Curtis M. Ashton’s THIRD Bronze Star citation

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
HAS AWARDED

THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL

TO
AVIATION ELECTRICIAN SECOND CLASS
CURTIS MORRIS ASHTON,
UNITED STATES NAVY

CITATION:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Second Gold Star in lieu of a Third Award of the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V” to Aviation Electrician Second Class Curtis Morris Ashton, United States Navy, for heroic achievement while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against North Vietnamese and Viet Cong communist aggressors in the Republic of Vietnam on 17 November 1968. Petty Officer Ashton, as machine gunner for a seven-man squad of the Fifth Platoon, United States Navy SEAL Team, Detachment ALFA, was patrolling Thoi Son Island, a heavily defended Viet Cong stronghold. The squad moved into a three house complex in order to question residents about enemy activity in the area. Since the houses were separated, the squad was forced to disperse itself in order to set up adequately for any contingency. While they were questioning the inhabitants of the house, a ten man enemy unit came down an adjacent trail in an attempt to attack the squad in the houses. Seeing that he was the only one who could get into position to fire on the enemy, Petty Officer Ashton, with complete disregard for his own safety, mumped onto the open trail to get a clear line of fire. In his initial volley of fire, he killed five of the aggressors and routed the remainder of the unit. His aggressive actions and devotion to duty thwarted the enemy’s attempt to trap his squad in the houses and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. (Petty Officer Ashton is authorized to wear the Combat “V”.)

Born: Nov. 30, 1946 in Sweetwater, Texas… Killed in action on Dec. 27, 1969 during his second tour in Vietnam… Also awarded the Silver Star, three Purple Hearts, and two other Bronze Star Medals with the Combat “V” device… Interred: Garden of Memories Cemetery in Sweetwater, Texas