Daniel Fernandez Daniel D . Fernandez ( June 30 , 1944 – February 18 , 1966 ) was a United States Army soldier in the Vietnam War who received the U . S . military ' s highest decoration , the Medal of Honor . Fernandez was awarded the medal for his actions in Hậu Nghĩa province , Republic of Vietnam , in February 1966 — throwing himself on a live grenade , he sacrificed his life to save lives of the soldiers around him . Biography . Born in Albuquerque , New Mexico , on June 30 , 1944 , Fernandez grew up in nearby Los Lunas . He had two younger brothers , Peter and James . Fernandez joined the Army from Albuquerque in 1962 and by 1966 was on his second tour of duty in Vietnam . During that deployment , he served as a specialist four in Company C , 1st Battalion , 5th Infantry Regiment ( Mechanized ) , 25th Infantry Division . On February 18 , 1966 , in Củ Chi , Hậu Nghĩa province , his 16 - man patrol was ambushed by a Viet Cong rifle company and forced to fall back . Fernandez and two others volunteered to follow a sergeant back to the ambush site and rescue a wounded soldier who had been left behind . After reaching the injured man , the sergeant was shot in the knee and Fernandez took over command of the patrol . All five men were pinned down by heavy fire when a rifle grenade landed in their midst . In the scramble to get away from the device , Fernandez accidentally kicked it closer to the rest of the group . He then shouted " move out " , jumped over the immobile sergeant , and threw himself on the grenade . He was killed in the resulting explosion , but successfully saved the lives of his fellow soldiers . For this action , Fernandez was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in November 1966 . He was the first of nine Mexican Americans to receive the medal in Vietnam . A Requiem Mass was held for Fernandez at Los Lunas High School prior to his burial at Santa Fe National Cemetery . His name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial ( " The Wall " ) on Panel 05E , Row 046 . Honors . In Fernandez ' s hometown of Los Lunas , a number of structures have been named in his honor . In March 1966 , the newly opened Los Lunas Junior High School was renamed Daniel Fernandez Junior High School in his honor . It has since been reorganized as Daniel Fernandez Intermediate School . A park and recreation facility , Daniel Fernandez Memorial Park , was dedicated in 1972 . The local Veterans of Foreign Wars post bears his name , as does a road , Fernandez Street . Students at Daniel Fernandez Intermediate School wrote of biography of him , titled " Man of Honor : The Story of Daniel Fernandez " , which was published in 2009 by Author House Publishing . Medal of Honor citation . His official Medal of Honor citation reads : For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty . Sp4c . Fernandez demonstrated indomitable courage when the patrol was ambushed by a Viet Cong rifle company and driven back by the intense enemy automatic weapons fire before it could evacuate an American soldier who had been wounded in the Viet Cong attack . Sp4c . Fernandez , a sergeant and 2 other volunteers immediately fought their way through devastating fire and exploding grenades to reach the fallen soldier . Upon reaching their fallen comrade the sergeant was struck in the knee by machine gun fire and immobilized . Sp4c . Fernandez took charge , rallied the left flank of his patrol and began to assist in the recovery of the wounded sergeant . While first aid was being administered to the wounded man , a sudden increase in the accuracy and intensity of enemy fire forced the volunteer group to take cover . As they did , an enemy grenade landed in the midst of the group , although some men did not see it . Realizing there was no time for the wounded sergeant or the other men to protect themselves from the grenade blast , Sp4c . Fernandez vaulted over the wounded sergeant and threw himself on the grenade as it exploded , saving the lives of his 4 comrades at the sacrifice of his life . Sp4c . Fernandez ' profound concern for his fellow soldiers , at the risk 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 and the Armed Forces of his country .