| |
| |
Korean War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient
Sgt. Nelson Vogel Brittin, US Army
CITATION:
Rank: Sergeant First Class Organization: U.S. Army, Company I, 19th Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Vicinity of Yonggong-ni, Korea, March 7, 1951. Entered service at: Audubon, N.J. Birth: Audubon, N.J. General Order No.: 12, Feb. 1, 1952. Citation: Sergeant First Class Nelson V. Brittin, Infantry, United States Army, a member of Company I, 19th Infantry Regiment, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action on 7 March 1951, in the vicinity of Yonggong-ni, Korea. Volunteering to lead his squad up a hill, with meager cover against murderous fire from the enemy, he ordered his squad to give him support and, in the face of withering fire and bursting shells, he tossed a grenade at the nearest enemy position. On returning to his squad, he was knocked down and wounded by an enemy grenade. Refusing medical attention, he replenished his supply of grenades and returned, hurling grenades into hostile positions and shooting the enemy as they fled. When his weapon jammed, he leaped without hesitation into a foxhole and killed the occupants with his bayonet and the butt of his rifle. He continued to wipe out foxholes and, noting that his squad had been pinned down, he rushed to the rear of a machinegun position, threw a grenade into the nest, and ran around to its front, where he killed all three occupants with his rifle. Less than 100 yards up the hill, his squad again came under vicious fire from another camouflaged, sandbagged, machinegun nest well-flanked by supporting riflemen. Sergeant Brittin again charged this new position in an aggressive endeavor to silence this remaining obstacle and ran direct into a burst of automatic fire which killed him instantly. In his sustained and driving action, he had killed 20 enemy soldiers and destroyed four automatic weapons. The conspicuous courage, consummate valor, and noble self-sacrifice displayed by Sergeant Brittin enabled his inspired company to attain its objective and reflect the highest glory on himself and the heroic traditions of the military service.
HARRY S. TRUMAN
The U.S. Navy named a military transport ship, USNS BRITTIN, after Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Nelson V. Brittin. Sgt. Brittin was awarded the Medal of Honor for action in Korea where he gave his life while defending his troops.
USNS BRITTIN (T-AKR 305)
Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ship
Marine Corps Hymn
"From the Halls of Montezuma
To the Shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
On the land as on the sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
of United States Marine.
"Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in ev'ry clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job--
The United States Marines.
"Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines."
|
|
|
|
|
Articles & Briefings
