THE WALL OF FACES

I have the honor and privilege of reading your name tomorrow, November 10 at approximately 1:32 p.m. at The Wall. Thank you for your service to our country and for giving the ultimate sacrifice of
your life. My heart goes out to your family and friends who surely must still mourn your loss.

SPECIALIST FOURTH CLASS


DANNY JOHN PETERSEN


served as an


A.P.C. Commander


with


COMPANY ' B '

4th BATTALION

23rd INFANTRY

25th INFANTRY DIVISION


and was a posthumous recipient of the


CONGRESSIONALL MEDAL OF HONOR


who rests in honored glory in


NETAWAKA CEMETERY


NETAWAKA, KANSAS



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CITATION

FOR AWARD OF THE

CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR



TAY NINH PROVINCE

REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

9 JANUARY 1970



For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty. Specialist 4 Petersen distinguished
himself while serving as an armored personnel carrier commander with
Company B during a combat operation against a North Vietnamese
Army Force estimated to be of battalion size. During the initial contact
with the enemy, an armored personnel carrier was disabled and the
crewmen were pinned down by the heavy onslaught of enemy small arms,
automatic weapons and rocket - propelled grenade fire. Specialist 4
Petersen immediately manoeuvered his armored personnel carrier to a
position between the disabled vehicle and the enemy. He placed suppressive
fire on the enemy's well fortified position, thereby enabling the crewmembers
of the disabled personnel carrier to repair their vehicle. He then manoeuvered
his vehicle, while still under heavy hostile fire to within 10 feet of the
enemy's defensive emplacement. After a period of intense fighting, his
vehicle received a direct hit and the driver was wounded. With extraordinary
courage and selfless disregard for his own safety, Specialist 4 Petersen
carried his wounded comrades 45 meters across the bullet swept field to
a secure area. He then voluntarily returned to his disabled armored
personnel carrier to provide covering fire for both the other vehicles and
the dismounted personnel of his platoon as they withdrew. Despite heavy
fire from three sides, he remained with his disabled vehicle, alone and
completely exposed. Specialist 4 Petersen was standing on top of his
vehicle, firing his weapon, when he was mortally wounded. His heroic
and selfless actions prevented further loss of life in his platoon.
Specialist 4 Petersen's conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary heroism
are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great
credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.



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The award of the


CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR


was presented to his family

on 17 July 1974

at

Blair House

by the

Vice President of the United States of America

Gerald R. Ford



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THE PROUD YOUNG VALOR THAT ROSE ABOVE THE MORTAL

AND THEN, AT LAST, WAS MORTAL AFTER ALL





YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE





^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^



The following is a newspaper account
of the preceding battle in which

SPECIALIST FOURTH CLASS

DANNY JOHN PETERSEN

became a posthumous recipient of the

CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~



U.S. REPORTS 109 OF FOE

KILLED IN BATTLE


SAIGON, South Vietnam, January 9 -


American infantrymen supported by tanks, artillery and
air strikes today reported having killed 109 Viet Cong and
North Vietnamese soldiers in two days of fighting on the
slopes of a mountain overlooking the sprawling American
base at Tay Ninh.

The United States command said two Americans had been
killed and 10 wounded, among them a helicopter crewman
injured when his craft was shot down.

The enemy soldiers are reported to have been dug in for
months in the caves of the 3235-foot mountain, which rises
sharply from a plain 55 miles northeast of Saigon. Its name
is Nuibaden, but to the Americans it is known as the Black
Virgin Mountain.

The Americans control the plain around the Tay Ninh base
of the 25th Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Division
( Airmobile ). The Americans also hold the top of the
mountain, which serves as a communications relay center.

But the enemy forces have controlled the slopes and have
used the position to shell the Tay Ninh base periodically.


Enemy Opens Fire


Yesterday three companies of soldiers from the First
Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division backed up by tanks
were sweeping an area on the north face of the mountain
when, the United States command said, enemy forces
opened fire with small - arms, automatic weapons and
rocket grenades.

The American tanks and heavy machine guns fired back,
and helicopter gunships and F-4 and F-104 jets were
called in to bomb and strafe the enemy positions. The
fighting continued all day yesterday, the United States
command reported. After the enemy withdrew at dark,
the bodies of 62 enemy soldiers in the mixed force of
Viet Cong and North Vietnamese were reported to have
been found. The fighting resumed today, according to
reports from the field, and 47 more enemy soldiers were
reported to have been killed.



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In remembrance of an Uncle who is so proudly revered and missed. It is with great honor and respect to be a part of the Petersen family.

Chad and Neal Petersen