Richard Judson Seibert
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army

Inducted into the U.S. Army in March 1966 with Basic Training at Fort Riley, KS, and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Ord, CA. He then attended the Infantry Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA. Honorably discharged as an enlisted man on 26 February 1967 and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry on 27 February 1967. As a second lieutenant, he then served as a field instructor at Fort Bragg, NC, until his shipment to Vietnam in September 1967.

On 8 January 1968, Second Lieutenant Richard Judson Seibert was serving with Company D, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 196th Infantry Brigade (Light) (Separate), Americal Division, in South Vietnam.

On that day, 2LT Seibert was platoon leader of Company D, an infantry unit, during a search and clear operation in the Que Son Valley. Shortly after noon, his platoon was heavily attacked by an enemy force firing from a treeline. With bullets striking all around him, 2LT Seibert led an attack on the hostile positions. His men became pinned down by intense fire, and he crawled forward alone and destroyed 1 position with well-placed grenades. Machine gun fire raked his position from the flank and he directed his assault on the 2nd Viet Cong emplacement. After crossing a river, he charged the fortification across an open rice paddy. When he reached a low dike he hurled 2 grenades into the machine gun nest that destroyed the weapon and killed its crew. He repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to draw the fire away from his men and allow them to join the attack. When it became evident that his unit was surrounded, 2LT Seibert rallied his men to fight their way through the insurgents' lines. He then led a charge into heavy enemy fire in order to break through the encirclement. He was mortally wounded while leading his men in that battle. 2LT Seibert's courageous actions and extraordinary heroism, at the cost of his life, earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

2LT Seibert died on 10 January 1968 of the wounds he sustained on 8 January 1968.

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 takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Richard J. Seibert (0-5338151), Second Lieutenant (Infantry), U.S. 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 D, 3d Battalion, 21st Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade (Light) (Separate). Second Lieutenant Seibert distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 8 January 1968 while serving as platoon leader of an infantry unit during a search and clear operation in the Que Son Valley. Shortly after noon, his platoon was heavily attacked by an enemy force firing from a treeline. With bullets striking all around him, Lieutenant Seibert unhesitatingly led a fierce attack on the hostile positions. His men became pinned down by a withering hail of bullets, and he crawled forward alone and destroyed one position with well-placed grenades. Intense machine gun fire raked his position from the flank, and he fearlessly directed his assault on the second Viet Cong emplacement. After crossing a river, he charged the fortification across an open rice paddy. He quickly reached a low dike and hurled two grenades into the machine gun nest which demolished the weapon and killed its crew. He repeatedly exposed himself to enemy weapons to draw fire away from his men and allow them to join the attack. When it became evident that his unit was surrounded, Lieutenant Seibert rallied his men to fight their way through the insurgents' lines. With complete disregard for his personal safety, he led a furious charge into a curtain of enemy fire to break through the encirclement. He was mortally wounded while gallantly leading his men against heavy odds in the heat of battle. Second Lieutenant Seibert'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.

Headquarters, US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 871 (February 26, 1968)

Honors

The name Richard J Seibert is located on Panel 34E Line 15 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Burial

Second Lieutenant Richard Judson Seibert is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Basking Ridge, Somerset County, NJ.