THE WALL OF FACES

The war may be forgotten but the warrior will always be remembered !!!! All gave Some-Some gave All. Rest in peace Melvin. :-(

We still remember you marine
You gave All you had
God Bless You Marine
RIP with the Best Warriors of all time

Melvin Earl Newlin
Date of birth: September 27, 1948
Date of death: July 4, 1967
Burial location: Wellsville, Ohio
Place of Birth: Ohio, Wellsville
Home of record: Cleveland Ohio
Status: KIA

AWARDS AND CITATIONS

Medal of Honor

Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Private First Class Melvin Earl Newlin (MCSN: 2229466), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a machine gunner attached to the First Platoon, Company F, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, on 3 and 4 July 1967, in action against armed enemy forces in Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam. Private First Class Newlin, with four other Marines, was manning a key position on the perimeter of the Nong Son outpost when the enemy launched a savage and well coordinated mortar and infantry assault, seriously wounding him and killing his four comrades. Propping himself against his machinegun, he poured a deadly accurate stream of fire into the charging ranks of the Viet Cong. Though repeatedly hit by small-arms fire, he twice repelled enemy attempts to overrun his position. During the third attempt, a grenade explosion wounded him again and knocked him to the ground unconscious. The Viet Cong guerrillas, believing him dead, bypassed him and continued their assault on the main force. Meanwhile, Private First Class Newlin regained consciousness, crawled back to his weapon, and brought it to bear on the rear of the enemy, causing havoc and confusion among them. Spotting the enemy attempting to bring a captured 106 recoilless weapon to bear on other Marine positions, he shifted his fire, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy and preventing them from firing the captured weapon. He then shifted his fire back to the primary enemy force, causing the enemy to stop their assault on the Marine bunkers and to once again attack his machinegun position. Valiantly fighting off two more enemy assaults, he firmly held his ground until mortally wounded. Private First Class Newlin had single-handedly broken up and disorganized the entire enemy assault force, causing them to lose momentum and delaying them long enough for his fellow Marines to organize a defense and beat off their secondary attack. His indomitable courage, fortitude, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of almost certain death reflect great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps and upheld the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

Action Date: July 03 & 4, 1967

Service: Marine Corps

Rank: Private First Class

Company: Company F

Battalion: 2d Battalion

Regiment: 5th Marines

Division: 1st Marine Division (Rein.) FMF

Thank you all for honoring my great uncle. I wish i could of met him and thanked him.

You were one of the brave that answered the call. You honored us by your service and sacrifice. We now honor you each time we stand and sing the words “THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE”. Rest in Peace and Honor Melvin.