Today in Medal of Honor history: Allan J. Kellogg

40 years ago in the Quang Nam Province of Vietnam, SSgt. Kellogg was leading a 14-man blocking force for a company of Marines trying to force the enemy in their direction. Unable to find the enemy, Kellogg was about to pull out his men when a Marine tripped on a howitzer shell which caused it to explode, killing one and seriously wounding three.

Kellogg called for a helicopter (the radio operator was among the wounded) to extract the casualties, the enemy force began to close in. The Marines moved to the extraction site with columns of Viet Cong soldiers in pursuit. When Kellogg crossed a narrow, rickety footbridge through a hail of gun fire, an enemy grenade hit him in the chest, which he stomped into the mud and then covered with his body to shield his teammates from the explosion.

Although seriously injured from the grenade blast, Kellogg resumed command of the unit and lead them to safety. While he was recovering in the hospital, a corpsman informed him that he would receive the Navy Cross (later upgraded to the Medal of Honor). Kellogg reportedly shot back, “Just get me out of here, and we’ll call it even.” Kellogg’s Medal of Honor citation can be viewed here.