MEDAL OF HONOR
Vietnam WarLive Webcast: Medal of Honor Ceremony
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President will award the Medal of Honor to Specialist Four Donald P. Sloat for his heroic acts during the Vietnam War.
Live Webcast: Hall of Heroes Induction
Watch the Hall of Heroes Induction Ceremony live webcast, at
The U.S. Army will induct Specialist Four Donald P. Sloat into the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes. The Pentagon ceremony will add Specialist Four Donald P. Sloat's name to the distinguished roster in the Hall of Heroes, the Defense Department's permanent display of record for all recipients of the Medal of Honor.
Specialist Four Donald P. Sloat
hometown
Coweta, Oklahoma
Enlistment date
March 1969
Military Occupation (MOS)
11B - Infantry Machine Gunner
Unit
3rd Platoon, Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division
Deployments
Republic of Vietnam, 1969 - 1970
After attending Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, Oklahoma, Specialist Four Donald P. Sloat enlisted in the Army March 19, 1969, at the age of 20. Upon completion of his initial training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, he was assigned as an M60 Machine Gunner with 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, in the Republic of Vietnam, on Sept. 25. 1969
He was killed in action Jan. 17, 1970, a month before his 21st birthday.
Sloat's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal with "V" Device, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with "60" Device, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Device, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm Device, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Badge with Rifle Bar, Sharpshooter Badge with Machinegun Bar, and Marksman Badge with Auto Rifle Bar.
"I was only five to eight feet behind Don, when the grenade went off. His act saved my life."
- Former Pfc. DeWayne C. Lewis Jr., a rifleman, on patrol with Sloat, on Jan. 17, 1970
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Jan. 17, 1970 | Fire Support Base Hawk Hill in an area of I Corps - Danang, Republic of Vietnam
196th LIGHT INFANTRY BRIGADE
Specialist Four Donald P. Sloat distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, while serving as a machine gunner with 3rd Platoon, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy in the Republic of Vietnam, Jan. 17, 1970.
D Company operated out of Fire Support Base Hawk Hill in an area of I Corps. They were located south and southwest of Danang providing security for local villages and conducting regular searches for NVA units. The territory they patrolled stretched from the coastal lowlands to the mountains and jungle. North Vietnamese and Viet Cong activity was common in the area, and D Company suffered regular casualties from snipers and booby traps.
On the morning of Jan. 17, 1970, Sloat's squad was conducting a patrol, serving as a blocking element in support of tanks and armored personnel carriers from F Troop in the Que Son valley. As the squad moved through dense up a small hill in file formation, the lead Soldier tripped a wire attached to a hand grenade booby-trap, set up by enemy forces.
When the grenade rolled down the hill toward Sloat, he had a choice. He could hit the ground and seek cover, or pick up the grenade and throw it away from his fellow Soldiers. After initially attempting to throw the grenade, Sloat realized that detonation was imminent, and that two or three men near him would be killed or seriously injured if he couldn't shield them from the blast. In an instant, Sloat chose to draw the grenade to his body, shielding his squad members from the blast, and saving their lives.
Sloat's actions define the ultimate sacrifice of laying down his own life in order to save the lives of his comrades.
Specialist Four Donald P. Sloat's extraordinary heroism and selflessness are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service, and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
RELATED STORIES FROM ARMY.MIL
196th LIGHT INFANTRY BRIGADE
The distinctive unit insignia was approved on March 1, 1966.
The 196th Infantry Brigade was first organized in 1921 as an element of the Army Reserve's 98th Division. Its mission then was to train soldiers. During World War II, the 98th Division arrived in Hawaii in April 1944, and was given the mission of defending Kauai and Maui initially; later it was made responsible for the defense of Oahu.
In May 1945, the division began intensive training in preparation for its role in the invasion of Japan, but the war ended before the unit could leave Hawaii. It went to Japan for occupation duty, where it was inactivated in February 1946.
The 196th Light Infantry Brigade was raised again at Fort Devens, MA in September 1965 and originally scheduled to be sent to the Dominican Republic in mid-1966, but was rushed to Vietnam instead and posted in the western portion of the III Corps Tactical Zone. It initiated Operation Attleboro into War Zone C of Tay Ninh Province, which developed into a major action after a large enemy base camp was uncovered, 19 October 1966.
In April 1967 the brigade was selected, along with the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, to form a provisional division-sized unit called Task Force OREGON and moved to the I Corps Tactical Zone. The brigade stayed with this command, which was converted into the 23d Infantry Division (AMERICAL) 25 September 1967. The 196th Light Infantry Brigade officially joined this division, 15 February 1969. It operated throughout northern Vietnam, and after the division closed out of Vietnam, 29 November 1971, the 196th Light Infantry Brigade was reconstituted as a separate (provisional) brigade-sized element to safeguard the same area of operations.
In April 1971 the brigade was relocated to Da Nang for major port security duties. It finally departed Vietnam as the last U.S. Army combat brigade to leave in Increment XII of the U.S. Army withdrawal.
The 196th was reactivated 26 May 1998 during a ceremony at Ft. Shafter, Hawaii. The new 196th works with Reserve Component units in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, American Samoa, and Japan, to assist these units in staying trained and ready at all times.
“Chargers” - Service in Vietnam
The 196th Light Infantry Brigade "Chargers" served in the Republic of Vietnam from July 15, 1966, through June 29, 1972. The unit was first posted in the western portion of the III Corps Tactical Zone. It initiated Operation Attleboro into War Zone C, of Tay Ninh Province, which developed into a major action after a large enemy base camp was uncovered, Oct. 19, 1966.
In April 1967, the brigade was selected, along with the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, and the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, to form a provisional division-sized unit called Task Force Oregon, and the unit was moved to the I Corps Tactical Zone. The brigade stayed with this command, which was converted into the 23d Infantry Division (Americal), on Sept. 25, 1967.
The brigade suffered 1,188 Soldiers killed in action, and 5,591 wounded in action, in Vietnam.
The 196th Light Infantry Brigade officially joined this division on Feb. 15, 1969. It operated throughout northern Vietnam. After the division closed out of Vietnam on Nov. 29, 1971, the 196th Light Infantry Brigade was reconstituted as a separate (provisional) brigade-sized element, and was responsible for safeguarding the same area of operations.
In April 1971, the brigade was relocated to Da Nang, for major port security duties. It finally departed Vietnam as the last U.S. Army combat brigade to leave in Increment XII of the U.S. Army withdrawal.
The brigade suffered 1,188 Soldiers killed in action, and 5,591 wounded in action, in Vietnam.
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