288:
During the initial attack on the special forces camp by North
Vietnamese army forces, Sfc. Ashley supported the camp with high explosive and illumination mortar rounds. When communications were lost with the main camp, he assumed the additional responsibility of directing air strikes and artillery support. Sfc. Ashley organized and equipped a small assault force composed of local friendly personnel. During the ensuing battle, Sfc. Ashley led a total of 5 vigorous assaults against the enemy, continuously exposing himself to a voluminous hail of enemy grenades, machine gun and automatic weapons fire. Throughout these assaults, he was plagued by numerous booby-trapped satchel charges in all bunkers on his avenue of approach. During his fifth and final assault, he adjusted air strikes nearly on top of his assault element, forcing the enemy to withdraw and resulting in friendly control of the summit of the hill. While exposing himself to intense enemy fire, he was seriously wounded by machine gun fire but continued his mission without regard for his personal safety. After the fifth assault he lost consciousness and was carried from the summit by his comrades only to suffer a fatal wound when an enemy artillery round landed in the area. Sfc. Ashley displayed extraordinary heroism in risking his life in an attempt to save the lives of his entrapped comrades and commanding officer. His total disregard for his personal safety while exposed to enemy observation and automatic weapons fire was an inspiration to all men committed to the assault. The resolute valor with which he led 5 gallant charges placed critical diversionary pressure on the attacking enemy and his valiant efforts carved a channel in the overpowering enemy forces and weapons positions through which the survivors of Camp Lang Vei eventually escaped to freedom. Sfc. Ashley's bravery at the cost of his life was in the highest traditions of the military service, and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
301:
287:
Sfc. Ashley, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving with
Detachment A-101, Company C. Sfc. Ashley was the senior special forces Advisor of a hastily organized assault force whose mission was to rescue entrapped U.S. special forces advisors at Camp Lang Vei.
210:, where he led an assault force to rescue encircled American forces. He tried on 5 attempts, and on the fifth attempt was mortally wounded by a shell. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for these actions.
452:
222:
on
October 12, 1930, to Eugene Ashley Sr. and Cornelia Ashley; he had a sister named Gertrude Ashley. Not long after his birth, his family moved to New York City, where Eugene Jr. attended
432:
447:
457:
442:
427:
422:
314:
437:
258:. He led several assaults against the enemy and was mortally wounded in his fifth and last attempt to reach the American forces. He was subsequently awarded the
467:
360:
462:
223:
188:
28:
356:
332:
Ashley's grave marker gives his date of birth as
October 12, 1930, while his Medal of Honor citation gives October 12, 1931
81:
219:
47:
383:
265:
239:
132:
417:
412:
235:
118:
276:
Sergeant Ashley's Medal was posthumously awarded to his family at the White House by Vice
President
255:
207:
153:
68:
128:
246:. On that day, Ashley led an assault force in an attempt to rescue American troops trapped by
306:
157:
364:
277:
259:
192:
172:
406:
247:
227:
176:
243:
196:
148:
27:
296:
231:
203:
144:
64:
387:
191:
soldier and a recipient of
America's highest military decoration—the
341:
384:"Lang Vei Team Member and Medal of Honor recipient Eugene Ashley"
251:
206:. After being deployed to Vietnam, Ashley took part in the
453:
United States Army personnel killed in the
Vietnam War
315:
List of Medal of Honor recipients for the
Vietnam War
202:
Ashley joined the Army in 1950, and took part in the
268:in Wilmington, North Carolina was named after him.
168:
140:
124:
114:
106:
96:
88:
75:
54:
34:
18:
433:Members of the United States Army Special Forces
448:United States Army personnel of the Korean War
458:African-American United States Army personnel
361:United States Army Center of Military History
8:
443:Vietnam War recipients of the Medal of Honor
428:United States Army non-commissioned officers
423:United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
283:His official Medal of Honor citation reads:
187:(October 12, 1930 – February 7, 1968) was a
357:"Medal of Honor recipients – Vietnam (A-L)"
234:. By February 6, 1968, he was serving as a
351:
349:
242:(Airborne), 1st Special Forces during the
26:
15:
325:
438:People from Wilmington, North Carolina
158:
7:
468:African Americans in the Vietnam War
463:African Americans in the Korean War
262:for his actions during the battle.
230:in December 1950 and served in the
14:
189:United States Army Special Forces
363:. August 3, 2009. Archived from
342:Bio at Eugene Ashley High School
299:
226:. Ashley joined the Army from
224:Alexander Hamilton High School
1:
82:Fayetteville, North Carolina
484:
220:Wilmington, North Carolina
48:Wilmington, North Carolina
266:Eugene Ashley High School
25:
240:5th Special Forces Group
218:Sgt. Ashley was born in
195:—for his actions in the
133:5th Special Forces Group
92:United States of America
80:Rockfish Memorial Park,
272:Medal of Honor citation
290:
285:
280:on December 2, 1969.
107:Years of service
238:in Company C of the
236:sergeant first class
119:Sergeant First Class
390:on August 20, 2008
256:Battle of Lang Vei
208:Battle of Lang Vei
154:Battle of Lang Vei
136:1st Special Forces
102:United States Army
69:Quang Tri Province
185:Eugene Ashley Jr.
182:
181:
20:Eugene Ashley Jr.
475:
399:
397:
395:
386:. Archived from
376:
375:
373:
372:
353:
344:
339:
333:
330:
309:
307:Biography portal
304:
303:
302:
248:North Vietnamese
160:
98:
61:
58:February 7, 1968
45:October 12, 1930
44:
42:
30:
16:
483:
482:
478:
477:
476:
474:
473:
472:
403:
402:
393:
391:
382:
379:
370:
368:
355:
354:
347:
340:
336:
331:
327:
323:
305:
300:
298:
295:
274:
216:
175:
147:
135:
84:
63:
59:
50:, United States
46:
40:
38:
21:
12:
11:
5:
481:
479:
471:
470:
465:
460:
455:
450:
445:
440:
435:
430:
425:
420:
415:
405:
404:
401:
400:
378:
377:
345:
334:
324:
322:
319:
318:
317:
311:
310:
294:
291:
278:Spiro T. Agnew
273:
270:
260:Medal of Honor
215:
212:
193:Medal of Honor
180:
179:
173:Medal of Honor
170:
166:
165:
164:
163:
142:
138:
137:
126:
122:
121:
116:
112:
111:
108:
104:
103:
100:
94:
93:
90:
86:
85:
79:
77:
73:
72:
62:(aged 37)
56:
52:
51:
36:
32:
31:
23:
22:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
480:
469:
466:
464:
461:
459:
456:
454:
451:
449:
446:
444:
441:
439:
436:
434:
431:
429:
426:
424:
421:
419:
416:
414:
411:
410:
408:
389:
385:
381:
380:
367:on 2010-11-08
366:
362:
358:
352:
350:
346:
343:
338:
335:
329:
326:
320:
316:
313:
312:
308:
297:
292:
289:
284:
281:
279:
271:
269:
267:
263:
261:
257:
253:
250:infantry and
249:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
228:New York City
225:
221:
213:
211:
209:
205:
200:
198:
194:
190:
186:
178:
174:
171:
167:
161:
155:
152:
151:
150:
146:
143:
139:
134:
130:
127:
123:
120:
117:
113:
109:
105:
101:
95:
91:
87:
83:
78:
74:
70:
66:
57:
53:
49:
37:
33:
29:
24:
17:
392:. Retrieved
388:the original
369:. Retrieved
365:the original
337:
328:
286:
282:
275:
264:
217:
201:
184:
183:
177:Purple Heart
141:Battles/wars
60:(1968-02-07)
418:1968 deaths
413:1930 births
254:during the
244:Vietnam War
197:Vietnam War
149:Vietnam War
407:Categories
394:October 5,
371:2009-09-21
321:References
232:Korean War
204:Korean War
145:Korean War
89:Allegiance
41:1930-10-12
214:Biography
129:Company C
110:1950–1968
71:, Vietnam
293:See also
97:Service/
65:Lang Vei
156: (
169:Awards
99:branch
76:Buried
252:tanks
396:2010
125:Unit
115:Rank
55:Died
35:Born
159:DOW
409::
359:.
348:^
199:.
131:,
67:,
398:.
374:.
162:)
43:)
39:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
