After surviving the brutal fighting of the Korean War, Matthew Leonard had decided to make the Army a life long career. At the outbreak of the Vietnam war, he was tasked with training and preparing young soldiers to go fight, and it wasn't until then that he volunteered to go to Vietnam because he felt a responsibility to bring them back home alive.
On February 28, 1967, Leonard was serving as a platoon sergeant with B Co. 1st BN, 16th Inf., 1st ID, near Suoi Da, when his patrol was ambushed.
Noticing a wounded soldier lying in the open, he ran under heavy enemy fire and grenades to reach him. As he dragged the man to safety, he was struck by a sniper's bullet which shattered his left hand.
Refusing medical attention and continuously exposing himself to the increasing fire as the enemy began to close in, Matthew rushed an enemy machinegun, killed the crew despite being shot several times in the process.
With his last amount of strength, he moved to a tree, propped his bullet riddled body against it, and continued to engage the enemy until he succumbed to his wounds.
For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. #vietnamwar #hardcore #stayzero #zerofoxtrot