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First Name: Drew

Last Name: Dix

Birthplace: West Point, NY, USA

Gender: Male

Branch: Army (1784 - present)



Home of Record: Pueblo, CO
Middle Name: Dennis



Date of Birth: 14 December 1944



Rank: Major

Years Served: 1962 - 1982
Drew Dennis Dix

   
Engagements:
•  Vietnam War (1960 - 1973)

Biography:

Drew Dennis Dix
Major, U.S. Army
Medal of Honor Recipient
Vietnam War

Major Drew Dennis Dix is a retired officer who served in the U.S. Army. As a Staff Sergeant, he was the first enlisted Special Forces soldier to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War.

Dix was born on 14 December 1944 in West Point, NY and was raised in Pueblo, CO. He enlisted in the Army at age 18 in 1962, hoping to join the Special Forces. Initially turned down because of his young age, he spent three years serving with the 82nd Airborne Division before being accepted into the Special Forces at the age of 21. During this time he served in Operation Power Pack, the U.S. military intervention in the Dominican Republic.

By 1968 he had reached the rank of Staff Sergeant and was assigned as a military adviser to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) in Chau Phu, South Vietnam, near the Cambodian border. On 31 January 1968, Viet Cong forces attacked Chau Phu in the first days of the Tet Offensive. Throughout that day and the next, Dix led groups of local fighters in rescuing endangered civilians and driving Viet Cong forces out of buildings in the city. For his heroic actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor Citation

The President of the United States in the name of the Congress takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor to

STAFF SERGEANT DREW DENNIS DIX
UNITED STATES ARMY

for service as set forth in the following citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Dix distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while serving as a unit adviser. Two heavily armed Viet Cong battalions attacked the Province capital city of Chau Phu resulting in the complete breakdown and fragmentation of the defenses of the city. S/Sgt. Dix, with a patrol of Vietnamese soldiers, was recalled to assist in the defense of Chau Phu. Learning that a nurse was trapped in a house near the center of the city, S/Sgt. Dix organized a relief force, successfully rescued the nurse, and returned her to the safety of the Tactical Operations Center. Being informed of other trapped civilians within the city, S/Sgt. Dix voluntarily led another force to rescue 8 civilian employees located in a building which was under heavy mortar and small-arms fire. S/Sgt. Dix then returned to the center of the city. Upon approaching a building, he was subjected to intense automatic rifle and machinegun fire from an unknown number of Viet Cong. He personally assaulted the building, killing 6 Viet Cong, and rescuing 2 Filipinos. The following day S/Sgt. Dix, still on his own volition, assembled a 20-man force and though under intense enemy fire cleared the Viet Cong out of the hotel, theater, and other adjacent buildings within the city. During this portion of the attack, Army Republic of Vietnam soldiers inspired by the heroism and success of S/Sgt. Dix, rallied and commenced firing upon the Viet Cong. S/Sgt. Dix captured 20 prisoners, including a high ranking Viet Cong official. He then attacked enemy troops who had entered the residence of the Deputy Province Chief and was successful in rescuing the official's wife and children. S/Sgt. Dix's personal heroic actions resulted in 14 confirmed Viet Cong killed in action and possibly 25 more, the capture of 20 prisoners, 15 weapons, and the rescue of the 14 United States and free world civilians. The heroism of S/Sgt. Dix was in the highest tradition and reflects great credit upon the U.S. Army.

Staff Sergeant Dix was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B. Johnson during a ceremony at the White House on 19 January 1969. He is one of four Medal of Honor recipients from Pueblo, CO, the others being William J. Crawford, Raymond G. Murphy, and Carl L. Sitter.

Post-War Activities

Dix later received a direct commission to First Lieutenant and retired as a Major after 20 years of service. After leaving the Army, he worked as a security consultant, ran an air service in Alaska, and served as Alaska's Deputy Commissioner for Homeland Security.

In 2000 he wrote a memoir about the fight for Chau Phu entitled The Rescue of River City (ISBN 978-0970309600). Since receiving the Medal of Honor, he has made numerous public speaking engagements. He currently lives in the interior region of Alaska.

Medals and Awards

Medal of Honor
Purple Heart
Army Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Cross
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge
Parachutist Badge



Honoree ID: 929   Created by: MHOH

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