William John Igoe
Private First Class, U.S. Army

On 11 July 1967, Private First Class William John Igoe was serving with Troop A, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, in South Vietnam.

On that day, PFC Igoe was a machine gunner on an Armored Assault Vehicle. In the early morning hours, his base camp was attacked by a large enemy force firing mortars, recoilless rifles, automatic weapons and explosive charges. From the outset, PFC Igoe poured heavy fire into the attacking insurgents killing many and preventing penetration of his portion of the perimeter. When an enemy force succeeded in breaking through another portion of the defenses, he continued his fire, although wounded by mortar fragments. As the battle progressed, an explosive charge was thrown into the assault vehicle but was deflected by PFC Igoe. The ensuing explosion seriously wounded him and set the vehicle afire, but he continued to fire on the attackers while directing the other members of the crew to escape. As the men were leaving, a recoilless rifle round hit the vehicle and mortally wounded PFC Igoe. His courageous actions in warning his comrades before the final explosion undoubtedly saved their lives. PFC Igoe'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 Private First Class William John Igoe (ASN: US-52674743), 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 Troop A, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division. Private First Class Igoe distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 11 July 1967 while serving as a machine gunner on an Armored Assault Vehicle. In the early morning hours, his base camp was attacked by a large enemy force firing mortars, recoilless rifles, automatic weapons and explosive charges. From the outset, Private Igoe poured heavy fire into the attacking insurgents killing many and preventing penetration of his portion of the perimeter. When an enemy force succeeded in breaking through another portion of the defenses, he continued his accurate fire though wounded by mortar fragments. As the battle progressed, an explosive charge was thrown into the assault vehicle but was deflected by Private Igoe. The ensuing explosion seriously wounded him and set the vehicle afire, but he continued to fire on the attackers while directing the other members of the crew to escape. As the men were leaving, a recoilless rifle round hit the vehicle and mortally wounded Private Igoe. His courageous actions in warning his comrades before the final explosion undoubtedly saved their lives. Private First Class Igoe'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. 4429 (August 30, 1967)

Honors

The name William J Igoe is located on Panel 23E Line 52 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Burial

Private First Class William John Igoe is buried at Resurrection Cemetery in Bensalem, Bucks County, PA, in Section 08, Lot 19, Range 10.