The O’l Socials

Battle Scarred Motorsports

13 hours ago

Private First Class Armand Thouvenell watched as Marines from an adjacent squad were pinned down by two enemy machine gun positions they had been trying to recon. Several Marines were shot, they were running out of ammo, and enemy soldiers closed close enough to toss grenades into their position. Thouvenell knew someone had to do something. He grabbed 900 rounds of ammo and sprinted toward their position. To get there, he had to pass through the open, directly in front of the two enemy machine guns. He reached the Marines unscathed and took over their machine gun. He laid down a wall of suppressive fire, allowing the others to escape back to safety. As he remained behind covering their withdrawal, Thouvenell was mortally wounded. For his incredible heroism and unselfishness, Thouvenell was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
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"...serving as a Machine Gun Team Leader with Company M, Third Battalion, Fourth Marines, on 29 May 1967. While engaged in Operation PRAIRIE IV, one fire team and one machine gun team were sent to reconnoiter two enemy bunkers. Almost immediately they became pinned down in a deadly machine gun crossfire. As casualties mounted, the machine gun ran low on ammunition, and the enemy was close enough to throw hand grenades into their position. PFC Thouvenell unhesitatingly collected 900 rounds of ammunition and ran to the beleaguered unit. In order to accomplish this task, he had to run directly in front of the two bunkers. When the team was ordered to pull back, he stayed behind to give covering fire, enabling the other members of the team to return to safety. As he exposed himself to the heavy enemy fire to effectively cover their withdrawal, he was mortally wounded. By his daring initiative, valiant fighting spirit and selfless devotion to duty in the face of insurmountable odds, PFC Thouvenell was responsible in great measure for saving many of his comrades."

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