- Joseph G. Lapointe Jr
Infobox Military Person
name= Joseph G. LaPointe, Jr.
born= Birth date|1948|7|2
died= Death date and age|1969|6|2|1948|7|2
placeofbirth=Dayton, Ohio
placeofdeath= KIA inQuang Tin Province , Republic of Vietnam
placeofburial=
caption= Specialist Joseph LaPointe
allegiance= flag|United States
branch=United States Army
serviceyears= 1968-1969
rank= Specialist Four
unit=2nd Squadron,17th Cavalry Regiment ,101st Airborne Division
battles=Vietnam Conflict
awards=Medal of Honor Silver Star Purple Heart National Defense Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal Vietnam Campaign Medal Joseph Guy LaPointe, Jr. (July 2, 1948–June 2, 1969) was a medic in the
United States Army who was posthumously awarded theMedal of Honor during theVietnam War .Biography
LaPointe was born in
Dayton, Ohio and resided inClayton, Ohio after graduating from Northridge High School in 1966. After briefly working as a mail carrier, he was drafted on May 8, 1968. Aconscientious objector , he trained as a medic and was sent to Vietnam in November 1968. He was killed on June 2, 1969 while exposing himself to heavy enemy fire to give first aid to two fellow soldiers.Medal of Honor citation
Joseph G. Lapointe Jr's Medal of Honor Citation
:For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. SP4 La Pointe, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2d Squadron, distinguished himself while serving as a medical aidman during a combat helicopter assault mission. SP4 La Pointe's patrol was advancing from the landing zone through an adjoining valley when it suddenly encountered heavy automatic weapons fire from a large enemy force entrenched in well fortified bunker positions. In the initial hail of fire, 2 soldiers in the formation vanguard were seriously wounded. Hearing a call for aid from 1 of the wounded, SP4 La Pointe ran forward through heavy fire to assist his fallen comrades. To reach the wounded men, he was forced to crawl directly in view of an enemy bunker. As members of his unit attempted to provide covering fire, he administered first aid to 1 man, shielding the other with his body. He was hit by a burst of fire from the bunker while attending the wounded soldier. In spite of his painful wounds, SP4 La Pointe continued his lifesaving duties until he was again wounded and knocked to the ground. Making strenuous efforts, he moved back again into a shielding position to continue administering first aid. An exploding enemy grenade mortally wounded all 3 men. SP4 La Pointe's courageous actions at the cost of his life were an inspiration to his comrades. His gallantry and selflessness are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U. S. Army.
Tributes
A housing complex at
Fort Campbell, Kentucky is named for Joseph as well as a medical heliport atFort Benning, Georgia . State Route 49 inMontgomery County, Ohio has also been designated as “Joseph Guy Lapointe, Jr. Memorial Parkway”.ee also
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients
*List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam WarExternal links
* [http://www.virtualwall.org/dl/LapointeJG01a.htm|Virual Wall]
* [http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/vietnam-a-l.html|Army Medal of Honor website]Persondata
NAME= LaPointe, Joseph
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
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