Remembering Hero's Sacrifice In Vietnam

Riverhead soldier honored for Vietnam sacrifice
BY MICHELLE TRAURING Special to Newsday
February 8, 2009
Above the heads of four solemn military honor guards hung an American flag that flew at President Barack Obama's inauguration Jan. 20.

That was almost 40 years to the day Pfc. Garfield M. Langhorn, 20, sacrificed his life to save his comrades in Vietnam, later earning him a Medal of Honor, one of only 88 ever given to an African-American.

In honor of Black History Month, the Suffolk County Historical Society museum unveiled a temporary exhibit yesterday in Riverhead commemorating Langhorn and his transformation from a Riverhead High School graduate to a soldier.

"It was such an honor to create," said Kathryn Curry, who designed the exhibit. "To remember this local hero, to think about that moment ... " She trailed off as her eyes filled with tears.


The moment: On Jan. 15, 1969, Langhorn, of Riverhead, was on a mission with his unit to save two pilots of a downed helicopter near Plei Djereng, only to find they were dead. While carrying the bodies, the unit came under fire from North Vietnamese soldiers and was surrounded. A grenade fell next to a group of wounded soldiers. Langhorn threw himself onto it, saving many lives but giving up his own. click link for more

(Extensions of Remarks - January 08, 2009)
HONORING PFC GARFIELD M. LANGHORN, MOH

[Page: E50] GPO's PDF
---SPEECH OF HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP
OF NEW YORK
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009
Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, our brave men and women in uniform are all heroes. But the exceptional few who make the supreme sacrifice to protect the lives of their brothers-in-arms become more than heroes; they become legends. Today, I rise to honor U.S. Army Private First Class Garfield M. Langhorn, a resident of Riverhead in Eastern Long Island who received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Pleiku Province, Vietnam, 40 years ago this month.
As they attempted to rescue the crew of a downed helicopter, PFC Langhorn's unit was trapped under intense enemy fire. As night fell and U.S. air support was called off, enemy fighters began to probe their perimeter. The citation for PFC Langhorn's Medal of Honor reads:
``An enemy hand grenade landed in front of PFC Langhorn and a few feet from personnel who had become casualties. Choosing to protect these wounded, he unhesitatingly threw himself on the grenade, scooped it beneath his body and absorbed the blast. By sacrificing himself, he saved the lives of his comrades. PFC Langhorn's extraordinary heroism at the cost of his life was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.''
Madam Speaker, PFC Langhorn's sacrifice half a world away remains a credit to the Riverhead community, which is proud to celebrate his achievements on the 40th anniversary of his death. May his example continue to inspire all those who aspire to service ``beyond the call of duty.''

Medal of Honor citation
Private Langhorn's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Pfc. Langhorn distinguished himself while serving as a radio operator with Troop C, near Plei Djereng in Pleiku province. Pfc. Langhorn's platoon was inserted into a landing zone to rescue 2 pilots of a Cobra helicopter shot down by enemy fire on a heavily timbered slope. He provided radio coordination with the command-and-control aircraft overhead while the troops hacked their way through dense undergrowth to the wreckage, where both aviators were found dead. As the men were taking the bodies to a pickup site, they suddenly came under intense fire from North Vietnamese soldiers in camouflaged bunkers to the front and right flank, and within minutes they were surrounded. Pfc. Langhorn immediately radioed for help from the orbiting gunships, which began to place minigun and rocket fire on the aggressors. He then lay between the platoon leader and another man, operating the radio and providing covering fire for the wounded who had been moved to the center of the small perimeter. Darkness soon fell, making it impossible for the gunships to give accurate support, and the aggressors began to probe the perimeter. An enemy hand grenade landed in front of Pfc. Langhorn and a few feet from personnel who had become casualties. Choosing to protect these wounded, he unhesitatingly threw himself on the grenade, scooped it beneath his body and absorbed the blast. By sacrificing himself, he saved the lives of his comrades. Pfc. Langhorn's extraordinary heroism at the cost of his life was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.