Statement by the President at the Presentation of the Medal of Honor (Posthumous) to Staff Sgt. Larry S. Pierce.

THIS IS a special moment for me. There is in it pride and heartache--tragedy and majesty.

We have gathered here in the first house of our land to honor one who has been first among the brave. We have come to salute extraordinary courage--to mark extraordinary dedication. We bestow this Nation's highest honor on an heroic young American who can be with us in spirit only.

Sergeant Larry Pierce was only 24 years old. But he was wise and skilled beyond his years in his profession. His uniform was his badge. He wore it with pride.

Sergeant Pierce died young in a distant land, far from the land he loved and the family he cherished. He made the ultimate sacrifice for the ultimate cause.

Why was this brave American called upon to give up the promise of his youth? Why are his comrades still called upon to fight on after him? Why are we in Vietnam?

The answers to these questions are to be found in Hanoi and Peking where greed and ambition reach out to strangle peaceful nations.

They are to be found throughout South Vietnam where brave men are fighting to live as they choose.

And they are to be found woven in the very fabric of American tradition where freedom--any man's freedom--is prized above life itself. And Sergeant Pierce has added another chapter to that tradition.

From Saratoga to the Marne to Okinawa and now Vietnam--the Sergeant Pierces have come in legions to light the darkness and drive out tyranny and war. They do so today. They shall do so tomorrow. They will defend the ideal and pursue the dream forever.

We at home must be worthy of their sacrifice. We must be united in our purpose to create a world where terror will not go unchallenged--where aggression and violence will shatter on the rock of our courage and our conviction.

We must be committed as individuals to a common pledge: Free men shall not stand alone against the enemy that menaces all free men.

To you, Mrs. Pierce--and to you, Theresa--and to you, Kelley--and to you, Gregory--your bravery is no less heroic than your soldier husband and father. We are equally uplifted by it and grateful for it.

I promise each of you that none of us shall falter in our purpose until we have secured the kind of world for which Sergeant Pierce gave his young and gallant life.

The Secretary of the Army will now read the citation.

[The text of the citation read by Stanley R. Resor, Secretary of the Army]

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of The Congress the Medal of Honor, posthumously, to

STAFF SERGEANT LARRY S. PIERCE UNITED STATES ARMY

for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:

Staff Sergeant Larry S. Pierce distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty while leading a Squad against hostile forces near Ben Cat, Republic of Vietnam, on September 20, 1965.

Sergeant Pierce was serving as squad leader in a reconnaissance platoon when his patrol was ambushed by hostile forces. Through his inspiring leadership and personal courage, the squad succeeded in eliminating an enemy machine gun and routing the opposing force. While pursuing the fleeing enemy, the squad came upon a dirt road and, as the main body of his men entered the road, Sergeant Pierce discovered an anti-personnel mine emplaced in the road bed. Realizing that the mine could destroy the majority of his squad Sergeant Pierce saved the lives of his men at the sacrifice of his own by throwing himself directly onto the mine as it exploded. Through his indomitable courage, complete disregard for his own safety, and profound concern for his fellow soldiers, he averted loss of life and injury to the members of his squad.

Sergeant Pierce's conspicuous gallantry, extraordinary heroism, and intrepidity at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.