Lance Corporal
United States Marine Corps
Thomas Noonan, Jr.
Citation
Citation
LANCE CORPORAL THOMAS P. NOONAN, JR.
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and
beyond the call of duty while serving as a Fire Team Leader with Company G,
Second Battalion, Ninth Marines,
Third Marine Division, in operations against the enemy in Quang Tri Province
in the Republic of
Vietnam. On 5 February 1969, Company G was directed to move from a position
which they had
been holding southeast of the Vandergrift Combat Base in A Shau Valley to an
alternate
location. As the Marines commenced a slow and difficult descent down the
side of the hill,
made extremely slippery by the heavy rains, the leading element came under a
heavy fire from a
North Vietnamese Army unit occupying well-concealed positions in the rocky terrain.
Four men
were wounded, and repeated attempts to recover them failed because of the intense
hostile fire.
Lance Corporal Noonan moved from his position of relative security and,
maneuvering down the
treacherous slope to a location near the injured men, took cover behind some
rocks. Shouting
words of encouragement to the wounded men to restore their confidence, he dashed
across the
hazardous terrain and commenced dragging the most seriously wounded man away
from the
fire-swept area. Although wounded and knocked to the ground by an enemy
round, Lance Corporal
Noonan recovered rapidly and resumed dragging the man toward the marginal security
of a rock.
He was however, mortally wounded before he could reach his destination.
His heroic actions
inspired his fellow Marines to such aggressiveness that they initiated a spirited
assault which
forced the enemy soldiers to withdraw. Lance Corporal Noonan's indomitable
courage inspiring
initiative and selfless devotion to duty upheld the highest traditions of the
Marine Corps and
the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
RICHARD
M. NIXON
President of the United States
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