The  attack  continued  through  the  night. Shields,   although   now   wounded   three   times, stayed in the action, repeatedly exposing himself to the enemy while tossing grenades. During the morning  hours  a  lieutenant  asked  for  one volunteer to help him knock out a machine gun that was spraying the building with lethal effect. Shields,  the  boy  next  door,  immediately  offered his services. Although the two men accomplished what they set out to do, both men were hit and Shields was killed. JAMES  E.  WILLIAMS Boatswain’s   Mate   First   Class   James   E. Williams spent much of his tour of duty in Viet- nam as part of the river patrol force. He directed the  operations  of  a  group  of  four  river  patrol boats  (PBRs)  along  the  Mekong  River. On  31  October  1966  two  Vietcong  sampans suddenly  fired  on  Williams’  patrol.  The  patrol’s return fire killed the entire crew of one sampan. Pursuing  the  other,  the  patrol  maneuvered  the PBRs  through  heavy  small  arms  fire  from  VC forces   hidden   along   the   riverbank.   Williams’ patrol  was  then  confronted  in  a  nearby  inlet  by two junks and eight more sampans. The patrols immediately  came  under  savage  attack  supported by  fire  from  heavy  automatic  weapons  ashore. To   make   matters   worse,   when   Williams deployed  his  group  to  await  reinforcements  in  the form  of  armed  helicopters,  he  and  his  men  ran into a much larger force of enemy craft. Since the PBRs  obviously  were  not  going  to  be  permitted the  luxury  of  waiting  around  for  help,  Williams led  his  group  in  a  counterattack.  During  the ensuing action, he exposed himself to enemy fire with  complete  disregard  for  his  own  safety. Leading his patrol through intense fire, Williams and his men damaged or destroyed 50 sampans and  7  junks  before  the  helicopter  arrived. Williams  then  directed  an  attack  against  the remaining  craft  and  the  enemy  ashore. Demonstrating  unyielding  courage  through  the 3-hour  battle,  Williams  was  responsible  for  the loss or destruction of no less than 65 enemy boats and  numerous  VC  casualties. During  Williams’  8-month  tour  of  duty,  the 57  men  serving  on  the  four  boats  he  directed earned a total of 131 combat decorations plus 80 Purple  Heart  awards. FRANK  S.  REASONER On  12  July  1965  company  commander  First Lieutenant  Frank  S.  Reasoner,  U.S.  Marine Corps,   led   a   reconnaissance   patrol   deep   into heavily controlled enemy territory. Suddenly the patrol  came  under  fire  from  50  to  100  VC insurgents  in  concealed  positions.  Reasoner, at  the  time,  was  with  the  advance  party  and point. The slashing fury of the VC machine-gun and  automatic:  weapons  fire  made  moving  up impossible  for  the  main  body  of  the  party.  To provide  covering  fire,  Reasoner  repeatedly exposed   himself   to   the   devastating   attack. Shouting  encouragement  to  his  men,  he  organized a base of fire for an assault on enemy positions. He  killed  two  VC  and  silenced  an  automatic weapons  position  in  an  attempt  to  evacuate  a wounded  man. When his radio operator was hit, Lieutenant Reasoner  himself  tended  his  wounds.  The  radio operator  then  tried  to  reach  a  covered  position but  was  hit  again.  In  the  face  of  almost  certain death, Reasoner left cover to help him a second time  and  was  cut  down  by  machine-gun  fire. The first Navy ship to be named after a Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient in Vietnam, USS Frank S. Reasoner (FF-1063),  was  commissioned in 1971. DOUGLAS  E.  DICKEY PFC  Douglas  E.  Dickey  of  the  U.S.  Marine Corps was a member of a platoon taking part in Operation  Beacon  Hill.  On  26  March  1967  his platoon  engaged  in  fierce  battle  with  the  Vietcong at close range in dense jungle foliage. Dickey had come   forward   to   replace   a   wounded   radio operator.  Without  warning,  an  enemy  grenade  fell in the middle of the group of men, which included the  immobilized  radio  operator,  the  corpsman treating him, Dickey, and several other marines. Fully realizing he would be killed, Dickey threw himself  on  the  grenade  and  absorbed  the  complete force  of  the  explosion.  PFC  Dickey’s  personal heroism,  extraordinary  valor,  and  selfless  courage saved  his  comrades  from  certain  injury  and possible  death. Another   boy   from   next   door   had   done something  extraordinary. CHAPLAIN   VINCENT   R.   CAPODANNO At  midafternoon  on  4  September  1967, Company  M,  3rd  Battalion,  5th  Marines,  made contact   with   forces   of   the   North   Vietnamese Army  in  Quang  Tin  Province,  Republic  of  Viet- nam.  The  5th  Marines’  Regimental  Chaplain, Vincent  R.  Capodanno,  LT,  CHC,  USNR,  who 2-23