War Stories with Preston and Sayre
Society & Culture
Spec/4 Danny Peterson (B/4-23IN, 25th ID) Vietnam War 09JAN1970
09JAN1970: Commanding an armored personnel carrier, Spec/4 Danny Peterson and his company found themselves up against an estimated battalion sized enemy force. As the enemy opened fire, the lead personnel carrier was disabled and the men inside pinned down by machine gun and RPG fire.
To provide the disabled crew cover and time to repair the vehicle, Peterson maneuvered his APC directly between the disabled vehicle and the enemy position. Now firing point blank into the entrenched enemy fighting positions, Peterson's vehicle was soon hit and the driver wounded.
Exiting the APC, Peterson carried his wounded driver 45m across open terrain to the casualty collection point for treatment. His vehicle badly damaged and the company preparing to withdraw, Peterson could have stayed out of the fight.
Instead he ran right back in and began laying down covering fire for his men as they attempted to exit the kill zone. Alone and taking fire from three sides, Spec/4 Danny Peterson was shortly killed as he manned the position. For his selfless act that day, Peterson would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
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