Raymond R Wright
Raymond was born on the 15th of December 1945, in Moriah, New York, and was one of thirteen children. He entered the US Army in May of 1967, and it wasn’t long after that he would be deployed in support of the Vietnam War with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, where his actions would later earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While serving as a rifleman with Company A, Sp4c. Wright distinguished himself during a combat patrol in an area where an enemy ambush had occurred earlier. Sp4c. Wright's unit suddenly came under intense automatic-weapons and small-arms fire from an enemy bunker system protected by numerous snipers in nearby trees. Despite the heavy enemy fire, Sp4c. Wright and another soldier leaped to the top of a dike to assault the position. Armed with a rifle and several grenades, he and his comrade exposed themselves to intense fire from the bunkers as they charged the nearest one. Sp4c. Wright raced to the bunker, threw in a grenade, killing its occupant. The two soldiers then ran through a hail of fire to a second bunker. While his comrade covered him with his machine gun, Sp4c. Wright charged the bunker and succeeded in killing its occupant with a grenade. A third bunker contained an automatic rifleman who had pinned down much of the friendly platoon. While his comrade again covered him with machine-gun fire, Sp4c. Wright charged in and killed the enemy rifleman with a grenade. The two soldiers worked their way through the remaining bunkers, knocking out four of them. Throughout their furious assault, Sp4c. Wright and his comrade had been almost continuously exposed to intense sniper fire from the treeline as the enemy desperately sought to stop their attack. Overcoming stubborn resistance from the bunker system, the men advanced into the treeline, forcing the snipers to retreat, giving immediate chase, and driving the enemy away from the friendly unit so that it advanced across the open area without further casualty. When his ammunition was exhausted, Sp4c. Wright returned to his unit to assist in the evacuation of the wounded. This two-man assault had driven an enemy platoon from a well-prepared position, accounted for numerous enemy casualties, and adverted further friendly casualties. Sp4c. Wright's extraordinary heroism, courage, and indomitable fighting spirit saved the lives of many of his comrades and inflicted serious damage on the enemy. His acts were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
As mentioned in the last episode, the other soldier mentioned in the citation is Leonard Keller and both men received the Medal of Honor from President Johnson on the 19th of September 1968. I could not find any further information about his early or later life and Raymond Richard Wright, known as Buzzer, died on the 24th of September 1999, at the age of 53. He is buried in the Gerald B H Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville, New York: Section 7, Site 1035.
