Walter Keith Singleton

Under fire, he carried wounded Marines to safety repeatedly.

Walter Keith Singleton, a United States Marine Corps sergeant and supply sergeant with Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division (Reinforced), earned the Medal of Honor for his actions during Operation Prairie III on 24 March 1967. Southeast of Con Thien in Quang Tri Province, his company came under intense fire from entrenched North Vietnamese forces. He made repeated trips through the killing zone to evacuate wounded Marines, then seized a machine gun and assaulted an enemy hedgerow. He penetrated the strongpoint and was mortally wounded while disrupting its defense.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, on 7 December 1944, Singleton enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1963. He served in weapons training, was promoted to sergeant in September 1966, and arrived in Vietnam that November. His family received his posthumous Medal of Honor on 4 September 1968.

Medal of Honor citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Singleton's company was conducting combat operations when the lead platoon received intense small-arms, automatic-weapons, rocket, and mortar fire from a well-entrenched enemy force. As the company fought its way forward, the extremely heavy enemy fire caused numerous friendly casualties. Sensing the need for early treatment of the wounded, Sgt. Singleton quickly moved from his relatively safe position in the rear of the foremost point of the advance and made numerous trips through the enemy killing zone to move the injured men out of the danger area. Noting that a large part of the enemy fire was coming from a hedgerow, he seized a machine gun and assaulted the key enemy location, delivering devastating fire as he advanced. He forced his way through the hedgerow directly into the enemy strong point. Although he was mortally wounded, his fearless attack killed eight of the enemy and drove the remainder from the hedgerow. Sgt. Singleton's bold actions completely disorganized the enemy defense and saved the lives of many of his comrades. His daring initiative, selfless devotion to duty and indomitable fighting spirit reflected great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps, and his performance upheld the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.