Under Fire: Corporal Robert Emmett O'Malley’s Medal of Honor Actions in Vietnam

On August 18, 1965, during Operation Starlite near An Cu'ong 2, South Vietnam, Corporal Robert Emmett O'Malley served as Squad Leader with Company "I", Third Battalion, Third Marines, Third Marine Division (Reinforced). While leading his squad in an assault on a heavily fortified enemy position, his unit was met with intense small arms fire. Without hesitation or regard for his own safety, Corporal O'Malley sprinted across an open rice paddy toward the enemy trench line. Once there, he leapt into the trench and attacked the Viet Cong with his rifle and grenades, personally killing eight enemy fighters.

Afterward, O'Malley led his squad to aid a nearby Marine unit that was suffering heavy casualties. Pushing forward, he reloaded his weapon and effectively engaged the enemy's defenses. He then assisted in the evacuation of several wounded Marines, regrouped the remnants of his squad, and returned to the fiercest area of combat. Despite orders to move to an evacuation point, O'Malley gathered his badly wounded and besieged squad, leading them under heavy fire to a helicopter extraction point.

Wounded three times during the battle, O'Malley refused evacuation and continued to provide covering fire from an exposed position until his squad had safely boarded the helicopters. Only after ensuring the safe evacuation of his men did he allow himself to be removed from the battlefield. For his extraordinary bravery and selflessness, Corporal O'Malley became the first Marine of the Vietnam War to be awarded the Medal of Honor.