Vietnam veterans remember actions of Medal of Honor Cpl. Michael Crescenz

Soldiers recall Vietnam firefight that led to posthumous MoH for Cpl.
The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
By Robert Moran
Sep. 21, 2013

PHILADELPHIA — It was called a “fortress in the clouds.”

The 21st Regiment of the Second Division of the North Vietnamese Army had carved a stronghold into the steep slopes of Nui Chom, a mountain with rugged peaks covered by a towering jungle canopy that blocked the sky. There, the NVA had dug 250 machine-gun bunkers to defend a secret field hospital.

On Nov. 20, 1968, Michael J. Crescenz of Philadelphia walked into an ambush on Nui Chom. His squad was pinned down when he made a snap decision to grab an M60 machine gun and charge the bunkers. He took out three, killing six enemy soldiers who may have been dumbstruck in their last seconds to see a lone American running into their fusillade of bullets.

As he charged a fourth bunker, Crescenz, 19, was killed.

For his heroism, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. He is the only Philadelphian to receive the nation’s highest military commendation during the Vietnam War.

Only in recent years has Crescenz’s courageous feat begun to receive greater public notice. When his name comes up, however, only the basic details of his biography usually get cited: West Oak Lane boy with five brothers. Cardinal Dougherty High School graduate. Engaged when he died.
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