Jimmy W . Phipps Jimmy Wayne Phipps ( November 1 , 1950 – May 27 , 1969 ) was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on May 27 , 1969 in the Vietnam War . Biography . Jimmy Wayne Phipps was born on November 1 , 1950 , in Santa Monica , California . He attended Marina Del Ray Junior High School in Culver City , California and Venice High School in Venice , California . He left high school to enlist in the U . S . Marine Corps Reserve on January 3 , 1968 and was discharged on January 7 , 1968 to enlist in the Regular Marine Corps . He completed recruit training with the 2nd Recruit Training Battalion , Recruit Training Regiment , Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego , California on March 14 , 1968 . Transferred to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , California , he underwent individual combat training with Company L , 2nd Battalion , 2nd Infantry Training Regiment , followed by basic infantry training which he completed in May 1968 . From June until August 1968 , he was a student with the Marine Aviation Detachment , Naval Air Technical Training Command , Memphis , Tennessee . Transferred to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune , North Carolina , he attended the Marine Corps Engineer Schools , until the following October . He was promoted to private first class on October 1 , 1968 . In December 1968 , he was transferred to the Republic of Vietnam where he served as a combat engineer with Company B , 1st Engineer Battalion , 1st Marine Division . He was initially attached to Company C , 1st Battalion 5th Marines ( C / 1 / 5 ) as its combat engineer . He was then detached and returned to Company B , but in late May , volunteered to return to the field with C / 1 / 5 . While participating in combat in what was referred to as the " Arizona Territory , " located in the vicinity of An Hoa on May 27 , 1969 , he was killed in action during the combat action for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor . He died May 27 , 1969 and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery , Santa Monica California . Awards and honors . Phipps ' s awards include : The name " Jimmy W . Phipps " is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Panel 23W , Row 002 . Medal of Honor citation . The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JIMMY W . PHIPPS UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS for service as set forth in the following CITATION : For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a combat Engineer with Company B , First Engineer Battalion , First Marine Division in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam . On 27 May 1969 , Private First Class Phipps , was a member of a two - man combat engineer demolition team assigned to locate and destroy enemy artillery ordnance and concealed firing devices . After he had expended all of his explosives and blasting caps , Private First Class Phipps discovered a 175mm high explosive artillery round in a rice paddy . Suspecting that the enemy had attached at the artillery round to a secondary explosive device , he warned other Marines in the area to move to covered positions and prepared to destroy the round with a hand grenade . As he was attaching the hand grenade to a stake beside the artillery round , the fuse of the enemy ' s secondary explosive device ignited . Realizing that his assistant and the platoon commander were both with a few meters of him and that the imminent explosion could kill all three men , Private First Class Phipps grasped the hand grenade to his chest and dived forward to cover the enemy ' s explosive and the artillery round with his body , thereby shielding his companions from the detonation while absorbing the full and tremendous impact with his own body . Private First Class Phipp ' s indomitable courage , inspiring initiative and selfless devotion to duty saved the lives of two Marines and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service . He gallantly gave his life for his country . / S / RICHARD M . NIXON