Melvin Morris

Melvin Morris: Vietnam War Green Beret who fought through enemy bunkers to recover a fallen comrade

Born on 7 January 1942 in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, Melvin Morris entered the Oklahoma Army National Guard on 14 April 1959 and active U.S. Army service on 30 August 1960. He trained as an airborne soldier and served with Special Forces units before deploying with the 82nd Airborne Division during the 1965 Dominican Republic intervention.

In Vietnam, Staff Sergeant Morris commanded a strike force drawn from Company D, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. On 17 September 1969, near Chi Lăng, his force encountered an enemy minefield and came under heavy fire. When another team commander was killed near an enemy bunker, Morris reorganized his men and advanced to recover him. After assisting two wounded companions back to friendly lines, he assaulted the enemy positions, destroyed four bunkers with hand grenades and recovered his fallen comrade despite suffering three wounds.

Initially awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Morris returned for a second Vietnam deployment in 1970 and subsequently served with MACV-SOG. His later assignments included engineering service in Germany, Special Forces and instructional duties in Panama, and platoon sergeant service with Company C, 8th Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood. He retired as a Sergeant First Class on 1 May 1985. Following a review of earlier valor awards, his Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor, which President Barack Obama presented on 18 March 2014.