On Nov 7, 1967 SP4 Robert F. Stryker and his company from 1/26 1ID were moving through the dense underbrush near Loc Ninh, when they were suddenly met with a hail of rocket, automatic weapons and small arms fire from enemy forces concealed in fortified bunkers and in the surrounding trees.
Stryker began using his M79 grenade launcher to annihilate the positions. During the devastating exchange of fire, he detected enemy elements attempting to encircle his company.
Undaunted by the enemy fire, he dashed alone, repeatedly firing off grenades into the trees, killing enemy snipers and enabling his brothers to sever the attempted encirclement.
.
At one point, he observed six wounded members of his squad in the killing zone of an enemy claymore mine. With complete disregard for his surroundings, he purposely tripped the mine and threw himself on the device as it detonated. He was mortally wounded as his body absorbed the blast and shielded his comrades from the explosion.
For his actions, Stryker was awarded the Medal of Honor. He died 2 days short of his 23rd birthday. The Stryker vehicle is partially named in his honor. The other part is dedicated to Stuart Stryker who earned the MOH at the age of 20 after sacrificing his life in WW2.
#zerofoxtrot #stayzero #hero