Medal of Honor to be awarded Vietnam Veteran Army SPC4 Leslie H. Sabo Jr

WASHINGTON, DC—On May 16, President Barack Obama will posthumously award Specialist Leslie H. Sabo, Jr., U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry.

SP4 Leslie H. Sabo, Jr. distinguished himself May 10, 1970, in Se San, Cambodia, while serving as a rifleman in Company B, 3d Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division.

Members of B. Co. were ambushed by a large enemy force. While conducting a reconnaissance patrol, 22-year-old Sabo charged an enemy position, killing several enemy soldiers. Immediately thereafter, he assaulted an enemy flanking force, successfully drawing their fire away from friendly soldiers and ultimately forcing the enemy to retreat.

When a grenade landed nearby a wounded comrade, Sabo picked up the grenade,  threw it away while shielding his buddy with his own body, thus absorbing the brunt of the blast and saving the man's life.

Seriously wounded by the blast, Sabo, nonetheless, retained the initiative and single-handedly charged an enemy bunker that had inflicted severe damage on the platoon. He received several serious wounds from withering automatic weapons fire in the process. Despite being mortally injured, he crawled towards the enemy emplacement and, when in position, threw a grenade into the bunker. The resulting explosion silenced the enemy fire, but also ended Spc. 4 Sabo's life.

Specialist Sabo's widow, Rose Mary Sabo-Brown and his brother, George Sabo, will join the President at the White House to commemorate his example of selfless service and sacrifice.