"3RD BN, 5TH MARINES", VIETNAM, HEROIC CHAPLAIN VINCENT CAPODANNO-MEDAL OF HONOR

Description

COVER APPEARS WRINKLED, BUT IT'S THE SHADOW OF A TREE.
CACHED COVER FRONT AND BACK -
HONORING
MEDAL OF HONOR
RECIPIENT,
LIEUTENANT VINCENT R. CAPODANNO
,
U.S. NAVY CHAPLAIN CORPS,
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN OF 3RD BATTALION, 5TH MARINES, 1ST MARINE DIVISION, QUANG TIN, VIETNAM.
ON SEPTEMBER 4,
1967 DURING COMBAT OPERATIONS WITH AN ARMED ENEMY, THE 2ND PLATOON OF MARINES OF M COMPANY IN HIS BATTALION WERE ABOUT TO BE OVERRUN BY A MASSIVE ENEMY ASSAULTING FORCE. WITHOUT REGARD FOR HIS OWN SAFETY, FATHER CAPODANNO LEFT THE RELATIVE SAFETY OF THE COMPANY COMMAND POST, RAN THROUGH AN OPEN AREA RAKED WITH ENEMY FIRE, DIRECTLY TO THE BELEAGUERED PLATOON.
DISREGARDING THE INTENSE SMALL ARMS, AUTOMATIC WEAPONS, AND MORTAR FIRE, HE MOVED ABOUT THE BATTLEFIELD ADMINISTERING LAST RITES TO THE DYING AND GIVING MEDICAL AID TO THE WOUNDED. WHEN AN EXPLODING MORTAR ROUND INFLICTED PAINFUL MULTIPLE WOUNDS TO HIS ARMS AND LEGS AND SEVERED A PORTION OF HIS RIGHT HAND, HE STEADFASTLY REFUSED MEDICAL AID. INSTEAD HE DIRECTED THE NAVY CORPSMEN TO HELP THEIR WOUNDED COMRADES, AND WITH CALM VIGOR, CONTINUED TO MOVE ABOUT THE BATTLEFIELD.
HE WAS EVENTUALLY STRUCK DOWN BY MACHINE GUN FIRE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GIVE AID TO A DYING CORPSMAN.
BY HIS HEROIC CONDUCT ON THE BATTLEFIELD, AND HIS INSPIRING EXAMPLE, LT. CAPODANNO UPHELD THE FINEST TRADITIONS OF THE U. S. NAVAL SERVICE, AND GAVE HIS LIFE IN THE NAME OF FREEDOM. FRONT CACHET HAS HIS PHOTO, INSIGNIA, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS FLAGS, THE
'VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL STAMP (REPLICA),
ALL WITH
PERTINENT TEXT,
& THE
'PURPLE HEART' STAMP.
CANCELLED, "JUN 19, 2020, ANNAPOLIS, MD".
REVERSE CACHET IS HIS MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION.
UN-ADDRESSED, AND POLY SLEEVE ENCLOSED.
NICE,
INEXPENSIVE SOUVENIR FOR THE MILITARY HISTORIAN.
USCS MEMBER # 11835, COVER # 5 OF 10, "TOP SARGE" CACHET.