Rank: Staff Sergeant
Unit: Headquarters & Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 11D – Armor Reconnaissance Specialist
Awards: Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal, 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: Regular
Date of birth: 5-Apr-1933
Hometown: New York, New York
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 13-Feb-1952
Start of tour: 28-Jan-1969
Incident date: 12-Aug-1969
Date of casualty: 12-Aug-1969
Age at death: 36
Cause of death: Hostile, died. Grenade. Multiple fragmentation wounds.
John James Sinclair was killed while on a combat operation when a hostile force was encountered. / On reaction force mission when engaged hostile force in firefight.
Location of fatality: Binh Long, South Vietnam, XT 745 820
Place of interment: Evergreen Cemetery, Hillside, New Jersey, USA
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SILVER STAR
POSTHUMOUS
STAFF SERGEANT JOHN JAMES SINCLAIR
12 AUGUST 1969
HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS TROOP, 2nd SQUADRON
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Staff Sergeant Sinclair distinguished himself by gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force on 12 August 1969 while serving with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2d Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date a fire support base came under intense enemy mortar attack followed by a massive ground assault. Sergeant Sinclair grouped his men together and raked the onrushing enemy troops with heavy machine gun fire. When several enemy soldiers attempted to mount one of the two friendly vehicles, he killed them with a burst from his machine gun. As wave after wave of enemy soldiers attempted to overrun the two vehicles, Sergeant Sinclair remained at his post and continued to hold them off. When he spotted a sapper attempting to place a satchel charge on the other vehicle, he killed him and saved the vehicle but was fatally wounded by a round fired by another sapper. Staff Sergeant Sinclair’s actions 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, II Field Force Vietnam General Orders No. 4802 (19 December 1969)