Medal of Honor history: Lemon and Beikirch
40 years ago, SP4 Peter Lemon and Sgt. Gary Beikirch earned the Medal of Honor in two separate incidents in Vietnam.
When Fire Support Base Illingworth came under attack, Lemon – a native Canadian and one of the youngest Medal recipients – engaged a numerically-superior enemy with his weapons until they both malfunctioned. Then Lemon used hand grenades to defend against an intense attack, killing all but one soldier – whom he chased down and dispatched during hand-to-hand combat. He rescued team mates, fought off further assaults with grenades, machine gun, and hand-to-hand fighting before collapsing from his multiple wounds. Read Lemon’s citation.
During the defense of Camp Dak Seang, Beikirch moved through withering fire to rescued and treated numerous soldiers after a devastating assault. Although Beikirch received multiple, serious wounds himself, he refused treatment and continued searching for wounded teammates before collapsing from his wounds. Read Beikirch’s citation.
i WAS THE PILOT OF ONE OF THE FIRST HELICOPTERS INTO dAK sEANG SHORTLY AFTER LUNCH THE FIRST DAY OFFIGHTING. wE CARRIED RESUPPLY, AMMO MEDS AND SOME REPLACEMENT TROOPS. dUE TO THE INTENSE FIGHTING, ENEMY TROOPS WERE IN THE WIRE WE KICKED OFF THE SUPPLIES, ONE SPECIAL FORCES SGT WAS SHOT TRUING TO UN LOAD AND MY CREW PULLED HIM BACK ONBOARD. i HAVE A dALLAS mORNING NEWS PAPER ARTICLE WHICH COVERS THIS ACCOUNT AND WOULD LIKE TO SHARE IT WITHsGT BEIKIRCH IF HE WOULD LIKE . i HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RADIO OPERATOR THAT WAS INSIDE THE CAMP, SUPPOSEDLY WOUNDED, AUSTRAILIAN GUY, CALL SIGN KANGEROO JACK AS I RECALL. mY CONGRATULATIONS TO SGT BEIKIRCH FOR HIS ACTIONS ON THAT DAY. IT WAS THE KICK OFF OF A LONG MONTH OF INTENSE FIGHTING IN THE AREA.SINCEREELY, FORMER CAPT CURTIS FITZGERALD, GHOSTRIDER 3