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Captain Thomas
G. Kelley, 1960-1990
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Assigned to Pandemus, Davis, Destroyer
Development Group TWO, and Stickell before joining Riverine Task Force
117 in 1968 during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for
action in Vietnam on 15 June 1969 while serving as Commander River Assault
Division 152 and in charge of a column of eight river assault craft which were
extracting a company of U.S. Army infantry troops in Kien Hoa Province. When
one of the armored troop carriers reported a mechanical failure of a loading
ramp, enemy forces opened fire from the opposite bank of the canal. After
issuing orders for the crippled troop carrier to raise its ramp manually, and
for the remaining boats to form a protective cordon around the disable craft,
then LCDR Kelley boldly maneuvered the monitor in which he was embarked to the
exposed side of the protective cordon in line with the enemy’s fire, and
directed return fire. An enemy rocket scored a direct hit on the area where LCDR
Kelley was located spraying shrapnel that caused him serious head wounds.
Disregarding his severe injuries, he continue to direct the other boats.
Although unable to move from the deck or to speak clearly into the radio, he
succeeded in relaying his commands through one of his men until the enemy attack
was silenced and all boats were able to move to an area of safety. Captain
Kelley subsequently served as Executive Officer of Sample, Commanding
Officer of Lang, Commander Military Sealift Command Far East, and Chief
of Staff USN Forces Korea, with shore tours at CINCPACFLT, OPNAV, and BUPERS.
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6551 Loisdale Court, Suite 222,
Springfield, VA 22150