced into an area the attackers had seized. He was fatally wounded before reaching the bunker. His leadership and efforts to reach his comrades earned the Medal of Honor posthumously.

Born in Fargo, North Dakota, on 25 February 1946, Hagen entered the Army in 1968. He graduated from Engineer Officer Candidate School on 18 July 1969, completed Special Forces and airborne training, and served with the 10th Special Forces Group before deploying to Vietnam. As leader of Reconnaissance Team Kansas, he served in the clandestine reconnaissance organization associated with MACV-SOG.

Hagen was a First Lieutenant during his final action and was posthumously promoted to Captain a week after his death. Vice President Gerald Ford presented the Medal of Honor to his family at Blair House on 8 August 1974. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Official Medal of Honor citation

First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Infantry, U.S. Army Training Advisory Group. Republic of Vietnam, 7 August 1971.

1st Lt. Hagen distinguished himself in action while serving as the team leader of a small reconnaissance team operating deep within enemy-held territory. At approximately 0630 hours on the morning of 7 August 1971 the small team came under a fierce assault by a superior-sized enemy force using heavy small arms, automatic weapons, mortar, and rocket fire. 1st Lt. Hagen immediately began returning small-arms fire upon the attackers and successfully led this team in repelling the first enemy onslaught. He then quickly deployed his men into more strategic defense locations before the enemy struck again in an attempt to overrun and annihilate the beleaguered team's members. 1st Lt. Hagen repeatedly exposed himself to the enemy fire directed at him as he constantly moved about the team's perimeter, directing fire, rallying the members, and resupplying the team with ammunition, while courageously returning small arms and hand grenade fire in a valorous attempt to repel the advancing enemy force. The courageous actions and expert leadership abilities of 1st Lt. Hagen were a great source of inspiration and instilled confidence in the team members. After observing an enemy rocket make a direct hit on and destroy 1 of the team's bunkers, 1st Lt. Hagen moved toward the wrecked bunker in search for team members despite the fact that the enemy force now controlled the bunker area. With total disregard for his own personal safety, he crawled through the enemy fire while returning small-arms fire upon the enemy force. Undaunted by the enemy rockets and grenades impacting all around him, 1st Lt. Hagen desperately advanced upon the destroyed bunker until he was fatally wounded by enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire. With complete disregard for his personal safety, 1st Lt. Hagen's courageous gallantry, extraordinary heroism, and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, at the cost of his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon him and the U.S. Army.