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Staff Sergeant · U.S. Army

Glenn Harry English Jr.

Staff Sergeant Glenn Harry English Jr., Army, received the Medal of Honor posthumously for actions on September 7, 1970 in Phu My District, Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Staff Sergeant Glenn Harry English Jr., a soldier in the U.S. Army, was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for gallantry on September 7, 1970 in Phu My District, Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. At the time he was serving with Company E, 3d Battalion, 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade. English was 30 years old.

English was killed in the action for which his medal was awarded. The medal was presented on August 8, 1974, 3 years after the action. Blair House, presented by Vice Pres. Gerald R. Ford to his family.

English was born on April 23, 1940 in Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. His Medal of Honor is credited to Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. He is buried at Fort Bragg Post Cemetery in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

English is one of 274 Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War and one of 380 credited to Pennsylvania.

Official Medal of Honor citation

S/Sgt. English was riding in the lead armored personnel carrier in a four-vehicle column when an enemy mine exploded in front of his vehicle. As the vehicle swerved from the road, a concealed enemy force waiting in ambush opened fire with automatic weapons and antitank grenades, striking the vehicle several times and setting it on fire. S/Sgt. English escaped from the disabled vehicle and, without pausing to extinguish the flames on his clothing, rallied his stunned unit. He then led it in a vigorous assault, in the face of heavy enemy automatic-weapons fire, on the entrenched enemy position. This prompt and courageous action routed the enemy and saved his unit from destruction. Following the assault, S/Sgt. English heard the cries of three men still trapped inside the vehicle. Paying no heed to warnings that the ammunition and fuel in the burning personnel carrier might explode at any moment, S/Sgt. English raced to the vehicle and climbed inside to rescue his wounded comrades. As he was lifting one of the men to safety, the vehicle exploded, mortally wounding him and the man he was attempting to save. By his extraordinary devotion to duty, indomitable courage, and utter disregard for his own safety, S/Sgt. English saved his unit from destruction and selflessly sacrificed his life in a brave attempt to save three comrades. S/Sgt. English's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the cost of his life were an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.

Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.

Wounds and death in action

  • Killed in action during the act for which the medal was awarded (September 7, 1970).
  • Age at death: 30
  • Resting place: Fort Bragg Post Cemetery

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: Vietnam War.

Places

  • Born: Altoona — map
  • Died: South Vietnam — map
  • Buried: Fort Bragg Main Post Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Pennsylvania →

Timeline

  1. April 23, 1940
    Born in Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania
  2. September 7, 1970
    Act of valor — Phu My District, Republic of Vietnam
    Age 30. Company E, 3d Battalion, 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade Killed in action.
  3. August 8, 1974
    Medal of Honor presented posthumously
    Blair House, presented by Vice Pres. Gerald R. Ford to his family
  4. Resting place
    Fort Bragg Post Cemetery
    Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Biography

Glenn Harry English Jr. (April 23, 1940 – September 7, 1970) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War. While serving in a 4-vehicle column in Binh Dinh Province, a North Vietnamese platoon ambushed the force. One of the trucks was hit, and English tried to save one of the 3 men inside the vehicle, even though he knew the truck would explode. Before English could pull out the man, the truck exploded, killing English and the three other men. He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1971 for this action.

From the Wikipedia article “Glenn H. English Jr.”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

More Vietnam War recipients from Pennsylvania

Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Wikidata and Wikipedia. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.