Remarks Upon Dedicating the Hall of Heroes and Presenting the Medal of Honor to a Member of Each of the Nation's Military Services

Secretary Clifford, Members of Congress, Secretaries of the Services, members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from some of our neighboring nations, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:

It was in August of 1776, the month after the Continental Congress announced the American people's Declaration of Independence, that George Washington's troops were struggling to make their independence a reality--with their rifles.

Fired by the glory of his cause, but aware always of its terrible costs, Washington voiced the words that have whispered in the mind of every leader since that time--every leader who has had to commit men to the agony of battle: "Good God, what brave men must I lose this day."

In the mind and in the heart of this President, those words have echoed without stop throughout the hours of many days and many long nights.

Thirty-three times I have awarded the Medal of Honor to America's fighting men. On 19 of those occasions, I have been able to make the presentation myself.

Each ceremony has been--for me--one of emotions in deep conflict.

First of all, there is pride. Any man is exalted who stands in the presence of bravery.

But there is always, too, a haunting and a humbling awareness that it is the battlefield which illuminates the courage that we honor.

Today we confer the Medal of Honor on four more gallant Americans. This is the first time that four men--from each of the military services--have been so honored together.

As we meet here, other men in Paris-are beginning the very hard negotiations that we hope will one day silence the guns in a free Vietnam.

Diplomacy's painful work now is to forge, from the fires of hostility, the way in which men can live without conflict and in mutual accord.

The world prays that the way to peace will be found at that distant table--the peace with honor for which these men, and their comrades, have fought so long and so nobly.

When it comes, that peace will be the monument of many men. Among them are Charles C. Hagemeister, Richard A. Pittman, James E. Williams, and Gerald O. Young. They will place their names now in a new Hall of Heroes, created here in the Pentagon as a memorial to all who have earned their country's highest award for courage in combat.

In that Hall, which we open here today, a noble muster rings out, calling: "Valor-in the service of our country."

And--from every hour of America's need, from every crisis of America's history--the answering call comes back: "Here, sir . . . here, sir."

In this Hall of Heroes, 3,210 men--who have served above and beyond the call of duty--stand guard on a Nation's pride, and on the freedom that those men have bought so dearly.

Thank you.

[The texts of the four citations follow.]

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of The Congress the Medal of Honor to

SPECIALIST FIVE CHARLES C. HAGEMEISTER,
UNITED STATES ARMY

for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:

Specialist Five (then Specialist Four) Charles C. Hagemeister, distinguished himself at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 20 March 1967 while serving as a Medical Aidman, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry. While conducting combat operations against a hostile force in Binh Dinh Province, Republic of Vietnam, Specialist Hagemeister's platoon suddenly came under heavy attack from three sides by an enemy force occupying well concealed, fortified positions and supported by machine guns and mortars. Seeing two of his comrades seriously wounded in the initial action, Specialist Hagemeister unhesitatingly and with total disregard for his own safety, raced through the deadly hail of enemy fire to provide them medical aid. Upon learning that the platoon leader and several other soldiers also had been wounded, Specialist Hagemeister continued to brave the withering enemy fire and crawled forward to render lifesaving treatment and to offer words of encouragement. Attempting to evacuate the seriously wounded soldiers, Specialist Hagemeister was taken under fire at close range by an enemy sniper. Realizing that the lives of his fellow soldiers depended on his actions, Specialist Hagemeister seized a rifle from a fallen comrade, killed the sniper, three other enemy soldiers who were attempting to encircle his position and silenced an enemy machine gun that covered the area with deadly fire. Unable to remove the wounded to a less exposed location and aware of the enemy's efforts to isolate his unit, he dashed through the fusillade of fire to secure help from a nearby platoon. Returning with help, he placed men in positions to cover his advance as he moved to evacuate the wounded forward of his location. These efforts successfully completed, he then moved to the other flank and evacuated additional wounded men despite the fact that his every move drew fire from the enemy. Specialist Hagemeister's repeated heroic and selfless actions at the risk of his own life saved the lives of many of his comrades and inspired their actions in repelling the enemy assault. Specialist Hagemeister's conspicuous gallantry and indomitable courage are in the highest traditions of the United States Armed Forces and reflect great credit upon himself.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON

The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to

SERGEANT RICHARD A. PITTMAN
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a member of First Platoon, Company I, Third Battalion, Fifth Marines during combat operations near the Demilitarized Zone, Republic of Vietnam. On 24 July 1966, while Company I was conducting an operation along the axis of a narrow jungle trail, the leading company elements suffered numerous casualties when they suddenly came under heavy fire from a well concealed and numerically superior enemy force. Hearing the engaged Marines' calls for more firepower, Sergeant (then Lance Corporal) Pittman quickly exchanged his rifle for a machine gun and several belts of ammunition, left the relative safety of his platoon, and unhesitatingly rushed forward to aid his comrades. Taken under intense enemy small arms fire at point blank range during his advance, he returned the fire, silencing the enemy positions. As Sergeant Pittman continued to forge forward to aid members of the leading platoon, he again came under heavy fire from two automatic weapons which he promptly destroyed. Learning that there were additional wounded Marines fifty yards further along the trail, he braved a withering hail of enemy mortar and small-arms fire to continue onward. As he reached the position where the leading Marines had fallen, he was suddenly confronted with a bold frontal attack by 30 to 40 enemy. Totally disregarding his own safety, he calmly established a position in the middle of the trail and raked the advancing enemy with devastating machine-gun fire. His weapon rendered ineffective, he picked up an enemy submachine gun and, together with a pistol seized from a fallen comrade, continued his lethal fire until the enemy force had withdrawn. Having exhausted his ammunition except for a grenade which he hurled at the enemy, he then rejoined his own platoon. Sergeant Pittman's daring initiative, bold fighting spirit and selfless devotion to duty inflicted many enemy casualties, disrupted the enemy attack and saved the lives of many of his wounded comrades. His personal valor at grave risk to himself reflects the highest credit upon himself, the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON

The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to

BOATSWAIN'S MATE FIRST CLASS JAMES E. WILLIAMS,
UNITED STATES NAVY

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a member of River Section 531 during combat operations on the Mekong River in the Republic of Vietnam. On 31 October 1966, Petty Officer Williams was serving as Boat Captain and Patrol Officer aboard River Patrol Boat (PBR) 105 accompanied by another patrol boat when the patrol was suddenly taken under fire by two enemy sampans. Petty Officer Williams immediately ordered the fire returned, killing the crew of one enemy boat and causing the other sampan to take refuge in a nearby river inlet. Pursuing the fleeing sampan, the U.S. patrol encountered a heavy volume of small arms fire from enemy forces, at close range, occupying well-concealed positions along the river bank. Maneuvering through this fire, the patrol confronted a numerically superior enemy force aboard two enemy junks and eight sampans augmented by heavy automatic weapons fire from ashore. In the savage battle that ensued, Petty Officer Williams, with utter disregard for his own safety, exposed himself to the withering hail of enemy fire to direct counter-fire and inspire the actions of his patrol. Recognizing the overwhelming strength of the enemy force, Petty Officer Williams deployed his patrol to await the arrival of armed helicopters. In the course of this movement he discovered an even larger concentration of enemy boats. Not waiting for the arrival of the armed helicopters, he displayed great initiative and boldly led the patrol through the intense enemy fire and damaged or destroyed fifty enemy sampans and seven junks. This phase of the action completed, and with the arrival of the armed helicopters, Petty Officer Williams directed the attack on the remaining enemy force. Now virtually dark, and although Petty Officer Williams was aware that his boats would become even better targets, he ordered the patrol boats' search lights turned on to better illuminate the area and moved the patrol perilously close to shore to press the attack. Despite a waning supply of ammunition the patrol successfully engaged the enemy ashore and completed the rout of the enemy force. Under the leadership of Petty Officer Williams, who demonstrated unusual professional skill and indomitable courage throughout the three hour battle, the patrol accounted for the destruction or loss of sixty-five enemy boats and inflicted numerous casualties on the enemy personnel. His extraordinary heroism and exemplary fighting spirit in the face of grave risks inspired the efforts of his men to defeat a larger enemy force, and are in keeping with the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1896,¹ has awarded in the name of The Congress, the Medal of Honor to

CAPTAIN GERALD O. YOUNG, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:

Captain Young distinguished himself on 9 November 1967 while serving as a Helicopter Rescue Crew Commander in Southeast Asia. Captain Young was flying escort for another Helicopter attempting the night rescue of an Army ground reconnaissance team in imminent danger of death or capture. Previous attempts had resulted in the loss of two helicopters to hostile ground fire. The endangered team was positioned on the side of a steep slope which required unusual airmanship on the part of Captain Young to effect pickup. Heavy automatic weapons fire from the surrounding enemy severely damaged one rescue helicopter, but it was able to extract three of the team. The commander of this aircraft recommended to Captain Young that further rescue attempts be abandoned because it was not possible to suppress the concentrated fire from enemy automatic weapons. With full knowledge of the danger involved, and the fact that supporting helicopter gunships were low on fuel and ordnance, Captain Young hovered tinder intense fire until the remaining survivors were aboard. As he maneuvered the aircraft for take-off, the enemy appeared at pointblank range and raked the aircraft with automatic weapons fire. The aircraft crashed, inverted, and burst into flames. Captain Young escaped through a window of the burning aircraft. Disregarding serious burns, Captain Young aided one of the wounded men and then attempted to lead the hostile forces away from his position. Later, despite intense pain from his burns, he declined to accept rescue because he had observed hostile forces setting up automatic weapons positions to entrap any rescue aircraft. For more than 17 hours he evaded the enemy until rescue aircraft could be brought into the area. Through his extraordinary heroism, aggressiveness, and concern for his fellowman, Captain Young reflected the highest credit upon himself, the United States Air Force, and the armed forces of his country.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON