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| MEDAL OF
HONOR RECIPIENT |
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| NAME: |
Louis
R. Rocco |
| RANK: |
Warrant
Officer (then Sergeant First Class) |
| ORGANIZATION: |
U.S.
Army Advisory Team 162, U.S. Military
Assistance CMD |
| PLACE: |
Northeast
of Katum, Republic of Vietnam |
| DATE: |
24
May 1970 |
| ENTERED
SERVICE AT: |
Los
Angeles, California |
| BORN: |
19
November 1938, Albuquerque, New Mexico |
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| CITATION |
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| W.O
Rocco distinguished himself when he
volunteered to accompany a medical
evacuation team on an urgent mission to
evacuate 8 critically wounded Army of
Republic of Vietnam personnel. As the
helicopter approached the landing zone,
it became the target for intense enemy
automatic weapons fire. Disregarding his
own safety, W.O. Rocco identified and
placed accurate suppressive fire on the
enemy positions as the aircraft descended
toward the landing zone. Sustaining major
damage from the enemy fire, the aircraft
was forced to crash land, causing W.O.
Rocco to sustain a fractured wrist and
hip and a severely bruised back. Ignoring
his injuries, he extracted the survivors
from the burning wreckage, sustaining
burns to his own body. Despite intense
enemy fire, W.O. Rocco carried each
unconscious man across approximately 20
meters of exposed terrain to the Army of
Republic of Vietnam perimeter. On each
trip, his severely burned hands and
broken wrist caused excruciating pain,
but the lives of the unconscious crash
survivors were more important than his
personal discomfort, and he continued his
rescue efforts. W.O. Rocco helped
administer first aid to his wounded
comrades until his wounds and burns
caused him to collapse and lose
consciousness. His bravery under fire and
intense devotion to duty were directly
responsible for saving 3 of his fellow
soldiers from certain death. His
unparalleled bravery in the face of enemy
fire, his complete disregard for his own
pain and injuries, and his performance
were far above and beyond the call of
duty and were in keeping with the highest
traditions of self-sacrifice and courage
of the military service. |
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