Rank: Specialist 4
Unit: L Troop, 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 11B – Infantryman
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: Meritorious Unit Citation, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Note: 2nd platoon
Enlisted by: Selected Service
Date of birth: 23-Jan-1946
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 2-Nov-1965
Start of tour: 23-Aug-1966
Incident date: 12-Jan-1967
Date of casualty: 12-Jan-1967
Age at death: 20
Cause of death: Hostile, died. Grenade. Multiple fragmentation wounds.
Rene Reynoso was on combat operation when hit by fragments from hostile command detonated claymore mine.
Four Blackhorse troopers died in this incident:
PFC John Edward Busch
SGT Angus N. Jackson
SP4 Rene Reynoso
PFC Sander Chris Sanderson
Location of fatality: Binh Duong, South Vietnam
Place of interment: Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, USA
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BRONZE STAR MEDAL
WITH VALOR DEVICE
POSTHUMOUS
SPECIALIST FOUR RENE REYNOSO
13 JANUARY 1967
L TROOP, 3rd SQUADRON
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Specialist Four Reynoso distinguished himself by gallantry in action on 13 January 1967 while serving with Troop L, 3d Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in the Republic of Vietnam. Specialist Reynoso was a member of a patrol which was moving into a recently discovered Viet Cong bunker / tunnel complex during a search and destroy operation in the vicinity of the Iron Triangle. Suddenly, his patrol was ambushed by intense Viet Gong automatic weapons and small arms fire from less than twenty meters away. Specialist Reynoso immediately threw himself to the ground in an effort to protect a man next to him whom he thought was wounded. In this position, Specialist Reynoso began returning fire upon the hostile force, still valiantly shielding his fellow soldier. While completely disregarding has own personal safety in an effort to effectively return the fire and protect his comrade, a Viet Cong claymore mine exploded nearby critically wounding Specialist Reynoso. Although dying, he made no complaints of his wounds and continued to give full attention to the enemy until he succumbed. Throughout the action, Specialist Reynoso displayed outstanding courage and extreme valor while engaged in fierce combat with the enemy. Specialist Four Reynoso’s actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.
Headquarters, II Field Force Vietnam General Orders No. 189 (22 February 1967)