page_title: Gary M. Rose
section_title: Medal of Honor action
hierarchical_section_title: Gary M. Rose / Vietnam War / Medal of Honor action
caption_attribution_description: English: U.S. Army Sgt. Gary M. Rose is helped from a helicopter landing area after Operation Tailwind, 1970.
context_page_description: Gary Michael Rose is a retired United States Army officer and a Vietnam War veteran. For his actions during the war, Rose was recommended for the Medal of Honor, but this was downgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross due to the classified nature of the mission in Laos. He was finally presented the Medal of Honor on 23 October 2017.
  After enlisting the United States Army in 1967, Rose became a Special Forces combat medic, and in September 1970 distinguished himself in fighting in Laos at Chavane during Operation Tailwind, in which he treated the wounded while fighting North Vietnamese Army forces. Despite being wounded multiple times during the battle, he treated 60–70 personnel. Rose continued his career in the army and graduated from Officer Candidate School, becoming a Field Artillery officer and reaching the rank of captain before retiring, after which he worked in the manufacturing industry.
context_section_description: After being inserted, the force advanced deeper into enemy territory, soon making contact with a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) squad, wounding two Americans and two Montagnards, one of whom was trapped outside the unit's defensive perimeter. Rose engaged the enemy while treating and stabilizing the soldier, carrying him through heavy fire back to the defensive positions. The company continued moving deeper into Laos following a NVA withdrawal, engaging more NVA forces and suffering more casualties. Disregarding his personal safety, Rose treated wounded under heavy fire, engaging the NVA to reach the wounded.
  The fire became so intense that Rose was forced to crawl from position to position in order to treat the wounded, giving words of encouragement and directing the fire of the inexperienced and terrified Vietnamese and Montagnard troops. Over the next few days, the company marched west and deeper into Laos, fending off incessant attacks from elements ranging from squad-sized to company-sized, covered by Air Force gunships. On 12 September, during an assault by a NVA company-sized element, one of the Montagnards was wounded 40 to 50 meters outside the perimeter. Dodging enemy fire, Rose ran and crawled his way to the wounded man, shielding him with his own body while he treated him. He dragged the Montagnard back to the company with one hand while firing at the enemy with his gun in his other hand.
  When Rose returned to the company perimeter with the wounded soldier, he was sprayed with shrapnel from a B-40 rocket propelled grenade (RPG) in his back and leg, severely crippling his foot. For the rest of the mission, he used a stick as a crutch, continuing to treat the wounded while ignoring his own wounds. A MEDEVAC helicopter was later called in to evacuate the company's many wounded, but was unable to land in the small opening where the company was located. Rose stood up, fully exposed to the heavy enemy fire, and attempted to pass the wounded up to the hovering helicopter's crew. However, the intensity of the enemy fire forced the pilot to abort the mission, and the helicopter, severely damaged, crashed a few kilometers away.
  With the aid of close air support, the company was able to break out of their defensive position, and Rose improvised litters for the wounded, who now were over half the company. Despite his own wounds, he never took time to eat, rest or care for his own wounds while treating the other soldiers. On the night of 13–14 September, the company was surrounded by the NVA in their position. Rose dug trenches for the wounded and treated their injuries, as the enemy spent the night bombarding the company with rockets, grenades, and mortars. Moving from position to position, he exposed himself to NVA fire, encouraging the soldiers and treating the wounded.
  On 14 September, the last day of the operation, after destroying an enemy base camp, the company was informed by a Forward Air Controller (FAC)  that over 500 NVA were advancing on their position. Supported by gunships, the company moved to a landing zone, setting up a perimeter while each platoon boarded the helicopters as the NVA attacked from all sides, inflicting even more casualties. Rose exposed himself again under heavy NVA fire, retrieving the dead and wounded and bringing them back to the perimeter. In great pain, he continued to treat the wounded, disregarding his own safety. When the extraction helicopters arrived, he returned to the outer perimeter to help engage the NVA and repel the assault. Rose boarded the last extraction helicopter, delivering aimed accurate fire at the NVA only an estimated 50 meters away as he hobbled up the loading ramp.
  Soon after the helicopter lifted off, it was hit by NVA anti-aircraft rounds, and its engine stopped at an altitude of 4,500 feet. Rose was notified that a Marine door gunner had been shot through the neck by an NVA round, and he rendered lifesaving medical treatment to the man before the helicopter crashed, several kilometers away from the original extraction point. Rose was thrown from the helicopter 
caption: Rose being helped from a helicopter after Operation Tailwind, 14 May 1970
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