On March 16, 1966, Spec 4 Alfred V. Rascon was a medic assigned to a Recon platoon of the 1/503 173rd Airborne Brigade. On that day, near the Long Khanh Province, Vietnam, the platoon was tasked with reinforcing a battalion which was under intense heavy fire. Specialist Rascon, ignoring directions to stay behind shelter, tried to reach a severely wounded machine-gunner who was laying on an open enemy trail, but was driven back each time by the withering fire. Disregarding his personal safety, he jumped to his feet and reached him. To protect him from further wounds, he intentionally placed his body between the soldier and enemy machine guns. Despite being shot in the hip, he dragged his wounded brother away from the kill zone.
Fearing the abandoned machine gun, its ammunition and spare barrel could fall into enemy hands, he made his way to retrieve them. On the way, he was wounded in the face and torso by a hand grenade. Disregarding these wounds, he managed to secure the abandoned machine gun and give it to another soldier.
He then saw the point grenadier being wounded by small arms fire and grenades being thrown at him. Disregarding his own life and wounds, Rascon reached and covered him with his body absorbing the blasts from the exploding grenades, and saving the soldier's life, but sustaining more wounds to his body. While making his way to another wounded soldier, he reached and covered the sergeant, once again, with his body, absorbing the full force of the grenade explosions. After the enemy broke contact, he disregarded aid for himself, instead treating the wounded and directing their evacuation. Only after being placed on the evacuation helicopter did he allow aid to be given to him.
Specialist Rascon is pictured here in the center during the evacuation after being wouded 4 separate times. He was so badly wounded, that he was given his last rites.
He was nominated for the Medal of Honor in 1966, but it was not awarded until 2000 due to the paper work being lost.