On June 19, 1966, First Lieutenant Ronald Ray, a platoon leader with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division, led a heroic rescue mission during intense combat in Vietnam.

After one of his patrols was ambushed by a reinforced Viet Cong company, Lt. Ray organized a reaction force and pushed through over two kilometers of rugged jungle to reach the besieged men. Once there, he took control—personally eliminating multiple enemy positions with grenades and rifle fire, even while under heavy fire himself.

He saved wounded men under fire, threw himself on a grenade to shield others, and—despite shrapnel and machine-gun wounds to both legs—refused evacuation until the enemy was repelled and his men were safe.

For his fearless leadership and unmatched valor, Ronald Ray was awarded the Medal of Honor.

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