03/25/2026
To all our members and friends of the Cpl. Joe Whitehead Detachment 1370 here in Gulf Shores:
Today is National Medal of Honor Day, a time to pause and reflect on our nation’s highest military award for valor. The men who wear this medal represent the very best of America. Their selfless actions in the face of unimaginable danger secured the freedoms we enjoy today.
As Marines, we especially want to acknowledge the incredible achievements and honor the legacy of the eight living Marine Corps recipients who walk among us. Below are the extraordinary actions that earned them our nation's highest honor:
• Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (Vietnam): When his company commander was mortally wounded, then-First Lieutenant Barnum immediately assumed command of the pinned-down rifle company. He repeatedly exposed himself to heavy enemy fire to direct gunships and artillery, ultimately rallying his men in a successful counterattack and coordinating their safe evacuation.
• William Kyle Carpenter (Afghanistan): While manning a rooftop security position in Marjah, Lance Corporal Carpenter and a fellow Marine were attacked by a gr***de. Without hesitation, Carpenter moved toward the gr***de and absorbed the brunt of the deadly blast with his own body, saving his brother-in-arms.
• Allan J. Kellogg Jr. (Vietnam): While leading his men through dense jungle, Staff Sergeant Kellogg’s unit engaged the enemy. When an enemy gr***de landed among his squad, he immediately threw himself onto the explosive, forcing it into the mud and absorbing the blast to save the Marines around him.
• James E. Livingston (Vietnam): During the ferocious Battle of Dai Do, Captain Livingston fearlessly led his company in a fierce assault against heavily fortified enemy positions. Despite sustaining multiple severe wounds, he refused medical evacuation, reorganized his men, and consolidated their positions until the objective was secured.
• Dakota L. Meyer (Afghanistan): Braving intense, withering enemy fire during a complex ambush, Corporal Meyer made five separate trips in a gun-truck into a deadly kill zone. He evacuated dozens of pinned-down Afghan and American troops and relentlessly fought to recover the bodies of his fallen team members.
• Robert J. Modrzejewski (Vietnam): Outnumbered and surrounded during Operation Hastings, Captain Modrzejewski repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire to lead his men. Despite painful wounds, he crawled to a critically exposed position to call in artillery strikes mere meters from his own lines, successfully repelling a massive enemy assault.
• Robert E. O'Malley (Vietnam): During Operation Starlite, Corporal O'Malley raced across an open rice paddy and single-handedly leaped into an enemy trench, engaging in close-quarters combat. Despite being wounded three separate times, he refused to be evacuated until he had engaged the enemy with his rifle and bare hands, and ensured all his wounded men were safe.
• Jay R. Vargas (Vietnam): Enduring excruciating pain from multiple wounds during the Battle of Dai Do, Major Vargas continually exposed himself to intense fire to lead his men in hand-to-hand combat. He destroyed three enemy bunkers and braved heavy fire to cross the battlefield and rescue his severely wounded battalion commander.
Honoring the few who gave so much for the many.
Semper Fi.
