b. 17/02/1948 Vallejo, California. d. 16/05/1968 Kontum Province, Vietnam.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 16/05/1968 Kontum Province, Vietnam.
Anund C Roark MOH
Sergeant Roark entered the U.S. Army from California and was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. On May 16, 1968, he was the point squad leader on a mission to rescue a small group of men under heavy enemy atttack at a hilltop observation post in Kon Tum Province, central Vietnam. He led his squad in the face of intense enemy fire, covering the withdrawal from the outpost and the evacuation of its casualties. When an enemy grenade landed in the midst of his men, SGT Roark threw himself onto it and was killed by the blast, for which he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. His remains could not be evacuated from the hill at the time due to the ongoing firefight, but they were later recovered and eventually identified by U.S. analysts.
Sergeant Roark is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His name is also inscribed along with all his fallen comrades on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC. His remains were later returned to the US where they were interred at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, California.
MOH CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Roark distinguished himself by extraordinary gallantry while serving with Company C. Sgt. Roark was the point squad leader of a small force which had the mission of rescuing 11 men in a hilltop observation post under heavy attack by a company-size force, approximately 1,000 meters from the battalion perimeter. As lead elements of the relief force reached the besieged observation post, intense automatic-weapons fire from enemy-occupied bunkers halted their movement. Without hesitation, Sgt. Roark maneuvered his squad, repeatedly exposing himself to withering enemy fire to hurl grenades and direct the fire of his squad to gain fire superiority and cover the withdrawal of the outpost and evacuation of its casualties. Frustrated in their effort to overrun the position, the enemy swept the hilltop with small arms and volleys of grenades. Seeing a grenade land in the midst of his men, Sgt. Roark, with complete disregard for his safety, hurled himself upon the grenade, absorbing its blast with his body. Sgt. Roark’s magnificent leadership and dauntless courage saved the lives of many of his comrades and were the inspiration for the successful relief of the outpost. His actions which culminated in the supreme sacrifice of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and reflect great credit on himself and the U.S. Army.
BURIAL LOCATION: FORT ROSECRANS NATIONAL CEMETERY, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.
SECTION O, GRAVE 1855.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: FAMILY.
