Robert Emmett O ' Malley Robert Emmett O ' Malley ( born June 3 , 1943 ) is a former United States Marine who was the first Marine Corps recipient of the Medal of Honor — the United States ' highest military decoration — in the Vietnam War . He received the medal for his actions as a corporal on August 18 , 1965 , during Operation Starlite . Biography . O ' Malley was born on June 3 , 1943 , in New York City . He was raised and attended school in the Woodside , Queens , section of the city . O ' Malley graduated from high school in 1961 and joined the Marines soon after ; all three of his brothers also served in the Marine Corps . Coincidentally , O ' Malley grew up with Lance Corporal Thomas P . Noonan , Jr . , who would also be awarded the Medal of Honor in Vietnam , albeit posthumously . The two attended school and church together and were friends throughout childhood . After Noonan ' s death in Vietnam , O ' Malley remained in contact with the Noonan family and visited Noonan ' s mother every year on Memorial Day . Enlisting in the U . S . Marine Corps on October 11 , 1961 , O ' Malley completed recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island . He then transferred to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and served with the 5th Marine Regiment , 1st Marine Division . He was promoted to private first class in May 1962 . The following year , he arrived on Okinawa as a member of the 3rd Battalion 9th Marines , then part of 3rd Marine Division . While there , he was promoted to lance corporal in March 1963 , and to corporal in November 1963 . He returned to Camp Pendleton in 1964 as a member of the 2nd Battalion 1st Marines . In October 1964 , he was awarded a Good Conduct Medal upon completing three years of satisfactory service in the Marine Corps . As a squad leader in Company I , 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines , Corporal O ' Malley was sent to Vietnam in 1965 , arriving at the Chu Lai Marine Corps base in May . Three months later , intelligence indicated that a Viet Cong regiment had moved down from the mountains and positioned itself a few miles south of Chu Lai . At dawn on August 18 , 1965 , as part of Operation Starlite , a preemptive strike against the Viet Cong force , O ' Malley ' s battalion performed an amphibious landing near the village of An Cuong 2 . Shortly after landing , they came under mortar and small arms fire . During the ensuing firefight , O ' Malley single - handedly attacked a Viet Cong trench and helped to evacuate wounded Marines . Eventually , his squad was ordered to withdraw . As he led his men to the helicopter extraction point , he was hit in the legs , arm , and chest by mortar fragmentation . Despite his wounds , he refused to be evacuated and instead provided suppressive fire until all of his Marines had boarded a helicopter . After the battle , he received treatment in Japan for his wounds , including surgery to remove fragmentation which had lodged in his lungs . He was promoted to sergeant in December 1965 and returned to Camp Pendleton , where he stayed for the remainder of his service . He left the Marine Corps in April 1966 . He was flown on Air Force One to Austin , Texas . On December 6 , 1966 , Sgt O ' Malley was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B . Johnson at the Federal Building in Austin , Texas . Both the Marine Corps Drill Team and The Marine Corps Band took part in the ceremony at the Texas White House . Awards and decorations . O ' Malley ' s awards include : Medal of Honor citation . The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to CORPORAL ROBERT E . O ' MALLEY UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS for service as set forth in the following CITATION : / S / LYNDON B . JOHNSON