VIETNAM - YOUNG, SAMUEL LEE

Young, Samuel Lee

VIETNAM - YOUNG, SAMUEL LEE
YOUNG, SAMUEL LEE

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

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

Vietnam Veterans Memorial panel and row: 22W 010 (view Vietnam Veterans Memorial link in a new window)

 

BRONZE STAR MEDAL

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)