Captain Gary Michael Rose

United States Army | Vietnam War | Medal of Honor Recipient

Between September 11–14, 1970, Sergeant Gary Michael Rose served as a Special Forces medic deep in enemy-controlled territory during one of the most intense engagements of the Vietnam War. Surrounded by a larger, heavily armed enemy force, his unit endured relentless rocket, mortar, and machine gun fire.

Through it all, Sergeant Rose repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to save others.

He sprinted through open ground to reach the wounded, using his own body as a shield while administering life-saving care. Despite being knocked down and injured by a rocket blast, he refused evacuation and continued moving from soldier to soldier, treating the wounded for days under constant fire.

During multiple failed evacuation attempts, Sergeant Rose risked his life to carry and lift wounded personnel to helicopters. When one aircraft crashed under enemy fire, he pulled injured soldiers from the wreckage and continued providing aid—despite his own wounds.

Over four days of continuous combat, nearly half of his unit became casualties. Sergeant Rose never stopped.

His actions saved countless lives.

For his extraordinary courage, selflessness, and unwavering commitment to his fellow soldiers, Sergeant Rose was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2017 by President Donald J Trump.

On Display

Medal of Honor awarded to Sgt. Gary M. Rose

Archival photograph from his personal collection

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Dress blues uniform and additional personal artifacts

See the real Medal of Honor awarded to Gary Michael Rose.

Official Medal of Honor Citation

Sergeant Gary Michael Rose distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Special Forces Medic with a company sized exploitation force, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. Between 11 and 14 September 1970, Sergeant Rose’s company was continuously engaged by a well-armed and numerically superior hostile force deep in enemy-controlled territory. Enemy B-40 rockets and mortar rounds rained down while the adversary sprayed the area with small arms and machine gun fire, wounding many and forcing everyone to seek cover. Sergeant Rose, braving the hail of bullets, sprinted fifty meters to a wounded soldier’s side. He then used his own body to protect the casualty from further injury while treating his wounds. After stabilizing the casualty, Sergeant Rose carried him through the bullet-ridden combat zone to protective cover. As the enemy accelerated the attack, Sergeant Rose continuously exposed himself to intense fire as he fearlessly moved from casualty to casualty, administering life-saving aid. A B-40 rocket impacted just meters from Sergeant Rose, knocking him from his feet and injuring his head, hand, and foot. Ignoring his wounds, Sergeant Rose struggled to his feet and continued to render aid to the other injured soldiers. During an attempted medevac, Sergeant Rose again exposed himself to enemy fire as he attempted to hoist wounded personnel up to the hovering helicopter, which was unable to land due to unsuitable terrain.

The medevac mission was aborted due to intense enemy fire and the helicopter crashed a few miles away due to the enemy fire sustained during the attempted extraction. Over the next two days, Sergeant Rose continued to expose himself to enemy fire in order to treat the wounded, estimated to be half of the company’s personnel. On September 14, during the company’s eventual helicopter extraction, the enemy launched a full-scale offensive. Sergeant Rose, after loading wounded personnel on the first set of extraction helicopters, returned to the outer perimeter under enemy fire, carrying friendly casualties and moving wounded personnel to more secure positions until they could be evacuated. He then returned to the perimeter to help repel the enemy until the final extraction helicopter arrived. As the final helicopter was loaded, the enemy began to overrun the company’s position, and the helicopter’s Marine door gunner was shot in the neck. Sergeant Rose instantly administered critical medical treatment onboard the helicopter, saving the Marine’s life. The helicopter carrying Sergeant Rose crashed several hundred meters from the evacuation point, further injuring Sergeant Rose and the personnel on board. Despite his numerous wounds from the past three days, Sergeant Rose continued to pull and carry unconscious and wounded personnel out of the burning wreckage and continued to administer aid to the wounded until another extraction helicopter arrived. Sergeant Rose’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty were critical to saving numerous lives over that four day time period. His actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 1st Special Forces, and the United States Army.

Additional Details

• Accredited to: Panorama City, Los Angeles County, California
• Awarded Posthumously: No
• Presentation Date & Details: October 23, 2017 At The White House presented by President Donald J. Trump
• Born: October 17, 1947, Watertown, Jefferson County, New York, United States