Gordon Douglas Yntema Gordon Douglas Yntema ( June 26 , 1945 – January 18 , 1968 ) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military ' s highest decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his actions in the Vietnam War . Biography . Yntema joined the Army from Detroit , Michigan in 1964 , and by January 16 , 1968 was serving as a Sergeant in Company D of the 5th Special Forces Group ( Airborne ) . On that day , near Thong Binh in the Republic of Vietnam , Yntema and the two platoons of irregular s he was with were involved in a heavy firefight with the Viet Cong . After the group ' s Vietnamese commander was wounded , Yntema led the force for the remainder of the two - day battle as ammunition dwindled and losses mounted . With his position about to be overrun , he refused to abandon his wounded comrades and instead fought to the death . Yntema , aged 22 at his death , was buried in Pilgrim Home Cemetery , Holland , Michigan . He and his wife Peggy had two daughters , Elizabeth and Jane . The enlisted club at Fort Bragg , NC is named in his honor . Medal of Honor citation . Sergeant Yntema ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life and above and beyond the call of duty . Sgt . Yntema , U . S . Army , distinguished himself while assigned to Detachment A - 431 , Company D . As part of a larger force of civilian irregulars from Camp Cai Cai , he accompanied 2 platoons to a blocking position east of the village of Thong Binh , where they became heavily engaged in a small - arms fire fight with the Viet Cong . Assuming control of the force when the Vietnamese commander was seriously wounded , he advanced his troops to within 50 meters of the enemy bunkers . After a fierce 30 minute fire fight , the enemy forced Sgt . Yntema to withdraw his men to a trench in order to afford them protection and still perform their assigned blocking mission . Under cover of machinegun fire , approximately 1 company of Viet Cong maneuvered into a position which pinned down the friendly platoons from 3 sides . A dwindling ammunition supply , coupled with a Viet Cong mortar barrage which inflicted heavy losses on the exposed friendly troops , caused many of the irregulars to withdraw . Seriously wounded and ordered to withdraw himself , Sgt . Yntema refused to leave his fallen comrades . Under withering small arms and machinegun fire , he carried the wounded Vietnamese commander and a mortally wounded American Special Forces advisor to a small gully 50 meters away in order to shield them from the enemy fire . Sgt . Yntema then continued to repulse the attacking Viet Cong attempting to overrun his position until , out of ammunition and surrounded , he was offered the opportunity to surrender . Refusing , Sgt . Yntema stood his ground , using his rifle as a club to fight the approximately 15 Viet Cong attempting his capture . His resistance was so fierce that the Viet Cong were forced to shoot in order to overcome him . Sgt . Yntema ' s personal bravery in the face of insurmountable odds and supreme self - sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect the utmost credit upon himself , the 1st Special Forces , and the U . S . Army .