First Lieutenant Tony Harper

First Lieutenant Tony Harper was commissioned as an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Infantry Officer Candidate School Class 511-68 at Fort Benning, Georgia, 15 August 1968. At the time he was Killed in Action, he was serving with Company A, 2d Battalion, 12th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. 1LT Harper was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

CITATION: For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company A, 2d Battalion, 12th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Second Lieutenant Harper distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 28 July 1969 while serving as a platoon leader during a reconnaissance mission near Trang Bang. His platoon suddenly came under heavy fire from a concealed enemy bunker. A firefight followed during which a machine gunner was seriously wounded near the hostile fortification. Lieutenant Harper attempted to retrieve the wounded man but was driven back by intense fire. He then organized a squad of volunteers to overtake the enemy position and rescue their comrade. After crawling several hundred meters, the squad launched an assault on the enemy's flanks. While the other squad members provided cover fire, Lieutenant Harper rushed the bunker, hurling grenades and firing his weapon on the run. Through his aggressive leadership and actions, the hostile emplacement and its occupants were eliminated, and the body of the American soldier was recovered. Second Lieutenant Harper's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

1LT Harper's military awards and decorations include: Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.