VIETNAM - HART, FRED DOUGLAS

Hart, Fred Douglas

VIETNAM - HART, FRED DOUGLAS
HART, FRED DOUGLAS

Rank: Private First Class

Unit: B Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

MOS: 11D – Armor Reconnaissance Specialist

Awards: Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Badges: Combat Infantryman Badge

Unit awards: Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device

Enlisted by: Selected Service

Date of birth: 26-Mar-1946

Hometown: Thomson, Georgia

Marital status: Married to Rose M. Hart

Campaign: Vietnam Conflict

Start of tour: 20-Oct-1966

Incident date: 2-Jan-1967

Date of casualty: 2-Jan-1967

Age at death: 20

Cause of death: Hostile, died. Small Arms Fire. Gun or small arms fire.
Fred Douglas Hart was hit by hostile automatic weapons fire while on combat operation.

Location of fatality: Long Khanh, South Vietnam

Place of interment: First Mount Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery, Winfield, Georgia, USA

View this soldier‘s Find a Grave page (opens in a new window)

Vietnam Veterans Memorial panel and row: 13E 109 (view Vietnam Veterans Memorial link in a new window)

 

BRONZE STAR MEDAL

BRONZE STAR MEDAL
WITH VALOR DEVICE
POSTHUMOUS

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS FRED DOUGLAS HART
2 JANUARY 1967
B TROOP, 1st SQUADRON
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT

Private First Class Hart distinguished himself by valorous actions on 2 January 1967 while serving as radio operator for a patrol during night maneuvers near Xuan Loc. The patrol had just completed setting out mines and trip flares and were moving back to prepared positions when four Viet Cong appeared on the road. Both patrols opened fire simultaneously. Private Hart’s commander advanced a couple of feet to the site of the action. He moved with him, handed him the microphone, and began firing his rifle. Almost immediately a burst of fire hit him in the shoulder and head. He fell and pulled the microphone away away from the commander. Disregarding his extremely serious wounds, he grabbed the microphone and returned it to the commander so that the report of this action could be quickly reported. Private Hart died of his wounds while being treated a few minutes later, Private Harts personal bravery and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Headquarters, United States Army Vietnam General Orders No. 144 (11 January 1967)