Riley L . Pitts Riley Leroy Pitts ( October 15 , 1937 – October 31 , 1967 ) was a United States Army Captain and the first African - American commissioned officer to receive the Medal of Honor . The medal was presented posthumously by U . S . President Lyndon B . Johnson on December 10 , 1968 for actions in Ap Dong , South Vietnam . Biography . Riley Leroy Pitts was born in Fallis , Oklahoma . He attended Wichita State University and graduated in 1960 with a degree in Journalism . Pitts married Mrs . Eula Pitts and had a daughter , Stacie , and a son , Mark , while employed with the Boeing Corporation . After being commissioned as an officer in the Army , he was sent to Vietnam in December 1966 . Pitts had seven years of service in the Army . In Vietnam , Pitts served as an information officer until he was transferred to a combat unit . As a Captain , he then served as commander of C Company " Wolfhounds " , 2d Battalion , 27th Infantry Regiment . On October 31 , 1967 , just one month before he was to be rotated back home , his unit was called upon to reinforce another company heavily engaged against a strong enemy force . After his company landed in an airmobile assault , several Viet Cong opened fire with automatic weapons . Captain Pitts led an assault which overran the enemy positions and was then ordered to move north to reinforce another company engaged against a strong enemy force . As his company moved forward intense fire was received from three directions , including four bunkers , two of which were within 15 meters of his position . His rifle fire proving ineffective against the enemy due to the dense foliage , Pitts picked up an M79 grenade launcher and began pinpointing the targets . Seizing a grenade taken from a captured Viet Cong ' s web gear , he lobbed it at a bunker to his front but it hit the foliage and rebounded . Without hesitation , Pitts threw himself on top of the grenade which , fortunately , failed to explode . He then directed the repositioning of the company to permit friendly artillery to be fired . Upon completion of the fire mission , he again led his men toward the enemy positions , personally killing at least one more Viet Cong . Displaying complete disregard for his personal safety , he maintained continuous fire , pinpointing the enemy ' s fortified positions , while at the same time directing and urging his men forward , until he was mortally wounded Captain Pitts is survived by his wife , Eula and his daughter Stacie and son Mark . Mark became an active member of the organization " Sons and Daughters In Touch " ( SDIT ) where he traveled to Vietnam to commemorate a memorial for his father . Numerous organizations have honored the first black officer Medal of Honor recipient by naming parks and organizations after him . He is buried in Hillcrest Memory Gardens Spencer , Oklahoma . The coordinates to his grave are GPS ( lat / lon ) : 35 . 52465 , - 97 . 30283 . Medal of Honor citation . Rank and organization : Captain , U . S . Army Place and date : October 31 , 1967 , Ap Dong , South Vietnam Distinguishing himself by exceptional heroism while serving as company commander during an airmobile assault . Immediately after his company landed in the area , several Viet Cong opened fire with automatic weapons . Despite the enemy fire , Capt . Pitts forcefully led an assault which overran the enemy positions . Shortly thereafter , Capt . Pitts was ordered to move his unit to the north to reinforce another company heavily engaged against a strong enemy force . As Capt . Pitts ' company moved forward to engage the enemy , intense fire was received from 3 directions , including fire from 4 enemy bunkers , 2 of which were within 15 meters of Capt . Pitts ' position . The severity of the incoming fire prevented Capt . Pitts from maneuvering his company . His rifle fire proving ineffective against the enemy due to the dense jungle foliage , he picked up an M - 79 grenade launcher and began pinpointing the targets . Seizing a Chinese Communist grenade which had been taken from a captured Viet Cong ' s web gear , Capt . Pitts lobbed the grenade at a bunker to his front , but it hit the dense jungle foliage and rebounded . Without hesitation , Capt . Pitts threw himself on top of the grenade which , fortunately , failed to explode . Capt . Pitts then directed the repositioning of the company to permit friendly artillery to be fired . Upon completion of the artillery fire mission , Capt . Pitts again led his men toward the enemy positions , personally killing at least 1 more Viet Cong . The jungle growth still prevented effective fire to be placed on the enemy bunkers . Capt . Pitts , displaying complete disregard for his life and personal safety , quickly moved to a position which permitted him to place effective fire on the enemy . He maintained a continuous fire , pinpointing the enemy ' s fortified positions , while at the same time directing and urging his men forward , until he was mortally wounded . Capt . Pitts ' conspicuous gallantry , extraordinary heroism , and intrepidity at the cost of his life , above and beyond the call of duty , are in the highest traditions of the U . S . Army and reflect great credit upon himself , his unit , and the Armed Forces of his country . Ceremony . President Lyndon B . Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Mrs . Eula Pitts and his son and daughter on December 10 , 1968 . In presenting the award , President Johnson declared , " What this man did in an hour of incredible courage will live in the story of America as long as America endures - as he will live in the hearts and memories of those who loved him . He was a brave man and a leader of men . No greater thing could be said of any man . " Captain Pitts ' mother and father , Mr . and Mrs . Theodore H . Pitts , attended the presentation ; also in attendance were Secretary of Defense Clark M . Clifford , Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Earle Wheeler , and Secretary of the Army Stanley Rogers Resor .