Already on his second tour in Vietnam, Maj. Richard Dennis Ator had built a solid reputation as a combat leader by leading from the front, taking care of his men and getting the job done. When he previously served with B.Co 1/22 Inf. on his first tour, his leadership skills in the field led to the loss of only 3 men (all non combat related). On March 5, 1970, while serving as a MACV Advisor on a base camp in the Tuyen Duc Province, an overwhelming enemy force launched a massive attack.
With casualties mounting and with the enemy through the wire, Ator stood his ground killing scores of soldiers with a grenade launcher. When all of his ammunition was gone, he began clubbing the enemy to death with his empty M79 until he was killed by rifle fire.
For his actions, he was awarded the Silver Star.
The 32 year old Major left behind a wife and 2 children. #leader #stayzero #zerofoxtrot #vietnamwar