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First Name: Guy
Last Name: Byrd
Birthplace: Enterprise, AL, USA
Gender: Male
Branch: Army (1784 - present)
Home of Record: Enterprise, AL
Middle Name: Albert
Date of Birth: 18 September 1939
Date of Death: 05 April 1967
Rank: Sergeant First Class
Years Served:
Guy Albert Byrd
Engagements:
• Vietnam War (1960 - 1973)
Biography:
Guy Albert Byrd
Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army
On 5 April 1967, Sergeant First Class Guy Albert Byrd was serving with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, in South Vietnam.
On that day, SFC Byrd was leading his unit in a search and destroy mission near Song Mao. As soon as Company C was infiltrated by helicopter, it received intense hostile fire and was unable to advance against the strongly-fortified North Vietnamese positions. After the landing of a reinforcing platoon and an aerial bombardment of the enemy positions, Company C began to advance on line, meeting stubborn resistance from insurgent machine gunners. SFC Byrd led his platoon in an assault against the numerically-superior North Vietnamese force, but his men were again pinned down by intense hostile fire. At this point, SFC Byrd crawled to within 20 meters of a fortified position that was protecting an enemy machine gun. When he was close enough to the emplacement, he pulled the pin on a hand grenade and, as he raised up to throw it, he was hit in the chest by machine gun fire. SFC Byrd was unable to throw the grenade, but knew that its explosion could kill several comrades near him. To save his fellow soldiers, he fell on top of the grenade and absorbed the force of the explosion. SFC Byrd's extraordinary heroism, at the cost of his life, earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.
Medals, Awards and Badges
Distinguished Service Cross
Purple Heart
Army Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge
Distinguished Service Cross Citation
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Sergeant First Class Guy Albert Byrd (ASN: RA-14615832), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company C, 2d Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Platoon Sergeant Byrd distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 5 April 1967 while leading his unit in a search and destroy mission near Song Mao. As soon as Sergeant Byrd's Company was infiltrated by helicopter, it received intense hostile fire and was unable to advance against the strongly fortified North Vietnamese positions. After the landing of a reinforcing platoon and an aerial bombardment of the enemy positions, his company began to advance on line, meeting stubborn resistance from insurgent machine gunners. Sergeant Byrd led his platoon in an aggressive assault against the numerically superior North Vietnamese force, but his men were again pinned down by intense hostile fire. At this point, Sergeant crawled to within 20 meters of a fortified position that was protecting an enemy machine gun. When he was close enough to the emplacement, he pulled the pin on a hand grenade and raised up to throw it. He was immediately hit in the chest by machine gun fire. Sergeant Byrd was unable to throw the grenade, but realized that its explosion could kill several comrades near him. Sacrificing his own life to save his fellow soldiers, he fell on top of the grenade and absorbed the force of the explosion. Platoon Sergeant Byrd's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.
General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 2792 (June 10, 1967)
Honors
The name Guy A Byrd is located on Panel 17E Line 102 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
Burial
Sergeant First Class Guy Albert Byrd is buried at the Fort Benning Post Cemetery in Fort Benning, Muscogee County, GA, in Section A-2, Site 288.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=157720877