Michael Crescenz Michael Joseph Crescenz ( January 14 , 1949 – November 20 , 1968 ) was a United States Army Corporal ( Cpl ) during the Vietnam War who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions near the Hiep Duc village of Vietnam on November 20 , 1968 . Biography . Michael J . Crescenz ( pronounced with a French inflection ) was born in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania on January 14 , 1949 . In 1962 , he graduated from At . Athanasius School in the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia and from Cardinal Dougherty High School in 1966 . He enlisted in the U . S . Army in February 1968 . He shipped out to Vietnam in September 1968 , the same month that his older brother Charles , a United States Marine who had served 13 months in Vietnam , was discharged from active duty . Crescenz received a posthumous promotion to the rank of Corporal . He was the only Philadelphian to receive the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War . He was survived by his parents and five brothers . His Medal of Honor was presented to his family by President Richard M . Nixon in a White House ceremony on April 7 , 1970 . To respect his parents ' wishes , Cpl . Crescenz was buried in the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery , Cheltenham , Montgomery County , Pennsylvania . In 2008 , after the death of his parents , Michael Crescenz was reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery . Medal of Honor citation . Michael J . Crescenz Rank and Organization : Corporal , U . S . Army , Company A , 4th Battalion , 31st Infantry , 196th Infantry Brigade , Americal Division . Place and date : Hiep Duc Valley area , Republic of Vietnam , November 20 , 1968 . Entered service at : Philadelphia , PA . Born : January 14 , 1949 , Philadelphia , Pa . The President of the United States in the name of the Congress of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to MICHAEL JOSEPH CRESCENZ Corporal , Army of the United States for service as set forth in the following CITATION : Cpl . Crescenz distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a rifleman with Company A . In the morning his unit engaged a large , well - entrenched force of the North Vietnamese Army whose initial burst of fire pinned down the lead squad and killed the 2 point men , halting the advance of Company A . Immediately , Cpl . Crescenz left the relative safety of his own position , seized a nearby machine gun and , with complete disregard for his safety , charged 100 meters up a slope toward the enemy ' s bunker s which he effectively silenced , killing the 2 occupants of each . Undaunted by the withering machine gun fire around him , Cpl . Crescenz courageously moved forward toward a third bunker which he also succeeded in silencing , killing 2 more of the enemy and momentarily clearing the route of advance for his comrades . Suddenly , intense machine gun fire erupted from an unseen , camouflaged bunker . Realizing the danger to his fellow soldiers , Cpl . Crescenz disregarded the barrage of hostile fire directed at him and daringly advanced toward the position . Assaulting with his machine gun , Cpl . Crescenz was within 5 meters of the bunker when he was mortally wounded by the fire from the enemy machine gun . As a direct result of his heroic actions , his company was able to maneuver freely with minimal danger and to complete its mission , defeating the enemy . Cpl . Crescenz ' s bravery and extraordinary heroism at the cost of his life are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself , his unit , and the U . S . Army . In memory . Corporal Michael Joseph Crescenz has his name inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial ( " The Wall " ) in Washington , D . C . on Panel 38W Line 016 .