IN MEMORY HONOR ROLL

My brother Roy Rascon graduated from Casa Grande Union High School in Casa Grande, Arizona in 1966. While in high school he was an outstanding football player and a track champion miler. Our family thought he would immediately enroll at Northern Arizona University after graduation. Instead, he chose to enlist in the Marine Corps. He did so in July following graduation in May. He volunteered to go to Vietnam in 1967. Our family, of course, was concerned and anxious but he assured us that he knew what he was doing. Little did we know how traumatically our entire family would be affected by his enlistment. Upon his discharge from the Marine Corps in April of 1969 he pursued and earned both a bachelor's and master's degree from Northern Arizona University. Soon after, he earned certification both as a school psychologist and school psychometrist. He taught both at the elementary school and the high school in our hometown of Casa Grande, Az. Throughout his pursuit of the above goals our family became very aware and attuned to our brother's struggle with PTSD symptoms. In the beginning our family was ill-equipped to give Roy the support to deal with this terrible affliction. We just didn't know enough about PTSD. We did get better at finding veteran programs to help him deal with his combat stressors, but ultimately these programs too, were barely able to keep up with this new phenomenon. An extremely painful divorce exacerbated Roy's already grave situation. Our brother finally succumbed to his Vietnam War combat experiences on February 18, 1991. We miss him terribly, but will always remember the courage he maintained throughout the years after his return from the war. He always expressed to us how proud he was of being a United States Marine.

REMEMBRANCES

LEFT FOR Roy Rascón

POSTED ON 9.12.2019

POSTED BY: Tony Rascón

Citation- Bronze Star Medal

For heroic achievement in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam while serving as a Rifleman with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. On 12 Feb. 1968, Lance Cpl. Rascón's unit was assaulting a well entrenched North Vietnamese Army force that was occupying a building in the city of Hue. As the Marines maneuvered forward, the unit began receiving a heavy volume of small arms and automatic weapons fire and rocket fire and sustained several casualties. Alertly observing a wounded man in an area dangerously exposed to the intense enemy fire, Lance Cpl. Rascón seized several hand grenades and a .45 caliber pistol unhesitatingly began crawling across the fire-swept terrain towards the casualty. While maneuvering forward to the wounded man, he skillfully threw hand grenades into three concealed enemy positions and killed four North Vietnamese soldiers. Upon reaching the casualty, he ignored the hostile fire impacting around him, picked up the injured man and carried him 35 meters to a position of relative safety. His heroic actions and sincere concern for the welfare of his wounded comrade were an inspiration to all who observed him and instrumental in saving the Marine's life. Lance Cpl. Rascón's courage, bold initiative and selfless devotion to duty in the face of extreme personal danger were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service. Authorized to wear Combat "V".