Rank: Specialist 4
Unit: L Troop, 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 11E – Armor Crewman
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: Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Citation, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Note: 3rd platoon, Track L-31
Enlisted by: Selected Service
Date of birth: 2-Aug-1945
Hometown: Calumet City, Illinois
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 23-Oct-1965
Start of tour: 23-Aug-1966
Incident date: 21-Jul-1967
Date of casualty: 21-Jul-1967
Age at death: 21
Cause of death: Hostile, died while missing. Unknown. Burns.
Richard James Schutz died as a result of third degree burns over entire body received when the military vehicle he was a passenger in was hit by hostile forces.
Fourteen Blackhorse troopers died in this incident:
CPT William Forman Abernethy
PFC James Francis Bean
PFC John Joseph Campa
PFC Roosevelt C. Curley
SP4 Lawrence Michael Dawson
PFC George Arthur Foster
PVT Thomas Francis Ganion
PFC Douglas Wayne Hill
PFC Frank Daniel Leal
PFC Gary Alfred McLennan
PFC Billy Gene Rodgers
SP4 Richard James Schutz
1LT Ponder Ray Sims
PFC James Lemar Whitfield
Location of fatality: Long Khanh, South Vietnam, YT 430 308
Place of interment: Assumption Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum, Glenwood, Illinois, USA
View this soldier‘s Find a Grave page (opens in a new window)
BRONZE STAR MEDAL
WITH VALOR DEVICE
POSTHUMOUS
SPECIALIST FOUR RICHARD JAMES SCHUTZ
21 JULY 1967
L TROOP, 3rd SQUADRON
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Specialist Four Schutz distinguished himself by valorous actions on 21 July 1967, while serving as a machine gunner on a mission to secure several forward support bases for future engineer operations along Highway 20. Suddenly the armored column was engaged by a reinforced battalion of Viet Cong armed with automatic and anti-tank weapons. Immediately reacting to the critical situation, Specialist Schutz detected an entrenched squad of Viet Cong along his side of the road and directed a highly effective volley of suppressive fire upon the enemy positions. Moments later, an enemy RPG-2 rocket round struck his armored cavalry assault vehicle, destroying the engine compartment and disabling the vehicle. Although broadside to the enemy fire and fully exposed to the well-armed Viet Cong, Specialist Schutz bravely continued to direct suppressive fire upon the insurgents with his machine gun until he had expended all his ammunition. Swiftly opening a box of fragmentation hand grenades„ he began to accurately hurl the grenades in all directions at the attacking enemy. Although the wounded had been evacuated from the vehicle, Specialist Schutz remained at his position directing fire with his personal weapon on the insurgents until he was mortally wounded in the ensuing action. Specialist Four Schutz’s personal bravery and devotion to duty was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Headquarters, 9th Infantry Division General Orders No. 3844 (4 August 1967)