Marvin Glenn Shields

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Marvin Glenn Shields
Seabee Team 1104, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11
Battles/warsVietnam War
Awards
Purple Heart Medal
(3)

Marvin Glenn Shields (December 30, 1939 – June 10, 1965) was the first and only

Seabee to be awarded the Medal of Honor. He was also the first sailor to receive the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty in the Vietnam War
.

Biography

Marvin G. Shields was born December 30, 1939, in Port Townsend, Washington. He lived near Port Townsend on Discovery Bay in Gardiner, Washington.[1] He graduated from Port Townsend High School in 1958 and had moved to Hyder, Alaska, where he worked at Mineral Basin Mining Company, a gold mining project started by Port Townsend company.[1]

U.S. Navy

Seabees

He joined the Navy on January 8, 1962, to be a Navy Seabee. He was assigned to the

Okinawa and was assigned there until September 1964.[2]
On November 1, he was assigned to Seabee Team 1104, Naval Construction Battalion 11, and completed Seabee team training at Port Hueneme on January 22, 1965. The Seabee team consisted of nine Seabees including one officer.

Shields and Seabee Team 1104 deployed to

Montagnards.[3]
The adjacent compound was occupied by over 200 South Vietnamese Army soldiers.

Battle of Dong Xoai

On the night of June 9, 1965, the unfinished Army Special Forces Camp at Dong Xoai was mortared and attacked by the 272nd

Saigon on June 10 and died during the evacuation.[2]

Two Seabees of Team 1104, Shields and SW2 William C. Hoover lost their lives and seven of his Seabee team were wounded in the first two days of the

Battle of Dong Xoai (June 9–13).[4] Three Army Special Forces soldiers were also killed, plus several members of other American military units and many members of South Vietnamese military units which partook in the battle were killed and wounded.[4]

Burial

Marvin Glenn Shields' grave.

Shields was buried with a Marine Corps honor guard at Gardiner Cemetery, Gardiner, Washington on June 19, 1965. His name is listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Panel 02E, Row 007.[4]

Medal of Honor

Shields was

posthumously presented the Medal of Honor at a ceremony at the White House on September 13, 1966. His wife received the award from President Lyndon B. Johnson in the presence of his father, mother, daughter, and brother.[5] Special Forces Lieutenant Williams was also present during the ceremony and had himself received the Medal of Honor on July 5, 1966, for his heroic actions during the 14-hour siege of the Special Forces Camp at Dong Xoai. All twenty of the Seabees and Special Forces soldiers were personally awarded for their actions at Dong Xoai.[3]

Shields' other military decorations and awards include: the

RVN Gallantry Cross with Palm, RVN Military Merit Medal, RVN Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with palm and frame, RVN Civil Actions Unit Citation with palm and frame, and RVN Campaign Medal
with 1960- device,

Medal of Honor citation

Shield's Medal of Honor Citation reads:

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to

CONSTRUCTION MECHANIC THIRD CLASS MARVIN G. SHIELDS
UNITED STATES NAVY

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with United States Navy Seabee Team 1104 at Dong Xoai, Republic of Vietnam, on 10 June 1965. Although wounded when the compound of Detachment A-342,
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, came under intense fire from an estimated reinforced Viet Cong regiment employing machine gun, heavy weapons and small arms, Shields continued to resupply his fellow Americans with needed ammunition and to return the enemy fire for a period of approximately three hours, at which time the Viet Cong launched a massive attack at close range with flame throwers, hand grenades and small-arms fire. Wounded a second time during this attack, Shields nevertheless assisted in carrying a more critically wounded man to safety, and then resumed firing at the enemy for four more hours. When the Commander asked for a volunteer to accompany him in an attempt to knock out an enemy machine gun emplacement which was endangering the lives of all personnel in the compound because of the accuracy of its fire, Shields unhesitatingly volunteered for this extremely hazardous mission. Proceeding toward their objective with a 3.5-inch rocket launcher, they succeeded in destroying the enemy machine gun emplacement, thus undoubtedly saving the lives of many of their fellow servicemen in the compound. Shields was mortally wounded by hostile fire while returning to his defensive position. His heroic initiative and great personal valor in the face of intense enemy fire sustain and enhance the finest tradition of the United States Naval Service.[6]
LYNDON B. JOHNSON

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Denfeld, Duane Colt (December 30, 2014). "President Lyndon B. Johnson awards Marvin Glenn Shields the Medal of Honor posthumously on September 13, 1966". historylink.org. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e Tash, Debra (June 6, 2015). "Seabee Museum to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of Fallen Seabee". Citizens Journal. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Marvin Shields and the 'Bees at Dong Xoai". Seabee Online. June 11, 2015. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "Marvin G. Shields, Construction Mechanic 3rd Class". Virtual Wall. Archived from the original on July 11, 2007. Retrieved December 8, 2006.
  5. ^ "Marvin Shields". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Archived from the original on February 11, 2007.
  6. ^ "Navy Medal of Honor: Vietnam War 1964-1975". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
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