Lance Corporal ROBERT B. GREGORY, JR. distinguished himself for extraordinary heroism while serving as a rifleman with Combined Action Platoon 2-1-2, III Marine Amphibious Force, in the Republic of Vietnam on 23 and 25 February 1969. Lance Corporal Gregory’s platoon was participating in a search and destroy operation near the village of Hoa Huong in Quang Nam Province when the Marines sustained several casualties as they came under a heavy volume of hostile automatic weapons fire from a numerically superior force occupying well-fortified emplacemenmts. Realizing the necessity for immediate action, Lance Corporal Gregory rushed across the fire-swept terrain to a machine gun which had been dropped by a wounded Marine and, with complete disregard for his own safety, provided covering fire which enabled his companions to remove the injured men to positions of relative safety. Having exhausted his ammunition and heedless of the enemy rounds impacting about him, he again ran forward and assisted a casualty to safety, after which he repeatedly crossed the dangerous terrain to retrieve weapons and equipment left behind by wounded men. When a medical evacuation helicopter arrived, he fearlessly exposed himself to the intense hostile fire raking the landing zone as he assissted the casualties to embark. On 25 February, during the same operation, Lance Corporal Gregory’s platoon was directed to assist another unit which was heavily engaged with the enemy. Arriving at the designated location, he observed a wounded Marine fall in a position dangerously exposed to the hostile fire. After crawling to the man’s side, he was treating the casualty when he detected an enemy soldier preparing to fire at his injured companion. Although realizing the explosion would reveal his presence to the hostile force, Lance Corporal Gregory immediately threw a hand grenade and killed the enemy soldier. Ignoring the hostile rounds that were being concentrated on his now revealed position, he began carrying the casualty from the area. Although struck by enemy fire three times, he refused to abandon his wounded comrade and successfully reached a position of relative safety. He refused medical evacuation to ensure that his comrade and other wounded were cared for. Although weak from his wounds and loss of blood, he continued to aid his fellow Marines until he received a fourth wound and was forced to abandon his selfless tasks. By his courage, bold initiative and unfaltering devotion to duty, Lance Corporal Gregory upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Robert Gregory joined the Legion of Valor in 2005 and resides in Southern California.