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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Westchester County (LST-1167)

Silver Star Medal

HM1 John S. Sullivan, USN For Conspicuous Gallantry and Intrepidity in Action, 1 November 1968
Paraphrased From Citation
"Wounded and temporary unconscious in his devastated berthing compartment, HM1 Sullivan regained consciousness and stayed in the explosive area leading two of his injured shipmates to safety. He then dressed his own wounds quickly and treated other wounded patients. Upon learning an undetermined number of men were trapped and alive, he unhesitatingly tied a rope around his waist and had himself lowered into the wreckage. With complete disregard for his own safety, he worked his way toward the trapped men and working for more than an hour in this treacherous position, freed two men whose lives would surely have been lost. He refused to have himself evacuated so that his own serious wounds could be properly treated until he was positive nothing more by done. In all this was a period of almost 6 hours since he had been wounded in the initial blast."

Bronze Star Medal

LCDR. John W. Branin, USN (with Combat "V") For Meritorious Service
Paraphrased From Citation
for serving as Commanding Officer of Westchester County from September 1967 to August 1969

LCDR. John W. Branin, USN (Gold Star in lieu of 2nd award) For Meritorious Service from 15 October 1967 to 15 Januarty 1968, while serving with the Mobile Riverine Assault Forces in Vietnam.
Paraphrased From Citation
While serving concurrently as Logistical Base Officer, MRF and Tactical Force Base Officer, CCC, 4/47 Infantry, he displayed leadership and relentless attention to detail throughout the joint effort between C company and Westchester County. LCDR. Branin displayed keen foresight and tenacity in advancing the riverine concept of warfare in the theater. He applied his dynamic perseverance to mold elements of the Army and Navy into a highly effective fighting force.

LCDR. John W. Branin, USN (Gold Star in lieu of 3nd award) For Meritorious Service on 1 November 1968

LT. Richard M. Jensen, USN (with Combat "V") For Heroic Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
"LT Jensen proceeded to the damaged areas and with complete disregard for his own safety entered the wrecked compartments searching for survivors. Crawling throught the wreckage on his stomach he was instrumental in rescuing a petty officer who was seriously wounded."

LTjg. Charles P. Vion, USNR (with Combat "V") For Heroic Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
LTjg. Vion entered the wrecked compartments and with complete disregard for his own safety was able to make a highly accurate estimate of the ship's structural stability. His calm professional leadership was a vital factor in controlling damage and further personnel losses

Ltjg. James R. Yeager, USNR (with Combat "V") for Heroic Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
LTjg. Yeager left relative safety of his General Quarters Station and unhesitatingly and entered the gutted compartments searching for survivors and rendering assistance when needed.

LTjg. Errol R. Hurst, USNR (with Combat "V") for Heroic Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
LTjg. Hurst immediately reorganized his repair parties and provided the optimum in leadership in controlling damage and personnel losses. With the possibility of fire and further explosion imminent, he worked his way in and out of the gutted compartments directing the control of damage and removal of casualties with complete disregard for his own safety.

DC3 Joseph M. Lapoma, USN (with Combat "V") for Heroic Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
Petty Officer Lapoma courageously and unhesitatingly, with complete disregard for his own safety and despite the imminent danger of fire entered the devastated compartments, rigged staging and cut his way into the area to free two men alive and trapped.

MM3 Kenneth McGuin, USN (with Combat "V") for Heroic Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
Petty Officer McQuin entered the First Class Berthing Compartment immediately after the explosion and rescued a seriously wounded shipmate. He then unhesitatingly reentered the area, found another survivor and calmly set about the task of freeing him and brought him to safety.

Navy Commendation Medal

LTjg. Patrick E. Sammons, USNR (with Combat "V") for Meritorious Service
Paraphrased From Citation
It was only through his knowledge, leadership and devotion to duty that the Commanding Officer was able to obtain Vitality needed information about personnel casualties and damage to the ship.

EMCS Archie J. Ruszala, USN (with Combat "V") for Exceptionally Meritorious Service
Paraphrased From Citation
As the Repair Locker Leader, he immediately established the extent of port side damage and commenced the evacuation of the Army Personnel from their berthing compartment which had immediately been flooded to 6 feet with fuel oil.

RM1 Bobby H. Doerr, USN (with Combat "V") for Meritorious Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
With four of six radiomen either killed or wounded, he worked constantly for 72 hours insuring all messages were handled in an orderly manner. He personally set all teletype circuits for 24 straight hours, insuring all damage reports and notification of next of kin was done correctly and expeditiously.

EM3 Terry Morris, USN (with Combat "V") for Meritorious Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
Petty Officer Morris instinctively and promptly had all electric power secured to the area, eliminating a primary source of fire in the highly explosive atmosphere.

FN Harold Palmer, USN (with Combat "V") for Meritorious Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
Through his efforts, calmness and determination, many men; some seriously wounded, were able to escape from the flooded troop compartment. He remained at his General Quarters Station throughout the emergency tirelessly removing casualties and combating damage.

SN Charlie H. Lee, USN (with Combat "V") for Meritorious Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
He rushed into an extremely dangerous area and assisted in removing two First Class Petty Officers from danger an assisted the to an emergency battle dressing station.

Navy Achievement Medal

ENC Elmer Grigger, USN (with Combat "V") for Meritorious Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
Chief Grigger's vast knowledge and experience enabled him to coordinate the entire Engineering Department when both the DCA and Chief Engineer were necessarily at the scene of the damage.

BM2 Jerry Turner, USN (with Combat "V") for Meritorious Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
Petty Officer Turner's aggressiveness and calmness was an inspiration to all who observed his seemingly tireless efforts in the removal of casualties and in control of existing damage.

EN3 Theodore Smith, USN (with Combat "V") for Meritorious Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
With only the aid of a flashlight, he began sounding fuel tanks in the damaged area and was quickly able to relay vital information to Damage Control Central on the extend of unseen progressive flooding.

EN3 Jerry A. Hammond, USN (with Combat "V") for Meritorious Achievement
Paraphrased From Citation
In the absence of his Petty Officer in charge, who was a casualty, he took charge and insured that Number Two Engine Room was ready in all respects to get underway.

DCFN Rodney W. Vance, USN (with Combat "V") for Meritorious Service
Paraphrased From Citation
DCFN Vance quickly took charge at the scene of the explosion when it was learned that his repair leader was a casualty. His leadership and through knowledge of damage control procedures were of prime importance in controlling damage to the ship.

Purple Heart Medal

Personnel Killed In Action and Wounded in Action, Go Cong Province, South Vietnam. 1 November 1968

US Navy KIA	US Army 9th Infantry Division (attached to LST-1167) KIA
SA Jackie C. Carter	Bowman, Leslie Von, SP4
SK1 Richard C. Cartwright	Cintron-Mendez, Wilfredo, SP4
QM2 Chester D. Dale	Cooke, Ernest Frissle, Jr. PFC
RD3 Keith W. Duffy	Jose, Paul David, SP4
SMSN Timonthy C. Dunning	O'Conner, Dennis K. SGT
PN2 David G. Fell	US Navy WIA
RM3 Gerald E. B. Hamm	EN1 John T. Brown, USN
ETN2 Thomas G. Funke	EN1 Adolfo A. Martinez
SN Floyd W.Houghtaling III	HM1 John S. Sullivan
SK1 Aristotoles D.B. Ibanez	ET2 John Noser
YN1 Jerry S. Leonard	SH3 Russell B. Clark
RM3 Joseph A. Miller Jr.	SH3 Charles Vance
RM1 Rodney W. Peters	GMG3 James Kelly
YN3 Cary F. Rundle	SM3 Roger E. Pennyington
	RD3 David Visscher
RM3 Reinhard J. Schnurrer Jr.	SM3 Billy W. Kiser
QM2 Thomas H. Smith, Markesan	RD3 James M. Decker
CS1 Anthony R. Torcivia	RDSN Richard G. Adams
EN3 Harry J. Kenny (River Assault Division 111)	SN Ernest Sisneros
	FA William Munoz
	QMSN Danny McDonald

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