Donald E. ‘Doc’ Ballard
U.S. Navy/Vietnam
O
M ay 16, 1968, having just treated two Marines for heat
exhaustion during a patrol, Ballard was returning from the
evacuation landing zone when his company was ambushed by a
North Vietnamese unit firing automatic weapons and mortars.
As he kneeled to take care of the wounded, a Marine who had been shot
in the face yelled, “Grenade!”
Ballard’s first thought as he saw it hit nearby was that it would kill the
men he was treating if it exploded. With no thought for his own safety,
Ballard threw himself on the grenade and cradled it against his body.
Seconds passed. The grenade failed to immediately detonate and Ballard
was able to throw it out of the hole; it exploded harmlessly a few seconds
later. Ballard calmly continued to treat the wounded.
Ballard eventually left the Navy and later received a commission in the
Army Medical Corps.
He retired at the rank of colonel.
We salute the
Medal of Honor
Recipients!
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