On September 4, 1967, the Marines from 1/5 encountered a large NVA unit of approx. 2500 men in the Que Son Valley, Vietnam. The outnumbered Americans had already sustained 26 dead and in the midst of all this, stood Father Vincent Capodanno.
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The Grunt Padre went among the wounded and the dying giving the last rites disregarding the heavy enemy fire. An exploding mortar round landed near Father Capodanno, sustaining sever wounds to the face, legs, arms and severing a portion of his right hand. Regardless of the wounds, he refused medical attention and began directing the Corpsmen to help the wounded.
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Upon encountering a wounded corpsman in the direct line of fire of an enemy machine gunner positioned approximately 15 yards away, Capodanno rushed a daring attempt to aid and assist the mortally wounded corpsman. At that instant, he was struck down by a burst of machine gun fire and died on the battlefield; only a few inches from the wounded corpsman.
Capodanno received the Medal of Honor, making him one of only 3 chaplains to ever receive it in US history.
There are numerous memorials that pay tribute to the Padre, including in Japan, Iraq, Italy, and Vietnam. #stayzero #zerofoxtrot #gruntpadre