| Melvin Morris | |
|---|---|
 Receiving the Medal of Honor from President Obama | |
| Born | January 7, 1942 |
| Place of birth | Okmulgee, Oklahoma |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1959 - 1985 |
| Rank | Sergeant First Class |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | [1] |
Melvin Morris (born January 7, 1942) is a recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Biography[]
Morris was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in a March 18, 2014 ceremony in the White House. The award comes through the Defense Authorization Act which called for a review of Jewish American and Hispanic American veterans from WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War to ensure that no prejudice was shown to those deserving the Medal of Honor. [2]
Melvin Morris was born and grew up in Okmulgee Oklahoma. In 1959 Morris joined the Oklahoma Army National Guard and soon after joined the active duty Army. "Being in the military was better than being in trouble," he said. He excelled in the military becoming one of the first green berets in 1961 and twice volunteered for tours in Vietnam.[3]
Melvin Morris is a certified "American Badass" by the POTUS.
Melvin Morris received the Medal of Honor for his valorous actions on Sept. 17, 1969, while commanding the Third Company, Third Battalion of the IV Mobile Strike Force near Chi Lang, Vietnam. Then-Staff Sgt. Morris led an advance across enemy lines to retrieve another sergeant from his company. Staff Sgt. Morris was shot three times while trying to retrieve his fallen comrade. Despite this he single-handedly destroyed an enemy force with a bag of grenades in a series of bunkers that was pinning his battalion down .[4]
In addition to the Medal of Honor, Morris received the Bronze Star Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal with "V" Device and one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal with one Silver Loop, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with one Silver Star, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral "3", Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with Numeral "4", Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Expert Marksmanship Badge with Rifle Bar, Special Forces Tab, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star.
Morris in Vietnam
See also[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Melvin Morris. |
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War
- List of living Medal of Honor recipients
- Valor 24 Medal of Honor recipients
References[]
- ↑ "Sergeant First Class Melvin Morris". Valor 24: Medal of Honor. United States Army. http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/valor24/recipients/morris/?f=recipient_list. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- ↑ Daniel Rothberg (2014-02-21). "Obama will award Medal of Honor to 24 overlooked Army veterans". The Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-obama-medal-of-honors-veterans-20140221,0,5919747.story#axzz2u0hD4kAA. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
- ↑ Moody, R. Norman (18 March 2014). "Florida Army veteran will receive Medal of Honor". http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/local/2014/03/18/florida-vietnam-veteran-receives-medal-of-honor/6563865/. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- ↑ "The special forces hero receiving Medal of Honor more than 40 years after he was 'passed over because he was black' Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2565490/The-special-forces-hero-receiving-Medal-Honor-40-years-passed-black.html#ixzz2wLvIetow Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook". 18 March 2014. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2565490/The-special-forces-hero-receiving-Medal-Honor-40-years-passed-black.html. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
The original article can be found at Melvin Morris and the edit history here.