25 & 26 April 2014 - SFC (Ret) Melvin Morris, Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipient. SFC Morris received the Medal of Honor for the following combat actions in Vietnam: In 1969, Morris was a Staff Sergeant serving as an adviser to civilian irregular defense forces. On September 17, 1969 they were on a search and destroy mission near Chi Lang. The eerie quiet drew suspicion, then the troops heard gunfire in the distance. Then came a call that the commander with a nearby company had been shot three times. A subsequent firefight led to more casualties. Two soldiers were left unscathed among the Special Forces, Morris and a specialist. Morris took two volunteers to get the body of the sergeant. Both the volunteers were wounded. He assisted them back to the line of the main forces. He went back alone to recover the body and retrieve the maps and documents the commander was carrying. Morris again charged into enemy fire to approach the nearest enemy bunker, throwing grenades into it. As his men laid a base of suppressive fire, he neared the position of the team leaders body. When a machine gun emplacement directed fire at him, he annihilated the position with hand grenades and continued his assault, eliminating three additional bunkers. Driving the enemy from the entrenchment nearest the fallen team leader, he retrieved his comrade and started to his troops position. As he neared his strike force position he was shot three times, in the right chest, in the right arm and left hand, leaving his ring finger almost severed. He also retrieved a case with maps and documents that could have given the enemy an advantage had it fallen into their hands. Morris received the Distinguished Service Cross — the Armys second-highest commendation — for his actions that day. This was upgraded to the Medal of Honor on March 18, 2014. This will be a 2 part mission Part 1: An escort will be provided for SFC (Ret) Melvin Morris from Tulsa International Airport to the Marriott Southern Hills in Tulsa, Ok. Date: Friday 25 April 2014 Staging: 11:00 AM Tulsa International Airport Concourse A Briefing: 11:15 AM YOU MUST ATTEND THE BRIEFING TO RIDE IN THIS ESCORT!!! Weather: Sunny, High 81, Low 54 HYDRATE! HYDRATE! HYDRATE! Part 2: An escort will be provided for SFC Morris from Marriott Southern Hills to Floral Haven Veterans Breakfast and the wreath laying ceremony. The riders will then escort SFC Morris to Veterans Park Tulsa for the Medal of Honor day ceremonies. Date: Saturday 26 April 2014 Staging: 7:00 AM Marriott Southern Hills 1902 E 71st St Tulsa, OK KSU: 7:30 AM Briefing: 7:15 AM YOU MUST ATTEND THE BRIEFING TO RIDE IN THE ESCORT!!!!! Weather: Partly cloudy, High 84, Low 64 HYDRATE! HYDRATE! HYDRATE!
Posted on: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 02:03:09 +0000