Medal of Honor Recipient: Staff Sergeant Kenneth E. Stumpf
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant (then Sp4c.),
U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Duc Pho, Republic
of Vietnam , 25 April 1967 . Entered
service at: Milwaukee , Wis. Born: 28 September 1944 , Neenah , Wis.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of
his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Stumpf distinguished himself
while serving as a squad leader of the 3d Platoon, Company C, on a search and
destroy mission. As S/Sgt. Stumpf's company approached a village, it
encountered a North Vietnamese rifle company occupying a well fortified bunker
complex. During the initial contact, 3 men from his squad fell wounded in front
of a hostile machinegun emplacement. The enemy's heavy volume of fire prevented
the unit from moving to the aid of the injured men, but S/Sgt. Stumpf left his
secure position in a deep trench and ran through the barrage of incoming rounds
to reach his wounded comrades. He picked up 1 of the men and carried him back
to the safety of the trench. Twice more S/Sgt. Stumpf dashed forward while the
enemy turned automatic weapons and machineguns upon him, yet he managed to
rescue the remaining 2 wounded squad members. He then organized his squad and
led an assault against several enemy bunkers from which continuously heavy fire
was being received He and his squad successfully eliminated 2 of the bunker
positions, but one to the front of the advancing platoon remained a serious
threat. Arming himself with extra hand grenades, S/Sgt. Stumpf ran over open
ground, through a volley of fire directed at him by a determined enemy, toward
the machinegun position. As he reached the bunker, he threw a hand grenade
through the aperture. It was immediately returned by the occupants, forcing
S/Sgt. Stumpf to take cover. Undaunted, he pulled the pins on 2 more grenades,
held them for a few seconds after activation, then hurled them into the
position, this time successfully destroying the emplacement. With the
elimination of this key position, his unit was able to assault and overrun the
enemy. S/Sgt. Stumpf's relentless spirit of aggressiveness, intrepidity, and
ultimate concern for the lives of his men, are in the highest traditions of the
military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.