Alfred M . Wilson Alfred Mac Wilson ( January 13 , 1948 – March 3 , 1969 ) was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam in March 1969 . While returning from a reconnaissance mission , Wilson ' s platoon was ambushed , and their machine gunner and assistant were wounded . While facing enemy fire to retrieve the weapon , an enemy hand grenade was thrown between Wilson and a fellow Marine . Wilson threw himself on the grenade , absorbing the full force of the blast , sacrificing his life to save another . Early life . Alfred M . Wilson was born on January 13 , 1948 in Olney , Illinois . He moved with his family to Odessa , Texas in 1950 , and attended Burleson Elementary School , Crockett Junior High School , and graduated from Odessa High School | Odessa Senior High School in 1967 . He was active in football and track as well as the Distributive Education Club while in high school . His hobbies included shooting , hunting , fishing , football , and tennis . " I , Earnest Kitchens , was Mac Wilson ' s 1st cousin . I live in Shawneetown , Illinois . The last time I seen Mac we were probably 15 or 16 years old . They use to come up during the summer on vacation . I was in the U . S . Army in 1969 in South Korea , when my mom had wrote and told me that Mac had got killed in Vietnam . My mom went to his funeral in Texas , and then she had to go back two weeks later to Aunt Enda ' s ( Mac ' s mom ) funeral . Mac was a very good person . He always wore cowboy boots . When he ' d come home , he ' d always bring me something from Texas . One time , he even brought me a horned toad . I still think of him a lot of the time . " - Earnest Kitchens Military service . He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve at Abilene , Texas on November 1 , 1967 , and was discharged to enlist in the Regular Marine Corps on January 14 , 1968 . He underwent recruit training with the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion , Recruit Training Regiment , Marine Corps Recruit Depot , San Diego , California . Upon completion of recruit training , in April 1968 , he was transferred to Camp Pendleton , California , and completed individual combat training with Company D , 1st Battalion , 2nd Infantry Training Regiment , in May , and basic infantry training in June . He was promoted to private first class on July 1 , 1968 . Private First Class Wilson arrived in the Republic of Vietnam in July 1968 , and was assigned duty as a rifleman with Company D , 1st Battalion , 27th Marines , 1st Marine Division . He served in this capacity until September 1968 . He was later reassigned as a rifleman with Company M , 3rd Battalion , 9th Marines , 3rd Marine Division . Wilson was killed in action in the vicinity of Fire Support Base Cunningham , Quang Tri Province on March 3 , 1969 . While returning from a reconnaissance mission , Wilson ' s platoon was ambushed . While facing fire to retrieve the machine gun from the platoon ' s wounded machine gunner , an enemy hand grenade was thrown between Wilson and a fellow Marine . Wilson threw himself on the grenade , absorbing the full force of the blast , sacrificing his life . For these actions , Wilson was posthumous ly promoted to the rank of Corporal ; and was awarded the Medal of Honor . He was buried in Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Odessa , Texas . On April 20 , 1970 , his Medal of Honor was presented to his family by Vice President Spiro T . Agnew at the White House . Medal of Honor citation . The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ALFRED M . WILSON UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS for service as set forth in the following CITATION : / S / RICHARD M . NIXON Medals and decorations . Wilson ' s medals and decorations include : the Medal of Honor , the Purple Heart , the National Defense Service Medal , the Vietnam Service Medal , and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal . Memorials . Alfred M . Wilson ' s name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial ( " The Wall " ) on Panel 30W Line 035 . The United States Post Office on Texas Avenue in Odessa , Texas was named in honor of Alfred M . Wilson by efforts of Congressman Mike Conaway and Senator John Cornyn . Currently , an effort is under way in Odessa , Texas to name an elementary school after Wilson .