On this day, 57 years ago, on June 28, 1968, Specialist Four Héctor Santiago-Colón, age 25, was serving as a mortar platoon gunner with Company B, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in Quảng Trị Province, Republic of Vietnam. His unit was engaged in Operation Jeb Stuart III, a combat sweep against North Vietnamese forces in the northern region of South Vietnam.
That night, Santiago-Colón was posted as a perimeter sentry when he detected movement in the woods to the front and flanks of the company’s defensive position. He immediately alerted the men around him, warning them to move to their foxholes and be prepared. At approximately 0200 hours, a coordinated enemy attack began. North Vietnamese forces opened fire with automatic weapons and small arms, and Santiago-Colón’s position came under heavy fire.
The engagement took place in complete darkness, with the only visual cues being the muzzle flashes from the enemy’s weapons. Santiago-Colón and his fellow soldiers responded with small arms fire, grenades, and antipersonnel mines. As the fight continued, a North Vietnamese soldier crawled close to the defensive line and threw a grenade directly into Santiago-Colón’s foxhole.
Without hesitation, Santiago-Colón grabbed the grenade, pulled it close to his body, turned away from the other soldiers in the hole, and absorbed the full impact of the blast with his own body. He was killed instantly. His action shielded his comrades from injury or death and allowed them to remain in the fight. The unit repelled the enemy assault and held the defensive perimeter.
Santiago-Colón’s remains were returned to his family and he was buried in Salinas Municipal Cemetery in Salinas, Puerto Rico. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions that night. The medal was presented to his family at the White House by President Richard Nixon on April 7, 1970.
Credits goes to the respective Owner