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Artifacts Eighteen
The first Congressional Medals of Honor awarded
went to the six survivors of the Union Army's "Andrew's Raiders".
19 volunteers and 2 civilians stole the locomotive "General"
and led a chase from Georgia to their capture outside Chattanooga.
Eight of the 19 captured, including the two civilians, were executed.
The eight men are buried in Chattanooga's National Cemetery.
Chattanooga National Cemetery
Monument honoring Tennessee's Congressional
Medal of Honor Recipients.
While working on a duster crew at the Battle of Khe Gio Bridge,
Vietnam, a Viet Cong soldier tossed a grenade into the bunker. Without
a thought for his own safety, Loudoun County native Sgt. Mitchell
Stout picked it up, ran through the door, and doubled his body over
the grenade to protect the men in his bunker from its blast. For
his actions under fire, Sgt. Mitchell Stout received the Congressional
Medal of Honor.
Major General Arthur McArthur, Jr. received the Congressional Medal
of Honor for his actions under fire at the Chickamauga Battle of
Missionary Ridge. McArthur received the medal for recovering the
unit's flag from a fallen soldier and continuing the charge to its'
peak. His son, General Douglas McArthur, would gain fame for his
service in the World Wars and also go on to receive a Congressional
Medal of Honor.
Dyersburg, Tennessee native 1st Lt. James Gardner pinned down by
enemy fire at the Battle of My Canh, Vietnam grabbed his rifle,
a bag of grenades and went on a one man assault to relieve his unit.
Gardner destroyed 6 enemy bunkers alone, He fell dead on the last
one, but rallied his 101st Airborne Unit who completely routed the
Viet Cong from the Battlefield.
In the Battle of Phu Loc 6 (Quang Nam Province,Vietnam March 19,
1969), McMinnville native Naval Hospital Corpsman David Ray rendered
medical aid under intense enemy fire. Twice he was forced to beat
back enemy troops while attending the injured. When he ran out of
ammunition, Ray sustained fatal wounds. His last act was to cover
a wounded Marine with his own body when a grenade rolled into the
bunker. For his actions under fire, HC2C David Ray posthumously
received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
In addition, the United States Navy named a ship the U.S.S.
David R. Ray to commemorate his actions in Vietnam.
See U.S.S.
David R.Ray decomissioned for full story
All pictures courtesy of
The National Medal of Honor Museum of Military History
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