Joseph G . LaPointe , Jr . Joseph Guy LaPointe , Jr . ( July 2 , 1948 – June 2 , 1969 ) was a medic in the United States Army who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War . Biography . LaPointe , known to his family as " Guy " , was born and raised in Dayton , Ohio . After graduating from Northridge High School in 1966 , he moved to nearby Clayton and worked as a mail carrier in Englewood . LaPointe was a nature lover and an avid hiker . LaPointe was drafted in 1968 and declared himself a conscientious objector . He was trained as a combat medic and sent to Vietnam in November 1968 . By June 2 of the next year , he was a Specialist Four serving with the 2nd Squadron , 17th Cavalry Regiment , 101st Airborne Division . On that day , he participated in a patrol on Hill 376 in Quang Tin province . When his unit came under heavy fire from entrenched enemy forces and took several casualties , LaPointe ran through the automatic weapon s fire to reach two wounded men at the head of the patrol . He treated the soldiers and shielded them with his body , even after being twice wounded , until an enemy grenade killed all three men . For these actions , he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in January 1972 . His other decorations include the Silver Star , Bronze Star , and National Defense Service Medal . He left a " widow , Cindy LaPointe [ now ] Dafler , and [ a ] son Joseph G . LaPointe III , who . . . never met his father . " Medal of Honor citation . LaPointe ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty . SPC4 . LaPointe , Headquarters and Headquarters Troop , 2d Squadron , distinguished himself while serving as a medical aidman during a combat helicopter assault mission . SPC4 . LaPointe ' s patrol was advancing from the landing zone through an adjoining valley when it suddenly encountered heavy automatic weapons fire from a large enemy force entrenched in well fortified bunker positions . In the initial hail of fire , 2 soldiers in the formation vanguard were seriously wounded . Hearing a call for aid from 1 of the wounded , SPC4 . LaPointe ran forward through heavy fire to assist his fallen comrades . To reach the wounded men , he was forced to crawl directly in view of an enemy bunker . As members of his unit attempted to provide covering fire , he administered first aid to 1 man , shielding the other with his body . He was hit by a burst of fire from the bunker while attending the wounded soldier . In spite of his painful wounds , SPC4 . LaPointe continued his lifesaving duties until he was again wounded and knocked to the ground . Making strenuous efforts , he moved back again into a shielding position to continue administering first aid . An exploding enemy grenade mortally wounded all 3 men . SPC4 . LaPointe ' s courageous actions at the cost of his life were an inspiration to his comrades . His gallantry and selflessness are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him , his unit , and the U . S . Army . Tributes . Several structures have been named in LaPointe ' s honor , including a housing complex and medical complex in Fort Campbell , Kentucky , a medical heliport in Fort Benning , Georgia , and an Army Reserve Center in Riverside , Ohio . A portion of Ohio State Route 49 in Montgomery County has been designated the " Joseph G . LaPointe Jr . Memorial Highway " . On June 2 , 2009 , the fortieth anniversary of his death , LaPointe ' s widow and son were presented with the Medal of Honor flag during a ceremony at the LaPointe Army Reserve Center in Riverside .