Charles Chris Hagemeister
U.S. Army/Vietnam
B
orn A ug .
21, 1946 in Lincoln,
Nebraska, Sp5c Charles
Hagemeister was awarded the
Medal of Honor on May 14, 1968, for
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
in action that took place on March 20,
1967, in Vietnam.
While conducting combat
operations against a hostile force,
Sp5c. Hagemeister’s platoon suddenly
came under heavy attack from 3
sides by an enemy force occupying
well concealed, fortified positions
and supported by machine guns and
mortars. Seeing 2 of his comrades
seriously wounded in the initial action,
Sp5c. Hagemeister unhesitatingly
and with total disregard for his safety,
raced through the deadly hail of
enemy fire to provide them medical
aid. Upon learning that the platoon
leader and several other soldiers also
had been wounded, Sp5c. Hagemeister
continued to brave the withering
enemy fire and crawled forward
to render lifesaving treatment and
to offer words of encouragement.
Attempting to evacuate the seriously
wounded soldiers, Sp5c. Hagemeister
was taken under fire at close range by
an enemy sniper. Realizing that the
lives of his fellow soldiers depended
on his actions, Sp5c. Hagemeister
seized a rifle from a fallen comrade,
killed the sniper, three other enemy
soldiers who were attempting to
encircle his position and silenced
an enemy machine gun that covered
the area with deadly fire. Unable to
remove the wounded to a less exposed
location and aware of the enemy’s
efforts to isolate his unit, he dashed
through the fusillade of fire to secure
help from a nearby platoon. Returning
with help, he placed men in positions
to cover his advance as he moved to
evacuate the wounded forward of his
location. These efforts successfully
completed, he then moved to the
other flank and evacuated additional
wounded men despite the fact that his
every move drew fire from the enemy.
Sp5c. Hagemeister’s repeated heroic
and selfless actions at the risk of his
life saved the lives of many of his
comrades and inspired their actions
in repelling the enemy assault. Sp5c.
Hagemeister’s indomitable courage
was in the highest traditions of the
U.S. Armed Forces and reflect great
credit upon himself.
MEDAL OF HONOR 2 0 2 0
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