The President of the United States,
in the name of The Congress takes pride in presenting
the MEDAL OF HONOR to:
HOSPITAL CORPSMAN THIRD CLASS
ROBERT R. INGRAM
UNITED STATES NAVY
for service as set forth in the
following
CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty
while serving as Corpsman with Company C, First Battalion, Seventh
Marines against elements of a North Vietnam Aggressor (NVA) battalion
in Quang Ngai Province Republic of Vietnam on 28 March 1966. Petty
Officer Ingram accompanied the point platoon as it aggressively
dispatched an outpost of an NVA battalion. The momentum of the attack
rolled off a ridge line down a tree covered slope to a small paddy and
a village beyond. Suddenly, the village tree line exploded with an
intense hail of automatic rifle fire from approximately 100 North
Vietnamese regulars. In mere moments, the platoon ranks were
decimated. Oblivious to the danger, Petty Officer Ingram crawled
across the bullet spattered terrain to reach a downed Marine. As he
administered aid, a bullet went through the palm of his hand. Calls
for "CORPSMAN" echoed across the ridge. Bleeding, he edged
across the fire swept landscape, collecting ammunition from the dead
and administering aid to the wounded. Receiving two more wounds before
realizing the third wound was life-threatening, he looked for a way
off the face of the ridge, but again he heard the call for corpsman
and again, he resolutely answered. Though severely wounded three
times, he rendered aid to those incapable until he finally reached the
right flank of the platoon. While dressing the head wound of another
corpsman, he sustained his fourth bullet wound. From sixteen hundred
hours until just prior to sunset, Petty Officer Ingram pushed, pulled,
cajoled, and doctored his Marines. Enduring the pain from his many
wounds and disregarding the probability of his demise, Petty Officer
Ingram's intrepid actions saved many lives that day. By his
indomitable fighting spirit, daring initiative, and unfaltering
dedications to duty, Petty Officer Ingram reflected great credit upon
himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval
Service.
