Posted on May 15, 2016
Navy Corpsman receives Medal of Honor for action - May 16, 1968 - HISTORY.com
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Donald E. Ballard, Corpsman U.S. Navy, is awarded the Medal of Honor for action this date in Quang Tri Province. Ballard, from Kansas City, Missouri, was a corpsman with Company M, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. He had just finished evacuating two Marines with heatstroke when his unit was surprised by a Viet Cong ambush. Immediately racing to the aid of a casualty, Ballard applied a field dressing and was directing four Marines in the removal of the wounded man when an enemy soldier tossed a grenade into the group. With a warning shout of, “Grenade!” Ballard vaulted over the stretcher and pulled the grenade under his body. The grenade did not go off. Nevertheless, he received the Medal of Honor for his selfless act of courage. Ballard was only the second man whose valor was rewarded despite the fact that the deadly missile did not actually explode.
@SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas , Capt Christopher Mueller , CPT (Join to see) , COL Mikel J. Burroughs , Sgt Joe LaBranche , SSgt (Join to see), TSgt Hunter Logan Capt Seid Waddell SrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F. PO2 Ed C. PO2 Mark Saffell MSG Tom Earley PVT James Strait Alan K. @po1 william "chip" PO1 William "Chip" Nagel Maj Kim Patterson @SGT John McConnell SGT John " Mac " McConnell
@SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas , Capt Christopher Mueller , CPT (Join to see) , COL Mikel J. Burroughs , Sgt Joe LaBranche , SSgt (Join to see), TSgt Hunter Logan Capt Seid Waddell SrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F. PO2 Ed C. PO2 Mark Saffell MSG Tom Earley PVT James Strait Alan K. @po1 william "chip" PO1 William "Chip" Nagel Maj Kim Patterson @SGT John McConnell SGT John " Mac " McConnell
Navy Corpsman receives Medal of Honor for action - May 16, 1968 - HISTORY.com
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Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 11
Posted 8 y ago
Thanks for reminding us SP5 Mark Kuzinski that Donald E. Ballard, Corpsman U.S. Navy, was awarded the Medal of Honor for action this date in 1968 for his actions in Quang Tri Province. when he was a corpsman with Company M, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division.
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Posted >1 y ago
An amazing display of courage taking a grenade for his fellow soldiers. Even though it didn't detonate it showed a remarkable amount of bravery and self-sacrifice.
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Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
I met Donald Ballard when he began the Medical Service Corps Basic Course at Fort Sam Houston. My first though was what is a brand new 2LT doing wearing the MOH. Checked his records to find out what he had done.
Ballard retired as a Colonel.
Ballard retired as a Colonel.
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