MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIANT

DETAILS

RANK: PRIVATE FIRST CLASS

CONFLICT/ERA: VIETNAM WAR

UNIT/COMMAND:
COMPANY B

1ST ENGINEER

BATTALION,
1ST MARINE DIVISION (REIN) FMF

MILITARY SERVICE BRANCH:

U.S. MARINE CORPS

MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION DATE:

MAY 27, 1969

MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION PLACE:

NEAR AN HOA, VIETNAM

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 in connection with combat operations against the enemy. Pfc. 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, Pfc. Phipps discovered a 175-mm high-explosive artillery round in a rice paddy. Suspecting that the enemy had attached 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 within a few meters of him and that the imminent explosion could kill all three men, Pfc. 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 body. Pfc. Phipps' 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 U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

ACCREDITED TO:

CULVER CITY, LOS ANGELES

CALIFORNIA

AWARDED POSTHUMOUSLY: YES

PRESENTATION DATE & DETAILS:

APRIL 20, 1970
THE WHITE HOUSE

PRESENTED BY SPIRO T. AGNEW

BORN: NOVEMBER 1, 1950

SANTA MONICA, CA

DIED: MAY 27, 1969

REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

BURIED:

WOODLAWN CEMETERY (MH)

(18-504-8)

SANTA MONICA, CA

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