Rank: Specialist 4
Unit: L Troop, 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 11B – Infantryman
Awards: Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device and Oak Leaf Cluster, 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: 11-Feb-1948
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 18-Jun-1968
Start of tour: 16-Nov-1968
Incident date: 9-Jun-1969
Date of casualty: 9-Jun-1969
Age at death: 21
Cause of death: Hostile, died of wounds. Small Arms Fire. Gun or small arms fire.
Samuel Lee Young died as a result of a wound received while gunner on a military vehicle on a combat operation when a hostile force was encountered. He was admitted to a military medical facility and expired shortly thereafter. / Gunner on Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) on reconnaissance in force mission. Engaged hostile force in firefight. Admitted to 24th Evacuation Hospital, Long Binh, on 9 Jun 1969 at 1630 hrs and placed on Very Serious Injured (VSI) list on 9 Jun 1969 at 1630 hrs, and later expired. Incident occurred on 9 Jun 1969 at 1400 hrs.
Two Blackhorse troopers died in this incident:
SP4 Kenneth Joseph Kreutz
SP4 Samuel Lee Young
Location of fatality: Binh Long, South Vietnam, XT 704 915
Place of interment: Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale), Glendale, California, USA
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BRONZE STAR MEDAL
WITH VALOR DEVICE
POSTHUMOUS
SPECIALIST FOUR SAMUEL LEE YOUNG
9 JUNE1969
L TROOP, 3rd SQUADRON
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Specialist Four Young distinguished himself by heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force on 9 June 1969 while serving with Troop L, 3d Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date while conducting a reconnaissance-in-force operation, the troop suddenly came under intense automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenade fire from well-concealed enemy soldiers positioned on both sides of the friendly armored column. Although his vehicle received a direct rocket-propelled grenade hit and was almost immediately engulfed in flames, Specialist Young remained at his machine gun atop the vehicle and began providing protective fire for his comrades as they attempted to evacuate the casualties sustained in the initial contact. In spite of the hostile fusillade and the fire raging around him, he continued raking the enemy positions until he was mortally wounded by a burst of hostile automatic weapons fire. Specialist Four Young’s courage 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, II Field Force Vietnam General Orders No. 1772 (18 July 1969)