Louis Edward Willett

He covered his squad as they withdrew under heavy enemy fire

Louis Edward Willett was born on 19 June 1945 in Brooklyn, New York. He served as a private first class and rifleman with Company C, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division.

On 15 February 1967 in Kontum Province, Vietnam, his squad encountered a larger enemy force during a security sweep. Willett stood and returned fire, allowing his comrades to withdraw toward the company perimeter. Despite multiple wounds, he continued moving between positions and engaging the enemy until he was mortally wounded. His covering fire enabled the squad and its wounded to reach safety.

Secretary of the Army Stanley Resor presented Willett's posthumous Medal of Honor to his family at the Pentagon on 5 September 1968. He is buried in Saint John's Cemetery in Middle Village, New York.

Medal of Honor citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Pfc. Willett distinguished himself while serving as a rifleman in Company C, during combat operations. His squad was conducting a security sweep when it made contact with a large enemy force. The squad was immediately engaged with a heavy volume of automatic-weapons fire and pinned to the ground. Despite the deadly fusillade, Pfc. Willett rose to his feet firing rapid bursts from his weapon and moved to a position from which he placed highly effective fire on the enemy. His action allowed the remainder of his squad to begin to withdraw from the superior enemy force toward the company perimeter. Pfc. Willett covered the squad's withdrawal, but his position drew heavy enemy machine-gun fire, and he received multiple wounds enabling the enemy again to pin down the remainder of the squad. Pfc. Willett struggled to an upright position, and, disregarding his painful wounds, he again engaged the enemy with his rifle to allow his squad to continue its movement and to evacuate several of his comrades who were by now wounded. Moving from position to position, he engaged the enemy at close-range until he was mortally wounded. By his unselfish acts of bravery, Pfc. Willett insured the withdrawal of his comrades to the company position, saving their lives at the cost of his life. Pfc. Willett's valorous actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.