Posted on Oct 18, 2016
Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipient Richard Pittman Dies at Age 71
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Richard Pittman, a Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam War, has died at age 71.
Partial blindness disqualified him from regular service, but he was able to join the Marine Corps Reserves. After volunteering for a tour of Vietnam in 1966, he passed up an engineering position, choosing to be an infantryman, according to an oral history interview.
Pittman died Thursday, Oct. 13 in Stockton, Calif., a few days before a post office at Camp Pendleton was named in honor of those who earned the country's highest military award.
He once said he was motivated to serve after hearing President John F. Kennedy say, "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
Pittman was a lance corporal on July 24, 1966 when his unit was ambushed near the Demilitarized Zone. He said he was one of the last in his column, and eventually rushed forward to help the Marines who were calling for help.
"Believe it or not, I had the last functioning machine gun," he said.
Dodging fire, he took on nearly three dozen enemy troops. When they retreated, he was able to assist the wounded Marines.
"I didn’t have any other goal in mind, other than to just, you know, help my fellow Marines," he said. "And, in retrospect, fortunately, I was able to do that."
President Lyndon B. Johnson presented him with the Medal of Honor on May 14, 1968.
"I never knew how many were killed and wounded until I went to the Vietnam Memorial," he said. "When I saw a couple of names that I knew, that were in my squad. Then the day of the action and all the names that were right there together. I was in shock. Because we were all buddies. We were all close. There was a lot."
It was several years later, Pittman said, that a friend told him about a letter to the editor in Leatherneck, a monthly magazine published by the Marine Corps Association. It was from a platoon sergeant who credited him with saving his life.
@ SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas Capt Christopher MuellerCPT (Join to see)COL Mikel J. BurroughsSgt Joe LaBrancheSSgt (Join to see)Capt Seid WaddellSrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F.PO2 Ed C. PO2 Mark Saffell MSG Tom EarleyPVT James Strait Alan K. PO1 William "Chip" NagelSGT John " Mac " McConnellSSG Leo Bell SFC William Farrell
Partial blindness disqualified him from regular service, but he was able to join the Marine Corps Reserves. After volunteering for a tour of Vietnam in 1966, he passed up an engineering position, choosing to be an infantryman, according to an oral history interview.
Pittman died Thursday, Oct. 13 in Stockton, Calif., a few days before a post office at Camp Pendleton was named in honor of those who earned the country's highest military award.
He once said he was motivated to serve after hearing President John F. Kennedy say, "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
Pittman was a lance corporal on July 24, 1966 when his unit was ambushed near the Demilitarized Zone. He said he was one of the last in his column, and eventually rushed forward to help the Marines who were calling for help.
"Believe it or not, I had the last functioning machine gun," he said.
Dodging fire, he took on nearly three dozen enemy troops. When they retreated, he was able to assist the wounded Marines.
"I didn’t have any other goal in mind, other than to just, you know, help my fellow Marines," he said. "And, in retrospect, fortunately, I was able to do that."
President Lyndon B. Johnson presented him with the Medal of Honor on May 14, 1968.
"I never knew how many were killed and wounded until I went to the Vietnam Memorial," he said. "When I saw a couple of names that I knew, that were in my squad. Then the day of the action and all the names that were right there together. I was in shock. Because we were all buddies. We were all close. There was a lot."
It was several years later, Pittman said, that a friend told him about a letter to the editor in Leatherneck, a monthly magazine published by the Marine Corps Association. It was from a platoon sergeant who credited him with saving his life.
@ SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas Capt Christopher MuellerCPT (Join to see)COL Mikel J. BurroughsSgt Joe LaBrancheSSgt (Join to see)Capt Seid WaddellSrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F.PO2 Ed C. PO2 Mark Saffell MSG Tom EarleyPVT James Strait Alan K. PO1 William "Chip" NagelSGT John " Mac " McConnellSSG Leo Bell SFC William Farrell
Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipient Richard Pittman Dies at Age 71
Posted from military.com
Vietnam War
Medal of Honor
American History
Posted 8 y ago
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Thanks for honoring lance corporal Richard Pittman SP5 Mark Kuzinski who died recently.
Kudos to Medal of Honor recipient Richard Pittman. Prayers for those he left behind.
Kudos to Medal of Honor recipient Richard Pittman. Prayers for those he left behind.
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A truly selfless man, most men with his problems would not have signed up......Let alone with the Marines! Hoorah Lance Corporal Pittman, You were the man...
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I first met MSgt. Richard Pittman while he was at the Camp Pendleton Provist Marshal's Office, he was the SNCOIC at the back gate for ID Cards and POV Base Stickers. I had met him the first time but not the last. He helped me with both my ID Card, wife's ID Card, and our Base Sticker for our POV when I was promoted to Warrant Officer. He gave me some very good sound advice and some congratulatory comments. Many years later after I had retired I had met his daughter and helped her with her State College benefits and asked how her dad was doing. She just said he misses the Corps but mostly his buddies. Yes, I understand what he meant by that. Semper Fidelis MSgt. Richard Pittman. May you find peace with your comrades who you saved and protected.
Semper Fidelis
James
Semper Fidelis
James
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