Louis Richard Rocco

Louis Richard Rocco was an American Army combat medic and medical adviser whose extraordinary courage during the Vietnam War earned him the Medal of Honor. On 24 May 1970, despite serious injuries from a helicopter crash and intense enemy fire, he repeatedly returned to the burning aircraft to rescue three fellow soldiers.

Born on 19 November 1938 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Rocco grew up in Los Angeles and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1955. He completed infantry training at Fort Ord and medical training at Fort Bragg, beginning a career devoted to battlefield medicine and the care of wounded soldiers. His early assignments included airborne formations and service overseas.

Rocco completed two tours in Vietnam. During his first, from November 1965 to November 1966, he served with Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, supporting the South Vietnamese 7th Division. Returning in November 1969, he became a medical adviser to South Vietnamese airborne forces with MACV Advisory Team 162. His responsibilities included training allied medical personnel and supporting helicopter casualty evacuation operations.

On 24 May 1970, during operations near Katum along the Cambodian border, Sergeant First Class Rocco volunteered to accompany a helicopter crew attempting to evacuate eight critically wounded South Vietnamese soldiers. Enemy fire struck the aircraft as it approached the landing zone, forcing it to crash.

Although injured, Rocco escaped the wreckage and returned to rescue his wounded comrades. With the helicopter burning and enemy weapons covering the area, he carried three soldiers to a friendly perimeter, crossing exposed ground on repeated trips. He then helped provide emergency medical treatment until his injuries overcame him.

For these actions, President Gerald R. Ford presented Rocco with the Medal of Honor at the White House on 12 December 1974. His other documented decorations included the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart, while his Combat Medical Badge recognized his medical service under hostile fire.

Rocco subsequently completed physician assistant training and retired from the Army in 1978 as Chief Warrant Officer 2. During Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991, he volunteered to return to active duty, helping train medics and support military medical services at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Following his military career, Rocco devoted considerable effort to assisting veterans, including founding Vietnam Veterans of New Mexico and promoting services for homeless and struggling former servicemen.

He died on 31 October 2002 in San Antonio, Texas, and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. His legacy reflects both exceptional battlefield courage and a lifelong commitment to caring for others.

Medal of Honor citation

WO Rocco distinguished himself when he volunteered to accompany a medical evacuation team on an urgent mission to evacuate eight critically wounded Army of the Republic of Vietnam personnel. As the helicopter approached the landing zone, it became the target for intense enemy automatic-weapons fire. Disregarding his own safety, WO Rocco identified and placed accurate suppressive fire on the enemy positions as the aircraft descended toward the landing zone. Sustaining major damage from the enemy fire, the aircraft was forced to crash land, causing WO Rocco to sustain a fractured wrist and hip and severely bruised back. Ignoring his injuries, he extracted the survivors from the burning wreckage, sustaining burns to his own body. Despite intense enemy fire, WO Rocco carried each unconscious man across approximately 20 meters of exposed terrain to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam perimeter. On each trip, his severely burned hands and broken wrist caused excruciating pain, but the lives of the unconscious crash survivors were more important than his personal discomfort, and he continued his rescue efforts. Once inside the friendly position, WO Rocco helped administer first aid to his wounded comrades until his wounds and burns caused him to collapse and lose consciousness. His bravery under fire and intense devotion to duty were directly responsible for saving three of his fellow soldiers from certain death. His unparalleled bravery in the face of enemy fire, his complete disregard for his own pain and injuries, and his performance were far above and beyond the call of duty and were in keeping with the highest traditions of self-sacrifice and courage of the military service.