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Medal of Honor Recipient Talks About Bravery Under Overwhelming Enemy Fire
Published 2 years ago
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While serving as a sergeant with Company B of the 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces, Beikirch was stationed at Dak Seang Camp, home to Montagnard villagers and fighters, in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum.
On April 1, 1970, the camp was attacked by a numerically superior North Vietnamese force. While his Montagnard assistants treated the wounded, Beikirch fought back with a 4.2 inch mortar and, after that weapon was disabled by hostile fire, a machine gun.
Learning that a fellow American soldier was wounded and lying in an exposed position, he ran through heavy fire to rescue the man. He was hit by shrapnel in the process, including one fragment which struck near his spine and partially paralyzed him. Despite being severely wounded Beikirch would continue to aid the wounded and repel the enemy attack.
For his actions he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon on October 15, 1973.
Gary Beikirch passed away on December 26, 2021 at the age of 74.
For the remainder of the battle he had his Montagnard assistants carry him from one position to another as he treated the injured. He was wounded in the side while giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a Montagnard fighter and was then shot in the stomach.