Oscar P. Austin

He shielded a wounded Marine from a grenade and hostile fire

Oscar Palmer Austin was born on 15 January 1948 in Nacogdoches, Texas. He grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, attending Booker T. Washington Elementary School and Phoenix Union High School. He joined the Marine Corps in April 1968 and trained at San Diego and Camp Pendleton before deploying to Vietnam that October. He served as a private first class and assistant machine gunner with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division.

On 23 February 1969 west of Da Nang, Vietnam, Austin's observation post came under heavy attack. He left cover to assist an unconscious wounded Marine. When a grenade landed nearby, he placed himself between it and his companion. Despite his injuries, he then shielded the man from an enemy soldier's gunfire and was mortally wounded.

Vice President Spiro Agnew presented Austin's posthumous Medal of Honor to his family at the White House on 20 April 1970. He is buried in Greenwood Memorial Park in Phoenix, Arizona.

Medal of Honor citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an assistant machine gunner with Company E, in connection with operations against enemy forces. During the early morning hours Pfc. Austin's observation post was subjected to a fierce ground attack by a large North Vietnamese Army force supported by a heavy volume of hand grenades, satchel charges, and small-arms fire. Observing that one of his wounded companions had fallen unconscious in a position dangerously exposed to the hostile fire, Pfc. Austin unhesitatingly left the relative security of his fighting hole and, with complete disregard for his safety, raced across the fire-swept terrain to assist the marine to a covered location. As he neared the casualty, he observed an enemy grenade land nearby and reacting instantly, leaped between the injured marine and the lethal object, absorbing the effects of its detonation. As he ignored his painful injuries and turned to examine the wounded man, he saw a North Vietnamese Army soldier aiming a weapon at his unconscious companion. With full knowledge of the probable consequences and thinking only to protect the marine, Pfc. Austin resolutely threw himself between the casualty and the hostile soldier, and in so doing, was mortally wounded. Pfc. Austin's indomitable courage, inspiring initiative and selfless devotion to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.