U.S. Army Captain Riley Pitts was the first African-American officer to receive the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration attainable to members of the United States Armed Forces.
The medal was presented posthumously by President Lyndon B. Johnson on December 10, 1968, for actions in Ap Dong, Republic of Vietnam.
Medal of Honor citation:
Distinguishing
himself by exceptional heroism while serving as company commander during an
airmobile assault. Immediately after his company landed in the area, several
Viet Cong opened fire with automatic weapons. Despite the enemy fire, Capt.
Pitts forcefully led an assault which overran the enemy positions. Shortly
thereafter, Capt. Pitts was ordered to move his unit to the north to reinforce
another company heavily engaged against a strong enemy force. As Capt. Pitts'
company moved forward to engage the enemy, intense fire was received from 3
directions, including fire from 4 enemy bunkers, 2 of which were within 15
meters of Capt. Pitts' position. The severity of the incoming fire prevented
Capt. Pitts from maneuvering his company. His rifle fire proving ineffective
against the enemy due to the dense jungle foliage, he picked up an M-79 grenade
launcher and began pinpointing the targets. Seizing a Chinese Communist grenade
which had been taken from a captured Viet Cong's web gear, Capt. Pitts lobbed the
grenade at a bunker to his front, but it hit the dense jungle foliage and
rebounded. Without hesitation, Capt. Pitts threw himself on top of the grenade
which, fortunately, failed to explode. Capt. Pitts then directed the
repositioning of the company to permit friendly artillery to be fired. Upon
completion of the artillery fire mission, Capt. Pitts again led his men toward
the enemy positions, personally killing at least 1 more Viet Cong. The jungle
growth still prevented effective fire to be placed on the enemy bunkers. Capt.
Pitts, displaying complete disregard for his life and personal safety, quickly
moved to a position which permitted him to place effective fire on the enemy.
He maintained a continuous fire, pinpointing the enemy's fortified positions,
while at the same time directing and urging his men forward, until he was
mortally wounded. Capt. Pitts' conspicuous gallantry, extraordinary heroism,
and intrepidity at the cost of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, are
in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon
himself, his unit, and the Armed Forces of his country.
Captain Pitts was in the news recently owing to recently discovered footage
buried in the vaults of ABC TV.
© Adeyinka Makinde (2025).
Adeyinka Makinde is a writer based in London, England.
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