Raymond M . Clausen , Jr . Raymond Michael Clausen Jr . ( October 14 , 1947 – May 30 , 2004 ) was a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam in January 1970 . On a mission to rescue Marines from a minefield , under heavy enemy fire , he carried out one dead and eleven wounded Marines , making six trips through the minefield until every Marine was extracted . Biography . Clausen was born on October 14 , 1947 in New Orleans , Louisiana . He graduated from Hammond High School ( Louisiana ) in 1965 and attended Southeastern Louisiana University for six months before enlisting in the U . S . Marine Corps Reserve in New Orleans on March 30 , 1966 . He was discharged to enlist in the regular Marine Corps on May 27 , 1966 . Private Clausen received recruit training with the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion , Recruit Training Regiment , Marine Corps Recruit Depot , San Diego , California , and individual combat training with the 3rd Battalion , 2nd Infantry Training Regiment at Camp Pendleton , California . He then completed Aviation Mechanical Fundamentals School and the Basic Helicopter Course at Naval Air Technical Training Center in Memphis , Tennessee . He completed his training in April 1967 and was transferred to Marine Aircraft Group 26 ( MAG - 26 ) , Marine Corps Air Facility , New River , Jacksonville , North Carolina , where he served as a jet engine mechanic with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 ( HMM - 365 ) and , later , as a guard with Marine Air Base Squadron 26 ( MABS - 26 ) . In December 1967 , Private First Class Clausen was ordered overseas to serve as a jet helicopter mechanic , which he did throughout his tour of active duty service . He joined the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing , Fleet Marine Force , Pacific , with Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 36 ( H & MS - 36 ) , Marine Aircraft Group 36 ( MAG - 36 ) until September 1968 , then with HMM - 364 , Marine Aircraft Group 16 ( MAG - 16 ) until the following August . PFC Clausen then returned to the United States , where he joined Marine Aircraft Group 26 ( MAG - 26 ) at Marine Corps Air Station New River for duty with HMM - 261 . He began his second tour of duty in November 1969 with HMM - 263 , MAG - 16 , 1st Marine Aircraft Wing , Fleet Marine Force , Pacific . On January 31 , 1970 , as part of a mission to rescue Marines who were stranded in a minefield near Da Nang , under heavy enemy fire , he made six trips out of his CH - 46 Sea Knight helicopter through the minefield , carrying back eleven wounded Marines and one dead until the last Marine was accounted for . On August 19 , 1970 , upon his return to the United States , he was released from active duty at the rank of PFC . On June 15 , 1971 , he was presented the Medal of Honor by President Richard M . Nixon in a ceremony at the White House . Private First Class Clausen died at the age of 56 on May 30 , 2004 at Baylor University Medical Center , Dallas , Texas , due to liver failure . He was buried at Ponchatoula Cemetery in Ponchatoula , Louisiana , with full military honors . Awards and decorations . A complete list of his medals and decorations include : the Medal of Honor ; the Aircrewman Insignia , the Air Medal ( with three Gold Stars ; the Combat Action Ribbon ; the Purple Heart ; the Presidential Unit Citation ; the Good Conduct Medal ; the National Defense Service Medal ; the Vietnam Service Medal with one silver star and one bronze star ; the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm ; the Vietnam Campaign Medal with device ; and the Rifle Sharpshooter Badge . Medal of Honor citation . The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to PRIVATE FIRST CLASS RAYMOND M . CLAUSEN , JR . UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS for service as set forth in the following CITATION : / S / RICHARD M . NIXON Posthumous honors . The CH - 46D Sea Knight helicopter from which Clausen rescued his fellow Marines , was dedicated on October 20 , 2007 at the Carolina Aviation Museum in Charlotte , North Carolina . Since January 1970 , the helicopter has been in active service , until March 2004 , when it had a hard landing in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom . It has been restored as it had been during its Vietnam War service .