Joseph Guy LaPointe, Jr. (July 2, 1948–June 2, 1969) was a medic in the United States Army

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...

 who posthumously received 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...

 for his actions during 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...

.

Biography

LaPointe, known to his family as "Guy", was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio

Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...

. After graduating from Northridge High School

Northridge High School (Dayton, Ohio)

Northridge High School is part of Northridge Local Schools. The school is located in Dayton, Ohio, USA , and serves approximately 500 students. The school mascot is the polar bear...

 in 1966, he moved to nearby Clayton

Clayton, Ohio

Clayton is a city in Montgomery and Miami Counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 13,209 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 and worked as a mail carrier in Englewood

Englewood, Ohio

Englewood, a northern suburb of Dayton, is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,465 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

. LaPointe was a nature lover and an avid hiker

Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

.

LaPointe was drafted in 1968 and declared himself a conscientious objector

Conscientious objector

A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....

. He was trained as a combat medic

Combat medic

Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...

 and sent to Vietnam in November 1968. By June 2 of the next year, he was 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...

 serving with the 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment

17th Cavalry Regiment (United States)

The 17th Cavalry is a historical organization within the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry after the Pancho Villa Expedition. The unit was constituted on 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 17th Cavalry at Fort Bliss, Texas and originally inactivated 26 September 1921 at the...

, 101st Airborne Division

101st Airborne Division (United States)

The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...

. On that day, he participated in a patrol

Patrol

A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as police officers or soldiers, that are assigned to monitor a specific geographic area.- Military :...

 on Hill 376 in Quang Tin province. When his unit came under heavy fire from entrenched enemy forces and took several casualties, LaPointe ran through the automatic weapons fire to reach two wounded men at the head of the patrol. He treated the soldiers and shielded them with his body, even after being twice wounded, until an enemy grenade killed all three men. For these actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His other decorations include the Silver Star

Silver Star

The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....

, Bronze Star

Bronze Star Medal

The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...

, and National Defense Service Medal

National Defense Service Medal

The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...

.. He left a "widow, Cindy LaPointe [now] Dafler, and [a] son Joseph G. LaPointe III, who ...never met his father."

Medal of Honor citation

LaPointe's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. SPC4. LaPointe, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2d Squadron, distinguished himself while serving as a medical aidman during a combat helicopter assault mission. SPC4. LaPointe's patrol was advancing from the landing zone through an adjoining valley when it suddenly encountered heavy automatic weapons fire from a large enemy force entrenched in well fortified bunker positions. In the initial hail of fire, 2 soldiers in the formation vanguard were seriously wounded. Hearing a call for aid from 1 of the wounded, SPC4. LaPointe ran forward through heavy fire to assist his fallen comrades. To reach the wounded men, he was forced to crawl directly in view of an enemy bunker. As members of his unit attempted to provide covering fire, he administered first aid to 1 man, shielding the other with his body. He was hit by a burst of fire from the bunker while attending the wounded soldier. In spite of his painful wounds, SPC4. LaPointe continued his lifesaving duties until he was again wounded and knocked to the ground. Making strenuous efforts, he moved back again into a shielding position to continue administering first aid. An exploding enemy grenade mortally wounded all 3 men. SPC4. LaPointe's courageous actions at the cost of his life were an inspiration to his comrades. His gallantry and selflessness are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

Tributes

Several structures have been named in LaPointe's honor, including a housing complex and medical complex in Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...

, a medical heliport in Fort Benning, Georgia, and an Army Reserve Center in Riverside, Ohio

Riverside, Ohio

Riverside is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,201 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Riverside is located at ....

. A portion of Ohio State Route 49

Ohio State Route 49

State Route 49 or SR 49 is a state highway in the western part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It begins at Drexel with US 35 and runs northwesterly to Greenville, and then runs roughly along near the western edge of the state near the Indiana state line to the Michigan state line where it meets with...

 in Montgomery County

Montgomery County, Ohio

Montgomery County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 535,153 in the 2010 Census. It was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, Canada. The county seat is Dayton...

 has been designated the "Joseph G. LaPointe Jr. Memorial Highway". On June 2, 2009, the fortieth anniversary of his death, LaPointe's widow and son were presented with the Medal of Honor flag during a ceremony at the LaPointe Army Reserve Center in Riverside.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War
• Desmond Doss
  Desmond Doss
  Desmond Thomas Doss was the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor and one of only three so honored . He was a Corporal in the U.S...
  
  
• Thomas W. Bennett

External links