Poxon

to him with a large plaque. The Vietnam War really hit home at that point.”

Poxon is buried next to his parents in Detroit’s Forest Lawn Cemetery.

His story does not end on June 2, 1969, however.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted, They fell with their faces to the foe.

On February 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon presented the Congressional Medal of Honor to Robert’s parents, and his two brothers and three sisters, during a private ceremony in the East Room of the White House that included the families of 11 other servicemen who also received the posthumous awards.

While millions of Americans have served in our armed forces in the past 158 years, fewer than 3,500 have received the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military award.

During the Vietnam war, 247 men received the Medal of Honor. Of those, 154 were decorated following their deaths; Robert L. Poxon was one of those.

The full citation reads on the Medal of Honor reads:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor posthumously to First Lieutenant Robert Leslie Poxon, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a platoon leader with Troop B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, in action against enemy aggressor forces during a reconnaissance mission in Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, on 2 June 1969.

Landing by helicopter in an area suspected of being occupied by the enemy, 1st Lt Poxon’s platoon came under intense fire from enemy soldiers in concealed positions and fortifications around the landing zone.

A soldier fell, hit by the first burst of fire. 1st Lt Poxon dashed to his aid, drawing the majority of the enemy fire as he crossed 20 meters of open ground. The fallen soldier was beyond help and 1st Lt Poxon was seriously and painfully wounded. With indomitable courage 1st Lt Poxon refused medical aid and evacuation and turned his attention to seizing the initiative from the enemy. With sure instinct he marked a central enemy bunker as the key to success.

Quickly instructing his men to concentrate their fire on the bunker, and in spite of his wound, 1st Lt Poxon crawled toward the bunker, readied a hand grenade and charged. He was hit again, but continued his assault.

After succeeding in silencing the enemy guns in the bunker he was struck again by enemy fire and fell, mortally wounded.

1st Lt Poxon’s comrades followed their leader, pressed the attack and