Tony Harper
First Lieutenant, U.S. Army

On 28 July 1969, then-Second Lieutenant Tony Harper was serving with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, in South Vietnam.

On that day, 2LT Harper was a platoon leader during a reconnaissance mission near Trang Bang, when his platoon came under heavy fire from a concealed enemy bunker. A firefight followed during which a machine gunner was seriously wounded in close proximity to the hostile fortification. 2LT Harper tried to retrieve the wounded man, but was driven back by intense fire. He then organized a squad of volunteers to overtake the enemy position and rescue their comrade. After crawling several hundred meters, the squad launched an assault on the enemy's flanks. While the other squad members provided cover fire, 2LT Harper rushed the bunker, hurling grenades and firing his weapon on the run. Through his leadership and courageous actions, the hostile emplacement and its occupants were eliminated and the body of the American soldier was recovered. 2LT Harper's extraordinary heroism earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

On 30 July 1969, two days after the above action, 2LT Harper was killed in action while under a mortar attack by a hostile force.

Harper received a posthumous promotion to the rank of First Lieutenant.

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

Honors

The name Tony Harper is located on Panel 20W Line 76 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Burial

First Lieutenant Tony Harper is buried at Riverside Memorial Park in Jacksonville, Duval County, FL.