Lieutenant Colonel John Jack William Hilgers USMC received the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism as Operations Officer, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines, Third Marine Division in Vietnam on 23 and 24 August, 1966. During Operation PRAIRIE, when a company from the then Captain Hilgerís Battalion was attacked and surrounded by a numerically superior North Vietnamese force in the Thon Son Lam area, he immediately realized the seriousness of the situation and unhesitatingly volunteered to lead a reaction force to the companyís aid. The Battalionís disposition and the nature of its mission prevented dispatching one company as a unit, so a composite company was quickly formed and helilifted into the area just after dark. After analyzing the enemyís weaknesses, he fearlessly led his unit through 400 meters of enemy infested, dense and unfamiliar jungle dispatching one unit to halt the enemyís attack and neutralize deadly automatic weapons fire on the left flank. After joining the besieged unit, which was located in a bowl-shaped depression, Captain Hilgers selflessly exposed himself to heavy automatic weapons fire and grenades in order to move to the forward slope of the position to direct his forces better and insure that the beleaguered unit was obtaining the maximum support available. During the early morning hours of 24 August, the North Vietnamese launched three vicious assaults on the position, threatening to annihilate the trapped company. The combined force, under Captain Hildersí inspiring and aggressive leadership, successfully repulsed each attack, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. Throughout the seemingly endless fourteen-hour battle, he repeatedly exposed himself to the devastating enemy fire to direct and control fire support and encourage his gallant fighting men. As a result of his heroic actions, the combined force successfully defeated the enemy attacks and relieved the pressure on the besieged company. By his outstanding leadership, fearless determination, great professional skill, and unfaltering dedication to duty in the face of extreme danger, Captain Hilgers reflected great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Colonel Hilgers joined the L.O.V. in 1978 and resides in Virginia. He is a LIFE MEMBER.