The Wall › Panel 31W › Maryland › Robert Willard Hartsock
ROBERT WILLARD HARTSOCK
Staff Sergeant · U.S. Army
January 24, 1945 – February 23, 1969
Medal of Honor StoryPortrait: U.S. armed forces, via Wikimedia Commons.
Robert Willard Hartsock, of Cumberland, Maryland, served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He died on February 23, 1969, in Binh Duong Province, South Vietnam, at age 24. His name is inscribed on Panel 31W, Line 3 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Medal of Honor · awarded posthumously
For conspicuous gallantry
Robert Willard Hartsock received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor, for his actions on February 23, 1969. The official citation reads:
Staff Sergeant Hartsock'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. S/Sgt. Hartsock, distinguished himself in action while serving as section leader with the 44th Infantry Platoon. When the Dầu Tiếng Base Camp came under a heavy enemy rocket and mortar attack, S/Sgt. Hartsock and his platoon commander spotted an enemy sapper squad which had infiltrated the camp undetected. Realizing the enemy squad was heading for the brigade tactical operations center and nearby prisoner compound, they concealed themselves and, although heavily outnumbered, awaited the approach of the hostile soldiers. When the enemy was almost upon them, S/Sgt. Hartsock and his platoon commander opened fire on the squad. As a wounded enemy soldier fell, he managed to detonate a satchel charge he was carrying. S/Sgt. Hartsock, with complete disregard for his life, threw himself on the charge and was gravely wounded. In spite of his wounds, S/Sgt. Hartsock crawled about 5 meters to a ditch and provided heavy suppressive fire, completely pinning down the enemy and allowing his commander to seek shelter. S/Sgt. Hartsock continued his deadly stream of fire until he succumbed to his wounds. S/Sgt. Hartsock's extraordinary heroism and profound concern for the lives of his fellow soldiers 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 Robert Willard Hartsock; 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 31W · Line 3
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
- Staff Sergeant (SSG)
- Service
- Drafted (Selective Service)
- Occupation
- Infantry Operations And Intelligence Specialist (11F)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 25 INF DIV
- Born
- January 24, 1945
- Home of record
- Cumberland, Maryland (Allegany County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- February 23, 1969
- Age
- 24
- Province
- Binh Duong
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Small Arms Fire
Context · from the records
What was happening
209 names on the Wall carry the date February 23, 1969; 30 of them were lost in Bình Dương Province. In February 1969, 1,304 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 25th Infantry Division, his unit in the record, lost 119 of its members that month.
Read the history
Also on Panel 31W, Line 3
- GREGORY EUGENE HANKINSLance Corporal · February 23, 1969
- ROOSEVELT HARDY JRSergeant · February 23, 1969
- LARRY ANTHONY HARTIGANHospitalman · February 23, 1969
- KENNETH RICHARD HEIFNERPrivate First Class · February 23, 1969
Same unit, same day
- WILFORD HARLESS ALDERMANSpecialist Five · Panel 32W, Line 87
- ARTHUR JAMES ANDERSONSergeant · Panel 32W, Line 87
- HOWARD ATKINSONSpecialist Four · Panel 32W, Line 88
- JAMES ALLEN AZBELLSpecialist Four · Panel 32W, Line 88
- LARRY DALE BARKERSergeant · Panel 32W, Line 88
- CARL FRANK BELDING JRSpecialist Four · Panel 32W, Line 88
- RANDALL LAWRENCE BROCKWAYSergeant · Panel 32W, Line 89
- JOHN C BROWNINGSergeant · Panel 32W, Line 91
- ROBERT RONALD BUCKSpecialist Four · Panel 32W, Line 91
- JOHN ALLEN BUSCHKESergeant · Panel 32W, Line 91
- EDWIN DOUGLAS CASWELLSpecialist Four · Panel 32W, Line 93
- PAUL FRANKLIN CLARKSpecialist Four · Panel 32W, Line 93
- MARVIN DEWAYNE CANTERBURYSpecialist Four · Panel 32W, Line 94
- CURTIS DARRISAWSpecialist Four · Panel 32W, Line 95
- GEORGE LEWIS DAVIS JRPrivate First Class · Panel 32W, Line 95
- JOHN HENRY DAVISCorporal · Panel 32W, Line 95
- RANDOLPH EUBANKSSpecialist Four · Panel 32W, Line 97
- DONALD WILLIAM HALLOWSpecialist Five · Panel 31W, Line 2
- LEE ALBERT KEITHCorporal · Panel 31W, Line 2
- ROOSEVELT HARDY JRSergeant · Panel 31W, Line 3
- DOUGLAS LEE HINKLESergeant · Panel 31W, Line 4
- GARY EUGENE JOHNSONPrivate First Class · Panel 31W, Line 5
- ROBERT LEE JONESSpecialist Four · Panel 31W, Line 6
- JAMES WILLIAM LEAFSpecialist Four · Panel 31W, Line 8
From Cumberland
- FREDERICK NORMAN BAKERSpecialist Four · June 12, 1965
- WELLINGTON MARTIN DONAHUEPrivate First Class · November 6, 1966
- CHARLES E ARONHALT JRFirst Lieutenant · May 18, 1967
- THOMAS JOHN MCMAHONPrivate First Class · September 10, 1967
- JOHN THOMAS WERTMANLance Corporal · October 5, 1967
- JOHN DERWOOD SAVILLE JRSpecialist Four · October 8, 1967
- JOSEPH PATRICK ROWLEYSpecialist Four · October 8, 1967
- ROGER DALE WILFONGStaff Sergeant · October 27, 1967
- CHARLES EDWARD GENTRYPrivate First Class · October 29, 1967
- THOMAS JACOB TORRINGTONLance Corporal · January 31, 1968
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.