Louis R . Rocco Chief Warrant Officer Two Louis Richard Rocco ( November 19 , 1938 – October 31 , 2002 ) was a United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor — the United States ' highest military decoration — for his actions near the village of Katum , in the Republic of Vietnam , during the Vietnam War . Despite being wounded , Rocco saved three comrades from a burning helicopter . Biography . Early years . Born on November 19 , 1938 , in Albuquerque , New Mexico , Rocco was the third of nine children of an Italian - American father and a Mexican - American mother . In 1948 , the family moved to a housing project in the San Fernando Valley and later to a barrio called Wilmington . He joined a local gang and was frequently in trouble with the law . Rocco dropped out of high school and in 1954 , when he was 16 years old , was arrested for armed robbery . Rocco was in court for his sentencing and during a break he walked into a United States Army recruiters office . The recruiting officer , Sergeant Martinez , accompanied Rocco to the court and spoke to the judge . The judge gave him a suspended sentence and told him that he could join the Army when he was 17 if he stayed in school , obeyed a curfew and shunned his gang . Rocco joined the Army in 1955 and , after completing his basic training , was sent to Germany . He earned his high school general equivalency diploma during his tour there . A few years later , Rocco was serving as a medic at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro , California , when he spotted his recruiter , Sgt . Martinez , lying badly wounded on a litter . Rocco ensured that the sergeant received special attention and constant care . Vietnam War . Rocco served two tours of duty in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War . His first tour was from 1965 to 1966 . In 1969 , Rocco , who was by then a sergeant first class , returned for another tour of duty in Vietnam and was assigned to Advisory Team 162 of the U . S . Military Assistance Command . On May 24 , 1970 , Rocco volunteered to accompany a medical evacuation team on an urgent mission to pick up eight critically wounded South Vietnamese soldiers near the village of Katum . The helicopter in which the team was riding in came under heavy fire as it approached the landing zone . The pilot was shot in the leg and the helicopter crashed into a field . Under intense fire , Rocco was able to carry each of the unconscious crash survivors to the perimeter of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam . Despite having suffered a fractured wrist and hip and a severely bruised back , he was able to help administer first aid to his wounded comrades before collapsing and losing consciousness . Lieutenant Lee Caubareaux , the helicopter ' s co - pilot , later lobbied for Rocco to receive the Medal of Honor . On December 12 , 1974 , President Gerald Ford formally presented Rocco with the medal during a ceremony at the White House . Later years . Rocco made a career of the Army and earned an associate degree . He retired from the military in 1978 as a Chief Warrant Officer Two . Returning to New Mexico , Rocco was named director of New Mexico ' s Veterans Service Commission . During his tenure , he established the Vietnam Veterans of New Mexico organization , opened a Veterans ' Center which provided peer counseling to Vietnam veterans , started a shelter for the homeless and a nursing home for veterans , and persuaded New Mexico legislators and voters to waive tuition for all veterans at state colleges . Rocco returned to active duty in 1991 during the Gulf War and was stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio , Texas , where he recruited medical personnel . When he returned home , he met his fourth wife , Maria Chavez Schneider , an assistant director of New Mexico AIDS Services . The couple lived in San Miguel de Allende , Mexico , from 1992 until 1998 , when they moved to San Antonio , Texas . On July 11 , 2000 , Rocco was appointed the new Deputy State Director for Texas in San Antonio . He became instrumental in promoting Veterans Against Drugs , a nationwide school program . In 2002 , Rocco was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer ; he died at his San Antonio home on October 31 of that year . He was buried with full military honors at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio . He was survived by his wife , Maria ; two sons , Roy and Brian Rocco ; one daughter , Theresa Rocco ; his mother , Lita Rocco and five grandchildren ( Dell Rocco , Cameron DuBois , Ashley Rocco , James Rocco & Thomas Rocco ) . The local government of San Antonio honored Rocco by naming a youth center the Louis Rocco Youth & Family Center . The Army Aviation Association of America ( AAAA ) offers a scholarship named in his honor . On October 31 , 2011 , Rocco ' s Medal of Honor was stolen from his widow ' s San Antonio home . After a visit to her husband ' s grave on the ninth anniversary of his death , Maria Rocco returned home to find her house burglarized . The thieves took a number of electronic items as well as the medal . Medal of Honor citation . LOUIS R . ROCCO " Rank and organization : " Warrant Officer ( then Sergeant First Class ) , U . S . Army , Advisory Team 162 , U . S . Military Assistance Command . " Place and date : " Northeast of Katum , Republic of Vietnam , May 24 , 1970 " Entered service at : " Los Angeles , California " Born : " November 19 , 1938 , Albuquerque , New Mexico " Citation : " WO Rocco distinguished himself when he volunteered to accompany a medical evacuation team on an urgent mission to evacuate 8 critically wounded Army of the 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 , WO 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 WO 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 , WO Rocco carried each unconscious man across approximately 20 meters of exposed terrain to the Army of the 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 . Once inside the friendly position , WO 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 . Awards and recognitions . Among Rocco ' s decorations were the following : Badges