William Wayne Seay

Sergeant William Wayne Seay, MOH. The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Sergeant William Wayne Seay, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 62d Transportation Co
(Medium Truck), 7th Transportation Battalion, 48th Transportation Group, in action against enemy aggressor forces on a resupply mission at Ap Nhi, Republic of Vietnam, on 25 August 1968. The convoy with which Sergeant Seay was traveling, carrying critically needed ammunition and supplies from Long Binh to Tay Ninh, was ambushed by a reinforced battalion of the North Vietnamese Army. As the main elements of the convoy entered the ambush killing zone, they were struck by intense rocket, machinegun and automatic weapon fire from the well concealed and entrenched enemy force. When his convoy was forced to stop, Sergeant Seay immediately dismounted and took a defensive position behind the wheels of a vehicle loaded with high‐explosive ammunition. As the violent North Vietnamese assault approached to within ten meters of the road, Sergeant Seay opened fire, killing two of the enemy. He then spotted a sniper in a tree approximately 75 meters to his front and killed him. When an enemy grenade was thrown under an ammunition trailer near his position, without regard for his own safety he left his protective cover, exposing himself to intense enemy fire, picked up the grenade, and threw it back to the North Vietnamese position, killing four more of the enemy and saving the lives of the men around him. Another enemy grenade landed approximately three meters from Sergeant Seay’s position. Again Sergeant Seay left his covered position and threw the armed grenade back upon the assaulting enemy. After returning to his position he was painfully wounded in the right wrist; however, Sergeant Seay continued to give encouragement and direction to his fellow soldiers. After moving to the relative cover of a shallow ditch, he detected three enemy soldiers who had penetrated the position and were preparing to fire on his comrades. Although weak from loss of blood and with his right hand immobilized, Sergeant Seay stood up and fired his rifle with his left hand, killing all three and saving the lives of the other men in his location. As a result of his heroic action, Sergeant Seay was mortally wounded by a sniper’s bullet. Sergeant Seay, by his gallantry in action at the cost of his life, has reflected great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

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