Daniel Fernandez
Encyclopedia
Daniel D. Fernandez was a United States Army
soldier in the Vietnam War
who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
. Fernandez was awarded the medal for his actions in Hau Nghia Province, Republic of Vietnam
, in February 1966 — throwing himself on a live grenade, he sacrificed his life to save lives of the soldiers around him.
, on June 30, 1944, Fernandez grew up in nearby Los Lunas
. He had two younger brothers, Peter and James.
Fernandez joined the Army from Albuquerque and by 1966 was on his second tour of duty in Vietnam. During that deployment, he served as a specialist four
in Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized)
, 25th Infantry Division. On February 18, 1966, in Củ Chi, Hậu Nghĩa
province, his 16-man patrol was ambushed by a Viet Cong rifle company and forced to fall back. Fernandez and two others volunteered to follow a sergeant back to the ambush site and rescue a wounded soldier who had been left behind. After reaching the injured man, the sergeant was shot in the knee and Fernandez took over command of the patrol. All five men were pinned down by heavy fire when a rifle grenade
landed in their midst. In the scramble to get away from the device, Fernandez accidentally kicked it closer to the rest of the group. He then shouted "move out", jumped over the immobile sergeant, and threw himself on the grenade. He was killed in the resulting explosion, but successfully saved the lives of his fellow soldiers.
For this action, Fernandez was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in November 1966. He was the first of nine Mexican American
s to receive the medal in Vietnam.
A Requiem Mass was held for Fernandez at Los Lunas High School prior to his burial at Santa Fe National Cemetery
. His name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
("The Wall") on Panel 05E, Row 046.
post bears his name, as does a road, Fernandez Street.
Students at Daniel Fernandez Intermediate School wrote of biography of him, titled Man of Honor: The Story of Daniel Fernandez, which was published in 2009 by Author House Publishing.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
soldier in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. Fernandez was awarded the medal for his actions in Hau Nghia Province, Republic of Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, in February 1966 — throwing himself on a live grenade, he sacrificed his life to save lives of the soldiers around him.
Biography
Born in Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, on June 30, 1944, Fernandez grew up in nearby Los Lunas
Los Lunas, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*72.1% White*2.0% Black*2.5% Native American*0.8% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.2% Two or more races*18.3% Other races*57.9% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. He had two younger brothers, Peter and James.
Fernandez joined the Army from Albuquerque and by 1966 was on his second tour of duty in Vietnam. During that deployment, he served as a specialist four
Specialist (rank)
Specialist is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army, just above Private First Class and equivalent in pay grade to Corporal. Unlike Corporals, Specialists are not considered junior non-commissioned officers...
in Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized)
5th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 5th Infantry Regiment is the third-oldest infantry regiment of the United States Army, tracing its origins to 1808...
, 25th Infantry Division. On February 18, 1966, in Củ Chi, Hậu Nghĩa
Hậu Nghĩa
Hậu Nghĩa is former province of South Vietnam. It was formed on October 15, 1963 by separating land from provinces Long An, Gia Định and Tây Ninh. Its capital city was Khiêm Cường. It had 4 districts: Củ Chi, Đức Hòa, Đức Huệ and Trảng Bàng....
province, his 16-man patrol was ambushed by a Viet Cong rifle company and forced to fall back. Fernandez and two others volunteered to follow a sergeant back to the ambush site and rescue a wounded soldier who had been left behind. After reaching the injured man, the sergeant was shot in the knee and Fernandez took over command of the patrol. All five men were pinned down by heavy fire when a rifle grenade
Rifle grenade
A rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade was thrown by hand...
landed in their midst. In the scramble to get away from the device, Fernandez accidentally kicked it closer to the rest of the group. He then shouted "move out", jumped over the immobile sergeant, and threw himself on the grenade. He was killed in the resulting explosion, but successfully saved the lives of his fellow soldiers.
For this action, Fernandez was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in November 1966. He was the first of nine Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
s to receive the medal in Vietnam.
A Requiem Mass was held for Fernandez at Los Lunas High School prior to his burial at Santa Fe National Cemetery
Santa Fe National Cemetery
Santa Fe National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of Santa Fe, in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 39,695 interments...
. His name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors U.S. service members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War, service members who died in service in Vietnam/South East Asia, and those service members who were unaccounted for during the War.Its...
("The Wall") on Panel 05E, Row 046.
Honors
In Fernandez's hometown of Los Lunas, a number of structures have been named in his honor. In March 1966, the newly-opened Los Lunas Junior High School was renamed Daniel Fernandez Junior High School in his honor. It has since been reorganized as Daniel Fernandez Intermediate School. A park and recreation facility, Daniel Fernandez Memorial Park, was dedicated in 1972. The local Veterans of Foreign WarsVeterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
post bears his name, as does a road, Fernandez Street.
Students at Daniel Fernandez Intermediate School wrote of biography of him, titled Man of Honor: The Story of Daniel Fernandez, which was published in 2009 by Author House Publishing.
Medal of Honor citation
His official Medal of Honor citation reads:For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Fernandez demonstrated indomitable courage when the patrol was ambushed by a Viet Cong rifle company and driven back by the intense enemy automatic weapons fire before it could evacuate an American soldier who had been wounded in the Viet Cong attack. Sp4c. Fernandez, a sergeant and 2 other volunteers immediately fought their way through devastating fire and exploding grenades to reach the fallen soldier. Upon reaching their fallen comrade the sergeant was struck in the knee by machine gun fire and immobilized. Sp4c. Fernandez took charge, rallied the left flank of his patrol and began to assist in the recovery of the wounded sergeant. While first aid was being administered to the wounded man, a sudden increase in the accuracy and intensity of enemy fire forced the volunteer group to take cover. As they did, an enemy grenade landed in the midst of the group, although some men did not see it. Realizing there was no time for the wounded sergeant or the other men to protect themselves from the grenade blast, Sp4c. Fernandez vaulted over the wounded sergeant and threw himself on the grenade as it exploded, saving the lives of his 4 comrades at the sacrifice of his life. Sp4c. Fernandez' profound concern for his fellow soldiers, at the risk 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 and the Armed Forces of his country.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War
- List of Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients
External links
- Daniel Fernandez, Medal of Honor at mishalov.com
- SP4 Daniel Fernandez by Rattler/Firebird Association