04/29/2025
Medal of Honor Hero that sacrificed his life to save his men!
As a Korean War vet and close to retirement Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Leonard had completed nearly 20 years of service when he died in a firefight in the jungles of Vietnam. He volunteered to go to Vietnam because, "he had sons the age of the boys sent to Nam and he thought he could make a difference." During a vicious battle he sacrificed his life to save his platoon, and for that he received the Medal of Honor.
Mathew Leonard was born Nov. 26, 1929, in Alabama. Leonard enlisted in the Army in 1947 when he was in 11th grade. Leonard served in Korea early in his career. After the war Leonard served as a drill sergeant at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. But as the war in Vietnam broke out, Leonard's wife said he struggled to watch those young recruits, who weren't much older than his sons, go to war and die. So, even though he was close to retirement, he volunteered to deploy in the hope of making a difference.
On Feb. 28, 1967, Leonard was serving as Platoon Sergeant for Company B of the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. They were near Suoi Da when the platoon was suddenly fired on with small arms, automatic weapons and hand grenades by a much larger enemy force. The platoon's commander and several other key leaders were among some of the first wounded, so Leonard quickly stepped up to lead the response.
He rallied the platoon to push back the initial assault, then organized a defensive perimeter, redistributed ammunition and encouraged the men to hold their ground. As he grabbed a wounded soldier who was outside the perimeter and dragged him to safety, a sniper hit Leonard and shattered his hand.
The well-hidden enemy's assault was picking up, so Leonard refused medical attention and kept fighting. He moved from position to position to direct counterfire against the enemy, which had moved a machine gun into place that could sweep the entire perimeter.
Just as that was happening, Leonard's own platoon's machine gun malfunctioned, magnifying the threat. So, Leonard crawled to the gun. He was working to help get it functioning again when his gunner and other nearby soldiers were hit by the enemy machine gun's strafing.
Leonard got to his feet and charged the enemy gun.
Despite being hit several times, he still managed to take out the enemy machine gun's crew. Leonard — struggling to continue — then propped himself up on a tree and kept shooting until he finally succumbed to his wounds.
Leonard died just six months short of his retirement. However, his intense bravery, leadership and fighting spirit inspired his platoon to hold the enemy back until help arrived, and his actions posthumously earned him the Medal of Honor. On Dec. 19, 1968, the medal was presented to his family at a Pentagon ceremony by President Lyndon B. Johnson and Army Secretary Stanley R. Resor.
Leonard was initially buried at Shadow Lawn Cemetery in Birmingham. When the cemetery fell into disrepair, he was reinterred at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery on Fort Mitchell, Alabama, in November 2000.
To read the incredible accounts of other war heroes please check out the Book & Audiobook, "Giant Killers, War Heroes and Special Forces Legends" Available Now on Amazon and Barnes & Nobles websites. Makes a great gift!
