William D. Port
William David Port was born in Petersburg, Pennsylvania (October 13, 1941, or October 31, 1941). He joined the U.S. Army from Harrisburg in March 1967. By January 12, 1968, he was a private first class in Company C, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Air Cavalry Division, serving in the Vietnam War.
During a battle in the Que Son Valley, Port’s platoon came under heavy fire. He helped a wounded comrade and, when a grenade landed among them, shouted a warning and threw himself on the grenade to protect his fellow soldiers. He was seriously wounded and later captured by the enemy.
Port died as a prisoner of war on November 27, 1968, at age 27. He was posthumously promoted to sergeant and awarded the Medal of Honor in August 1970 for his actions that day.
His remains were initially buried in a jungle grave with eight other prisoners. They were recovered in August 1985, and he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in October 1985. A bridge in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, is named after him, with a plaque describing his heroism.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:14 (CET).