Medal of Honor recipient Kenneth E. Stumpf, a Vietnam War veteran, died April 23 at the age of 77 in Tomah, Wisconsin, according to a press release from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
Stumpf heroically rescued three wounded soldiers near Duc Pho, Vietnam, on April 25, 1967, making three trips under heavy enemy gunfire to carry them to cover, according to the press release. He later organized the rest of his platoon in a counterassault against two North Vietnamese bunkers, then took on a third by himself, it added.
The Army specialist was recognized with the prestigious Medal of Honor, the highest award for military valor in action, by President Lyndon B. Johnson on Sept. 19, 1968, during a White House ceremony.
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"I've always said I didn't do anything above and beyond the call of duty. What I did was my duty. I had to do that. … It was a responsibility that I had to my men," Stumpf said of his actions.
The Wisconsin native was drafted into the Army in 1965 and served three tours in Vietnam. In 1994, he retired at the rank of sergeant major after 29 years of service. He is survived by three children and numerous grandchildren.
Since the Civil War, more than 3,500 service members have been recognized with the award for their combat actions, with 65 alive today. The most recent medals were awarded in December 2021.
The sacrifices of all recipients were honored on March 25, National Medal of Honor Day, during the groundbreaking for the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas. It is scheduled to open in 2024.
-- Jonathan Lehrfeld is a fellow at Military.com. Follow him on Twitter @lehrfeld_media.
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