Gary L. Littrell - Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient
Gary Lee Littrell, a retired United States Army Command Sergeant Major who, while a Sergeant First Class serving as an adviser to Army of the Republic of Vietnam's Ranger units during the Vietnam War, acted with extraordinary courage during a four day siege on his battalion — for which he received the Medal of Honor.
Between April 4 and April 8, 1970, while serving on Advisory Team 21 of I Corps Advisory Group, in Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, Sergeant First Class Littrell was a Light Weapons Infantry Advisor with the 23rd Battalion, 2nd Ranger Group. The battalion was under intense mortar attack — all advisors except Littrell were killed. Unrelentingly, over four days, Littrell kept the battalion inspired, while he directed artillery and air support, distributed ammunition, strengthened faltering defenses, cared for the wounded, and shouted encouragement to the Vietnamese in their own language. For his "sustained extraordinary courage and selflessness", he was awarded the Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor was presented to Littrell in a White House ceremony by President Richard Nixon on October 15, 1973.
NASFL Museum member, Charles "Chuck" McLaughlin USMC Vietnam, who is a very active supporter of Veteran's issues, invited Gary for a tour of the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum. Gary Lee Littrell signed the large aviation "On Final Approach" mural by Bob Jenny, to join the signatures from Presiden't George H.W. Bush and Senator John McCain.
Book at Amazon
Gary Lee Littrell donated books for the NASFL Museum's Library such as the Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty by author Peter Collier, and photographer Nick Del Calzo. This book was an instant national bestseller. Thank you Gary!
From the publisher: "This group portrait of most of the living recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor has an entry for each recipient, including a photo portrait at the time of the award, a summary of the medal-winning action and sometimes (though not often enough) the later career. The variety of actions documented by Collier will impress even fairly seasoned students of military history, as will the 250 duotone portraits. They range from thumbnail period snapshots to full page close-ups of the lions in winter. Van Barfoot, of Choctaw descent, overcame minefields and German tanks in World War II. William Charette was one of numerous medics who fought with a first-aid kit and raw courage. Air Force Maj. George Day was a Vietnam War POW who received his medal for tenacious resistance in the Hanoi Hilton. Eugene Fluckey of the USS Barb is the last surviving submariner of World War II to receive the medal. The six-foot-seven-inch Robert Foley won the medal in a bunker complex in Vietnam and retired as a lieutenant general. And Shizua Hiyashi had to overcome prejudice as well as Germans to have his DSC upgraded to the medal 55 years after he won it in Italy. Courage is a key component of every medal recipient, and so is loyalty to both country and comrades, superior skills and dogged determination."
