The Wall › Panel 61E › California › Anund C Roark
ANUND C ROARK
Sergeant · U.S. Army
February 17, 1948 – May 16, 1968
Medal of Honor StoryPortrait: U.S. armed forces, via Wikimedia Commons.
Anund C Roark, of San Diego, California, served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He died on May 16, 1968, in Kontum Province, South Vietnam, at age 20. His name is inscribed on Panel 61E, Line 18 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Medal of Honor · awarded posthumously
For conspicuous gallantry
Anund C Roark received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor, for his actions on May 16, 1968. The official citation reads:
Sergeant Roark'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. Sgt. Roark distinguished himself by extraordinary gallantry while serving with Company C. Sgt. Roark was the point squad leader of a small force which had the mission of rescuing 11 men in a hilltop observation post under heavy attack by a company-size force, approximately 1,000 meters from the battalion perimeter. As lead elements of the relief force reached the besieged observation post, intense automatic weapons fire from enemy occupied bunkers halted their movement. Without hesitation, Sgt. Roark maneuvered his squad, repeatedly exposing himself to withering enemy fire to hurl grenades and direct the fire of his squad to gain fire superiority and cover the withdrawal of the outpost and evacuation of its casualties. Frustrated in their effort to overrun the position, the enemy swept the hilltop with small arms and volleys of grenades. Seeing a grenade land in the midst of his men, Sgt. Roark, with complete disregard for his safety, hurled himself upon the grenade, absorbing its blast with his body. Sgt. Roark's magnificent leadership and dauntless courage saved the lives of many of his comrades and were the inspiration for the successful relief of the outpost. His actions which culminated in the supreme sacrifice of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and reflect great credit on himself and the U.S. Army.
^ "Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. October 3, 2003. Archived from the original on April 24, 2008. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
Citation text as reproduced in Wikipedia’s article on Anund C Roark; Medal of Honor citations are official U.S. government records. See also the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and all Medal of Honor recipients on the Wall.
On the Wall
Panel 61E · Line 18
Names are inscribed in the order of loss, starting at Panel 1E at the apex and ending at Panel 1W. At the Memorial, find the panel number at the base and count down from the top line.
Remember
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Service
- Branch
- U.S. Army
- Rank
- Sergeant (SGT)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Infantryman (11B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 4 INF DIV
- Born
- February 17, 1948
- Home of record
- San Diego, California (San Diego County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- May 16, 1968
- Age
- 20
- Province
- Kontum
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Grenade
Context · from the records
What was happening
80 names on the Wall carry the date May 16, 1968; five of them were lost in Kon Tum Province. In May 1968, 2,418 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 4th Infantry Division, his unit in the record, lost 99 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 61E, Line 18
- DAVID J RICKELMajor · May 16, 1968
- SAMUEL FLOYD ROLENPrivate First Class · May 16, 1968
- ALBERT W ROMINESergeant · May 16, 1968
- JOHN ROTONNELLISpecialist Four · May 16, 1968
Same unit, same day
- STEPHEN EARL CRAWFORDPrivate First Class · Panel 61E, Line 8
- DAVID WALLACE HENDLEStaff Sergeant · Panel 61E, Line 11
- ALBERT W ROMINESergeant · Panel 61E, Line 18
- JOHN ROTONNELLISpecialist Four · Panel 61E, Line 18
From San Diego
- STANLEY E TRUESDALEStaff Sergeant · April 12, 1963
- CLARENCE CLEMENT TESSMANCaptain · August 10, 1963
- WILLIAM CLIFTON HOOVERPetty Officer Second Class · June 10, 1965
- VIRGIL WAYNE BARTONLance Corporal · August 21, 1965
- CHARLES JOSEPH SCHARFColonel · October 1, 1965
- KENNETH JOE HAMMONDSpecialist Four · November 22, 1965
- RICHARD EUGENE GEORGEPrivate First Class · November 23, 1965
- GERALD CLYDE LYMANPrivate First Class · February 2, 1966
- JOHN JOSEPH SOLLEYLance Corporal · February 8, 1966
- DONALD D DAUGHERTYStaff Sergeant · April 13, 1966
Source. U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Casualty Analysis System, Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File (as of April 29, 2008), Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330, National Archives (NAID 2240992). Panel and line as recorded in that file. The Medal of Honor citation above is the official account of his actions. See something wrong? Report a correction.