The Wall › Panel 10W › Ohio › David Francis Winder
DAVID FRANCIS WINDER
Private First Class · U.S. Army
August 10, 1946 – May 13, 1970
Medal of Honor StoryPortrait: US Air Force, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
David Francis Winder, of Mansfield, Ohio, served as a Private First Class in the U.S. Army. He died on May 13, 1970, in Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam, at age 23. His name is inscribed on Panel 10W, Line 37 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Medal of Honor · awarded posthumously
For conspicuous gallantry
David Francis Winder received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor, for his actions on May 13, 1970. The official citation reads:
Private First Class Winder's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
Pfc. Winder distinguished himself while serving in the Republic of Vietnam as a senior medical aidman with Company A. After moving through freshly cut rice paddies in search of a suspected company-size enemy force, the unit started a thorough search of the area. Suddenly they were engaged with intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fire by a well entrenched enemy force. Several friendly soldiers fell wounded in the initial contact and the unit was pinned down. Responding instantly to the cries of his wounded comrades, Pfc. Winder began maneuvering across approximately 100 meters of open, bullet-swept terrain toward the nearest casualty. Unarmed and crawling most of the distance, he was wounded by enemy fire before reaching his comrades. Despite his wounds and with great effort, Pfc. Winder reached the first casualty and administered medical aid. As he continued to crawl across the open terrain toward a second wounded soldier he was forced to stop when wounded a second time. Aroused by the cries of an injured comrade for aid, Pfc. Winder's great determination and sense of duty impelled him to move forward once again, despite his wounds, in a courageous attempt to reach and assist the injured man. After struggling to within 10 meters of the man, Pfc. Winder was mortally wounded. His dedication and sacrifice inspired his unit to initiate an aggressive counterassault which led to the defeat of the enemy. Pfc. Winder's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the cost of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit and the U.S. Army.
Citation text as reproduced in Wikipedia’s article on David Francis Winder; 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 10W · Line 37
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.
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Service
- Branch
- U.S. Army
- Rank
- Private First Class (PFC)
- Service
- Drafted (Selective Service)
- Occupation
- Medical Equipment Repairer (91A)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 11 LIGHT INF BDE
- Born
- August 10, 1946
- Home of record
- Mansfield, Ohio (Richland County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- May 13, 1970
- Age
- 23
- Province
- Quang Ngai
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Small Arms Fire
Context · from the records
What was happening
38 names on the Wall carry the date May 13, 1970; 14 of them were lost in Quảng Ngãi Province. In May 1970, 917 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 11th Light Infantry Brigade, his unit in the record, lost 28 of its members that month.
Read the history
Also on Panel 10W, Line 37
- RAYMOND JOSEPH SOUZACorporal · May 13, 1970
- ALAN ROBERT TRENTCaptain · May 13, 1970
- DONALD RICHARD WHITEWarrant Officer 1 · May 13, 1970
- ROBERT TINSLEY WOODFirst Lieutenant · May 13, 1970
Same unit, same day
- EDWARD JOHN DELIKAT JRSpecialist Four · Panel 10W, Line 31
- RICHARD DAVID HUMPHREYSpecialist Four · Panel 10W, Line 33
- RHEA MARSHALL KIDDStaff Sergeant · Panel 10W, Line 34
- ALLEN ARTHUR MUNSONSpecialist Four · Panel 10W, Line 35
- WILLIAM JAMES OLSONStaff Sergeant · Panel 10W, Line 35
- VAN THOMAS WRAYSpecialist Four · Panel 10W, Line 36
From Mansfield
- LUTHER EDMOND RITCHEY JRLance Corporal · October 8, 1963
- TYRONE WADE HISEYWarrant Officer 1 · March 30, 1966
- CHARLES MICHAEL TODDPrivate First Class · November 8, 1966
- STANLEY RICHARD GLEISINGERCorporal · November 26, 1966
- ROBERT FRANK RATHBUNPrivate First Class · December 29, 1966
- WILLIAM THEODORE NORRISSpecialist Five · March 17, 1967
- MICHAEL HENRY JULIANPrivate First Class · March 20, 1967
- EDUARD ADOLPH AUERStaff Sergeant · September 19, 1967
- ROBERT LEE FUQUA JRPrivate First Class · October 17, 1967
- WILLIAM DOUGLAS REEVES JRPrivate First Class · November 8, 1967
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.