Larry D. Earls

First Lieutenant Larry D. Earls was branched an Infantry Officer upon graduation of Officer Candidate School, 8 December 1965. | Date Action: 2 January 1967, 101st Airborne Division, 502d Infantry, Company C, 2d Battalion. Reason: Gallantry in Action: Lieutenant Earls had placed his platoon into a defensive perimeter. Approximately three hours later, a numerically superior determined enemy element viciously attacked the defensive perimeter with such ferocity that six of Lieutenant Earls men were instantly killed. Realizing the possibilities of being overrun by the enemy, Lieutenant Earls, with complete disregard of his own personal safety, charged forward to the area where the action was heaviest and began to reorganize his platoon. Being constantly exposed to murderous enemy automatic weapons fire and a heavy barrage of enemy hand grenades, Lieutenant Earls moved from position to position giving his men encouragement and pointing out enemy targets. On several occasions while rallying his men, hand grenades landed near him and his men and again Lieutenant Earls braved the murderous enemy fire and personally picked up the enemy grenades and threw them back at the enemy. Having reorganized his platoon, Lieutenant Earls gave the order to assault the fanatical enemy element. His inspired men assaulted the superior enemy force with such determination that the enemy ranks were broken and they were forced to make a hasty withdrawal. Had it not been for Lieutenant Earls’s tremendous display of courage and professionalism in the face of numerically superior enemy force many more casualties would have resulted. Lieutenant Earls’s outstanding display of gallantry in action and his avid devotion to duty are within the highest military traditions and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. Authority: By direction of the President under the provisions of USARV. | Lieutenant Larry Don Earls rests at the Sones River National Battlefield. Killed In Action, Vietnam, 2 January 1967.