The Wall › Panel 23W › Michigan › Robert Leslie Poxon
ROBERT LESLIE POXON
First Lieutenant · U.S. Army
January 3, 1947 – June 2, 1969
Medal of Honor StoryPortrait: U.S. armed forces, via Wikimedia Commons.
Robert Leslie Poxon, of Detroit, Michigan, served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He died on June 2, 1969, in Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam, at age 22. His name is inscribed on Panel 23W, Line 46 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Medal of Honor · awarded posthumously
For conspicuous gallantry
Robert Leslie Poxon received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor, for his actions on June 2, 1969. The official citation reads:
First Lieutenant Poxon'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. 1st Lt. Poxon, Armor, Troop B, distinguished himself while serving as a platoon leader on a reconnaissance mission. Landing by helicopter in an area suspected of being occupied by the enemy, the platoon came under intense fire from enemy soldiers in concealed positions and fortifications around the landing zone. A soldier fell, hit by the first burst of fire. 1st Lt. Poxon dashed to his aid, drawing the majority of the enemy fire as he crossed 20 meters of open ground. The fallen soldier was beyond help and 1st Lt. Poxon was seriously and painfully wounded. 1st Lt. Poxon, with indomitable courage, refused medical aid and evacuation and turned his attention to seizing the initiative from the enemy. With sure instinct he marked a central enemy bunker as the key to success. Quickly instructing his men to concentrate their fire on the bunker, and in spite of his wound, 1st Lt. Poxon crawled toward the bunker, readied a hand grenade and charged. He was hit again but continued his assault. After succeeding in silencing the enemy guns in the bunker he was struck once again by enemy fire and fell, mortally wounded. 1st Lt. Poxon's comrades followed their leader, pressed the attack and drove the enemy from their positions. 1st Lt. Poxon's gallantry, indomitable will, and courage are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
Citation text as reproduced in Wikipedia’s article on Robert Leslie Poxon; 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 23W · Line 46
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
- First Lieutenant (1LT)
- Service
- Reserve / National Guard
- Occupation
- Armored Reconnaissance Unit Commander (1204)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 1 CAV DIV AIRMOBILE
- Born
- January 3, 1947
- Home of record
- Detroit, Michigan (Wayne County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- June 2, 1969
- Age
- 22
- Province
- Tay Ninh
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Small Arms Fire
Context · from the records
What was happening
43 names on the Wall carry the date June 2, 1969; four of them were lost in Tây Ninh Province. In June 1969, 1,246 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), his unit in the record, lost 108 of its members that month.
Read the history
Also on Panel 23W, Line 46
- FRANCIS RUSSELL MCGOWANSergeant · June 2, 1969
- KENNETH REX MCNEILLPrivate First Class · June 2, 1969
- GEORGE ROBERT PALERMOSergeant · June 2, 1969
- DONALD JOHN PORTERFirst Lieutenant · June 2, 1969
Same unit, same day
- LYMAN CONRAD BACHStaff Sergeant · Panel 23W, Line 41
- SCOTT DOUGLAS BALDWINSpecialist Four · Panel 23W, Line 41
- WARREN FRED BROWNPrivate First Class · Panel 23W, Line 42
- DUANE ROY BAUMGARDNERSpecialist Four · Panel 23W, Line 43
- MARK STEVEN DREIERCorporal · Panel 23W, Line 43
- JEFFREY LEE GELDINSpecialist Four · Panel 23W, Line 44
- FRANCIS RUSSELL MCGOWANSergeant · Panel 23W, Line 46
- DONALD JOHN PORTERFirst Lieutenant · Panel 23W, Line 46
- WILBUR ALLEN SMITHSpecialist Four · Panel 23W, Line 48
- PRESTON TAYLOR JRCorporal · Panel 23W, Line 48
- RAY LEONARD ULRICHSergeant · Panel 23W, Line 49
- PAUL FREDERICK WEBERSergeant · Panel 23W, Line 49
From Detroit
- SAMUEL EUGENE HURDAirman Third Class · January 3, 1964
- LEO BERT ABRAMOSKICaptain · July 28, 1964
- GEORGE PAUL ZUPANCICCorporal · June 26, 1965
- MARSHALL DANIEL HOLMANPrivate First Class · July 9, 1965
- ELIAS BELL JRCorporal · July 13, 1965
- ARTHUR F HAMMARSTROM JRLieutenant Colonel · July 24, 1965
- JAMES THOMAS CLARKPrivate · August 17, 1965
- BRUCE JAMES HENRICHPrivate First Class · August 18, 1965
- ROBERT TAGLIONESergeant · August 18, 1965
- MERRILL LAGENE LANTRYCorporal · September 2, 1965
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.