On October 31, 1967, during an airmobile assault in Vietnam, Captain Riley Pitts led Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division into intense enemy fire the moment they touched down.

Viet Cong forces opened up with automatic weapons, but CPT Pitts immediately led a counterassault, overrunning their initial positions.

Soon after, he was ordered to reinforce another company already locked in heavy combat. Advancing through dense jungle, his men were suddenly hit with devastating fire from three directions, including four fortified bunkers—two within just 15 meters.

When rifle fire proved ineffective, Pitts grabbed an M-79 grenade launcher and began targeting the bunkers himself.

At one point, a captured enemy grenade bounced back toward him after striking foliage. Without hesitation, he threw himself on it. Miraculously, it failed to detonate.

Even after repositioning his company for artillery support, he continued leading from the front—personally engaging the enemy and urging his men forward under relentless fire.

While directing accurate fire on exposed positions and identifying enemy locations, Captain Riley Pitts was mortally wounded.

For his extraordinary leadership and valor, Captain Riley Pitts was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

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