FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — It was March 12, 1971, in northern Vietnam’s Quin Tri, when the gun truck, “Proud American,” was struck by two B40 shoulder-fired rockets, destroying the vehicle, killing the driver and wounding Spc. 4 Nelson Allen as well as the vehicle’s officer in charge.
Fifty-four years later, Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, presented Allen with the Purple Heart Medal, during a ceremony June 27, 2025, in Fort Leonard Wood’s Lincoln Hall Auditorium. Command Sgt. Maj. Patrick O’Rourke with the 759th Military Police Battalion, out of Fort Carson, Colorado, and a friend of the Allen family, assisted Beck during the ceremony.
“This is a special event,” Beck said, after explaining that each streamer hung on the Army colors represents the generations of men and women that came before him, making the nation what it is today and giving current Soldiers the chance to serve now.
He continued to explain the significance of the ceremony and how different things were 54 years ago.
“Many in this room are not old enough to understand what the world and our nation, or our Army, was like back when the Vietnam War was going on,” Beck said. “Many of us have deployed to Iraq, to Afghanistan and places like that, and we’ve always come back to a thank you. We came home to hero’s welcome, but that’s not what happened when they came back from Vietnam.”
Addressing Allen directly, Beck said, “I just want to take a second to say — sir, thank you for your service because we are only here today because of you — so thank you. This award today that we are finally giving you is very much overdue.”
O’Rourke, who has known the family for over 30 years, explained the 54-year delay was not due to oversight by the Army.
“Recently, (Allen) had started talking more about his Vietnam accomplishments, some of his memories — he even displayed some of his memorabilia — but most importantly, his regrets for turning down the Purple Heart when it was initially presented to him,” O’Rourke said. “I attribute it to the guilt of survival.”
He said it was not uncommon for survivors to have mixed feelings leading to the initial refusal of acceptance followed by regret years later.
With multiple friends, family and Soldiers in attendance, Allen said he was proud to be receiving the medal now.
“It’s overwhelming, if you want the truth,” he said about the presentation and the ceremony. “It’s a whole different world than it was.”
Allen was drafted into the U.S. Army in June 1969. Originally from Tunas, Missouri, he attended basic training at Fort Leonard Wood before attending Heavy Vehicle Driver Training at Fort Carson, Colorado.
He deployed to Vietnam upon completion of his training and was assigned to the 523rd Transportation Company in Quinn Yan, Port City. The unit conducted convoys, fuel transportation and other mission-related cargo throughout the country.
Allen was returning from a resupply mission in support of operations Lam Son 719 and Dewey Canyon 2 when his gun truck was ambushed by the North Vietnamese Army.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with “V” Device; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with “1960” Device; Vietnam Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal; and the National Defense Service Medal.
In addition to the Purple Heart and the nation’s colors, the Mid-Missouri Chapter of the Association of the United States Army presented Allen with a Vietnam Commemoration Pin and certificate, making him the 821st Vietnam War veteran recognized in central Missouri by the chapter.
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