Marine Corps Vietnam Tankers Historical Foundation©
Marine Corps Tankers Have Made History. Your Foundation is Making it Known.
DANNER, DAVID J. Citation: The Navy Cross is presented to David
J. Danner, Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism as
a Tank Maintenance Man and Crewman with Company A, Third Tank
Battalion, Third Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force,
in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of
Vietnam on 8 May 1967. While operating in support of the First
Battalion, Fourth Marines, Sergeant Danner's tank was hit and
heavily damaged by enemy fire during a savage mortar and infantry
attack on the battalion's positions at Gio Linh by a 400-man North
Vietnamese Army force. Although wounded himself, Sergeant Danner
helped his dazed and wounded fellow crewmen from the wreckage to the
medical aid station. Realizing that enemy soldiers were in the
Command Post area, having penetrated the defensive perimeter during
their initial assault, he refused first aid and resolutely returned
to his disabled tank to retrieve a .30-caliber machine gun. Mounting
the weapon on the ground, he commenced delivering a heavy volume of
fire on the attackers. With complete disregard for his own safety,
he repeatedly left his position to deliver badly needed ammunition
to the infantrymen in the fighting holes and to assist in moving
casualties to safer positions. On one occasion, observing a
seriously wounded Marine in need of immediate medical treatment,
Sergeant Danner carried the man through intense enemy fire to the
Corpsman's bunker where he could receive life-saving first aid,
which prevented him from bleeding to death. Demonstrating uncommon
courage and tenacity, he then returned to his machine gun where he
continued to provide covering fire for his comrades, moving his
weapon to alternate positions in order to deliver maximum fire on
the enemy. Although in extreme pain from fragment wounds in his arms
and back and suffering severe burns and a loss of hearing as a
result of an explosion, he selflessly disregarded his own welfare
throughout the vicious fire fight in order to assist his comrades in
repulsing the North Vietnamese attack. By his exceptional
professional skill and bold initiative, he personally killed fifteen
enemy soldiers and undoubtedly wounded many more. Sergeant Danner's
daring and heroic actions at great personal risk, inspiring
leadership, and unwavering devotion to duty reflected great credit
upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the
Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.
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