Legionnaire to receive Medal of Honor
U.S. Army Sgt. Gary M. Rose is helped from a helicopter landing area after Operation Tailwind, 1970. Photo courtesy of Ted Wicorek.

Legionnaire to receive Medal of Honor

Vietnam War veteran Gary M. Rose will receive the Medal of Honor on Oct. 23 during a ceremony at the White House.

Rose, a retired Army captain, will receive the Medal of Honor for voluntarily risking his life on multiple occasions during combat operations, while serving as a medic with the Green Berets in the 5th Special Forces Group. From Sept. 11 to Sept. 14, 1970, Rose repeatedly ran into the line of enemy fire to provide critical medical aid to his comrades, using his own body on one occasion to shield a wounded American from harm.

On the final day of the mission, although wounded himself, Rose voluntarily exposed himself to enemy fire while moving wounded personnel and loading them into helicopters, then helping to repel an enemy assault. As he boarded the final helicopter, intense enemy fire hit the helicopter, causing it to crash shortly after takeoff. Again, ignoring his own injuries, Rose pulled the helicopter crew and members of his unit from the burning wreckage and provided medical aid until another helicopter arrived.

Rose, a member of American Legion Post 237 in Alabama, retired from the Army in 1987. After retiring, Rose earned a master’s degree in communication from the University of Oklahoma and later worked as a technical consultant in the defense and automobile industries, developing user and maintenance manuals and training programs and materials.