Raymond Richard Wright

He stormed enemy bunkers to save his comrades under gunfire.

Raymond Richard Wright was born on 5 December 1945 in Moriah, New York, the son of John and Elizabeth (Reed) Wright. The eleventh of thirteen children, he attended school in Mineville, where classmates gave him the nickname “Buzz.” He was drafted into the United States Army in 1965 and served as a rifleman with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam.

On 2 May 1967, Specialist Four Wright's patrol entered the Ap Bac Zone, where an earlier ambush had occurred. Automatic weapons in enemy bunkers and snipers in nearby trees opened fire on his unit. Wright and Sergeant Leonard B. Keller climbed onto a dike and charged the position. Keller's machine gun covered Wright as he attacked the first three bunkers with grenades, including one whose automatic rifleman had pinned down much of their platoon. They continued through four more bunkers while remaining exposed to sniper fire.

The two men pushed into the trees, forced the snipers to retreat and pursued them away from the American soldiers. Their assault drove an enemy platoon from its prepared position and allowed their comrades to cross the open ground without further casualties. When his ammunition ran out, Wright returned to help evacuate the wounded.

Wright completed two years of Army service and was discharged late in 1967. His actions had initially earned the Silver Star. That award was subsequently superseded by the Medal of Honor. President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Wright and Keller at the White House on 19 September 1968.

In civilian life, Wright worked for the New York State Department of Transportation. He belonged to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and Mineville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5802, and enjoyed hunting, fishing and playing cards. He died on 24 September 1999, aged 53, and was buried in Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery at Schuylerville, New York.

Official Medal of Honor citation General Orders No. 65, Headquarters, Department of the Army, 22 October 1968

By direction of the President, under the Joint Resolution of Congress approved 12 July 1862 (amended by act of 3 March 1863, act of 9 July 1918 and act of 25 July 1963), the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty is awarded by the Department of the Army in the name of Congress to:

Specialist Four Raymond R. Wright, United States Army, who, on 2 May 1967, while serving as a rifleman with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, in the Ap Bac Zone, Republic of Vietnam, did distinguish himself during a combat patrol in an area where an enemy ambush had occurred earlier. Specialist Wright's unit suddenly came under intense automatic weapons and small arms fire from an enemy bunker system protected by numerous snipers in nearby trees. Despite the heavy enemy fire, Specialist Wright and another soldier leaped to the top of a dike to assault the position. Armed with a rifle and several grenades, he and his comrade exposed themselves to intense fire from the bunkers as they charged the nearest one. Specialist Wright raced to the bunker and threw in a grenade, killing its occupant. The two soldiers then ran through a hail of fire to the second bunker. While his comrade covered him with his machine gun, Specialist Wright charged the bunker and succeeded in killing its occupant with a grenade. A third bunker contained an automatic rifleman who had pinned down much of the friendly platoon. While his comrade again covered him with machine gun fire, Specialist Wright charged in and killed the enemy rifleman with a grenade. The two soldiers worked their way through the remaining bunkers, knocking out four of them. Throughout their furious assault, Specialist Wright and his comrade had been almost continuously exposed to intense sniper fire from the treeline as the enemy desperately sought to stop their attack. Overcoming stubborn resistance from the bunker system, the men advanced into the treeline, forcing the snipers to retreat, giving immediate chase, and driving the enemy away from the friendly unit so that it advanced across the open area without further casualty. When his ammunition was exhausted, Specialist Wright returned to his unit to assist in the evacuation of the wounded. This two-man assault had driven an enemy platoon from a well prepared position, accounted for numerous enemy casualties, and averted further friendly casualties. Specialist Wright's extraordinary heroism, courage, and indomitable fighting spirit saved the lives of many of his comrades and inflicted serious damage on the enemy. His acts were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army. (This award supersedes award of the Silver Star to Specialist Four Wright for gallantry in action on 2 May 1967 as announced in General Orders Number 4308, Headquarters, 9th Infantry Division, dated 28 August 1967).