MEDAL OF HONOR: Leading the LAST Bayonet Charge in Vietnam | James E. Livingston

At about five o'clock that morning on the 2nd of May, we commenced the assault against Acosta Open Rice Paddy, basically. And it turned out to be a tough one. We went across the Open Rice Paddy, just 500 meters. We seized about a hundred bunkers that were mutually coordinated and supporting one another. And I don't know how many NVA we killed. We killed four or five hundred taking those bunkers. We destroyed the bunkers. And after that was over, out of 180 Marines, it was with me when we started. Only 35 of them walked away. You are about to embark upon the great crusade to meet this mounting aggression. And make no mistake about it, good will prevail. Well, I've served in every capacity of leadership in the Marine Corps, from platoon commander to force level. My first unit was 43 Marines. My last outfit was 100,000. So I've been blessed to be an operator or a commander my whole basic time in the Marine Corps. And I've had seagoing duty, barracks duty, every level of command in the Fleet Marine Force, and all kind of other interested duties to include the evacuation of Saigon as the operator and things of that sort. In the summer of 1967, you arrived in Vietnam as part of the 3rd Marine Division. And what was your role at that time? And what was the role of your company at that time? Well, I was assigned when I arrived in September of 67 as a company commander of the 4th Marine Echo Company. And I stayed in that capacity for nine months until I was shot in May of 68. And we were responsible for operations against the North Vietnamese in the Viet Cong. Was it a typical mission? Or if there was such a thing as a typical mission? There was no such thing as a typical mission. We started off primarily, as I say, in the high school league against the VC when I was first arrived. And we had a chance to sort of build up over time. In time, we got to the Battle of Dai Do after being there for about nine months. The company was exceptionally well trained, ready to do the big fights. And fortunately, we were I was glad we had this time to build up and go through all the training. But by the time we got to the Battle of Dai Do, we had 800 Marines up against 10,000 North Vietnamese. And it was a slugfest for about three days. Talk about the role of company commander a little bit more. It's a big responsibility. Well, you have about 180 to 230 Marines depends upon what kind of attachments you have assigned to you like snipers or naval gun fire and things of this sort is extra people you would normally not have. And what you do is you coordinate all those actions on the part of all those attachments, plus all those Marines that are part of your company. And you're always focused on whatever the combat operation is. But I always said I had two jobs. One to do my job and the second one to bring them home. On May 2, 1968. You and your company engaged in combat against the enemy at the village of Dai Do, which was mentioned a couple of times. Explain the urgency, first of all, behind the mission. Well, the urgency is they were fixing to take the big supply base called Dong Ha, which provided all the supplies for all the actions and activities of all the forces to include Army and Marine forces up in the northern part of I Corps, which was the northern part of South Vietnam. And if we had lost that base, we would not only lost the supply base, we would have lost the headquarters of the 3rd Marine Division, we were lost about 12 battalions of artillery. So it was a one of the most significant strategic bases in Vietnam. And if we had lost that base, it would have been a real conflict because people would have had to make a decision after Hue City, whether or not we should not get out of Vietnam at that point. And we wouldn't have the means to supply all those activities up in that area. Because it was a strategic base, not a tactical base, but a strategic base, just because of the level of activities in its mission. So how did the day unfold? Well, I got a call about three o'clock in the morning on the 2nd of May from the battalion commander and he said, come on over here. And we've been around and been associated with one another all day. And he said, I want you to Vargas, the other company commander that got the Medal of Honors tied down in Dai Do. I've been ordered to make sure we take the village of Dai Do and that's your job. So he issued me a operation plan order about three o'clock that morning. And I went and developed my own plan for the company. Then I issued my orders. And about five o'clock that morning on the 2nd of May, we commenced the assault against Acosta open rice paddy, basically. I mean, we were just, we were lucky. And another country company had been destroyed basically in that same area the day before. And they had withdrawn, lost a company commander, lost a lot of Marines, still a lot of dead bodies in the area. And so we commenced the assault about five o'clock. And 180 Marines, fixed bayonets. I told them, fix bayonets. And because I wanted to get something that really engendered an impact that this thing is for real and this is going to be a tough one. And it turned out to be a tough one. We went across the open rice paddy just 500 meters. We seized about 100 bunkers that were mutually coordinated and supporting one another. And I don't know how many NVA we killed. We killed four or five hundred taking those bunkers. We destroyed the bunkers, linked up with a golf company. The other company was tied down in that area. And after that was over, out of 180 Marines that were with me when we started, only 35 of them walked away. The rest of them were either killed or wounded. And unfortunately, the most of the Marines that got killed in that initial engagement got shot through the head because of the fact that the way the bunkers were configured, the Marines would get fairly close to the bunker before the NVA would take them under fire. And when they would take them under fire, the aperture of the bunker only gave them a certain range to shoot from. And normally it was the Marines were close so they shot them in the head. So most of the Marines got shot, were shot in the head. Were you able to adjust once you noticed that? Well, no, not really. Until you got inside the bunker complex, then you had them to the flank and you could roll up the flanks of them so that it could not take you under fire the same way. So that's the reason we had to make that penetration. We were losing so many trying to get into the bunker complex. And it was very important we get inside this bunker complex and roll them up to the flank. And consequently, we were successful once that occurred. How would you describe the intensity of the fighting that day? It couldn't have been more intense. And it was very close up, particularly when we got in amongst the bunkers, because those guys were in there and they realized they were in a trap in their bunker. So they were fighting for their life and we were fighting for ours. But at the end of the day, the Marines prevailed. And where were you during all this? I was right in the middle of it. Because when it got bogged down, I had to move up front and really get involved in it. And what we did is what I call a classic operation. When you're fighting against bunkers, you have to find a weakest point in the bunker system, you penetrate it and you begin to spread it out to the right and to the left. And that's the kind of operation we undertook that day. It succeeded. And we were able to roll up those 100 bunkers and kill off the MVA. You mentioned moving to the front and your Medal of Honor citation describes you really running from point to point to point to constantly update your men on what you needed to be doing. Yeah, you really need to be seen in that action. You know, the company commander and the platoon commanders had to be seen. And I really wanted to make sure people were aware that I was there. And as a consequence, I think maybe with a company commander being there, I was helpful in the operation. Like you said before, the mission and the men are your two top priorities. Yep. Somewhere on the list is your own safety, but you were facing a lot of fires you went from point to point. Well, like I say, I wasn't worried about myself. I'm too busy to worry about myself. I took a couple of hits. I was hit several times. I got hit with a couple of times I got nicked across the forehead with an AK-47. And that's not in the citation, but it was part of the what happened that day. And later on, I would take a big hit. If you're enjoying this video, you should join our exclusive Patreon community to receive early access to videos each week, the chance to send questions to our heroes and much more. We scour the country to identify, film, share, and preserve these firsthand battlefield accounts. And time is of the essence. To join our mission, visit patreon.com slash American Veterans Center, or click the link in our description. It's up to each of us to guard their legacy and honor their sacrifice. Thanks. And now back to the interview. And now it's time to talk about the injury that you sustained, sir. At what point in the battle did this happen? And what exactly happened? Well, what happened was there was a company that would maneuver around our left flank, and they continued to attack. That was their job. They were told by the battalion commander, continue to attack. And we only had 35 Marines left. So I really didn't have the capacity at that point to continue to attack. So they moved around my left flank and moved about 250 yards up from us and got surrounded. And they began to, I began to note, you know, some issues were really in terms of the company. And I just finally just said to hell with it. I said, told my Marines, we're packing up. We're going to support our fellow Marines. I didn't order them. I said, I'm going if you guys want to go, because they'd been through a hell of a fight all day. And they all joined up. All 35 of them left, approximately, was the number. And we basically ran up to join the other Marines from Hotel Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, and got involved in a very close, hand-to-hand, really up-close situation. And the NVA, I didn't realize that years later, what we were doing, we were starting to push them out in the open. So they were fighting for their life the way the villages were configured. So we pushed them out in the open, certainly the artillery, the air, the helicopter gunships would have took them out. So we had, I don't know how many thousands of the NVA cornered up in that part of the village. And they were fighting for their lives. So they started coming at us in very, very large numbers. And that's the thing you mentioned a couple of times now, is the lopsided numbers involved in this. It's always lopsided. And I mean lopsided, you know, I'm talking eight, nine to one. But I'll tell you, the young Marines, they were well-trained. They took care of their buddies. They took care of the battlefield. And they were great fighters. And it was better than some of the most nasty fighting that you could imagine. You mentioned it was close. Are we talking hand-to-hand? Oh, yeah, it was close. What's that like? It's pretty interesting when you're facing off that way, looking a guy in the face. Is it just sheer instinct at that point? Or are you trained well in how to do that as well? Oh, yeah. Like I say, there's a certain sense of survival that sets in amongst the people who are involved. And there's another sense of taking care of one another. And you look at the survival instincts, take care of your buddy instincts, and be the best Marine you can be. And make sure you take care of what you were sent there to do. And you couple all those together. And the Marines fought well. Okay, now you were injured by a grenade shrapnel, correct? No, I was injured an initial two times by a grenade shrapnel. Last time I was shot, I got shot with a 50-caliber machine gun through the leg. And it almost took my leg off. Describe exactly what happened. Well, we were coming across the berm. And this guy, he was a gunner on a 50-caliber machine gun, which was primarily used for air and aircraft, shoot down airplanes. And he turned it on me. And thank God, he hit me with a glazing blow. And it took out a big hunk of my leg, but it didn't sever my leg. I had a lot of nerve damage over the years. And I had to deal with it over the years. But my leg was saved. And I had about, I think, eight operations to sort of put it back together. From what I read, you did not want to be evacuated. No, I shouldn't have been. But, you know, my feeling is I was not going to be evacuated until I got our Marines with me. And, you know, part of that was, I told them I'd stay behind and covered them. But as we were pulling back, a couple of young Marines grabbed me and pulled me back. How long did that take? I don't recall. It was probably in a matter of 20 or 30 minutes going through that evolution, coordinating the withdrawal, doing all the things we need to do to get the wounded Marines out and make sure we didn't leave anyone behind. And that was critical to me, not leaving anyone behind. Were you aware that it was a pretty serious injury or that? Yeah, well, the doc always laughed at me. He put a Marine belt around me. We got these old whale belts. He put a Marine belt and shot me full of about four morphines. And he said, you'll probably laugh. Or you won't feel anything. I said, you're right. Both of those occurred. So he shot me full of morphine. And how long did the recuperation take? You mentioned eight surgeries. How long did it take? Well, I had two surgeries aboard the ship. Then they metal backed me to Tripler in Hawaii. And I had six more operations there. When did you find out you would receive the Medal of Honor? I was down at Fort Benning, Georgia. Well, I'd heard rumors that I was placed, put in for the Medal of Honor. But I was down at Fort Benning, Georgia on the staff for the Army. As the assistant Marine Corps rep, I was an instructor and also the liaison to the Army Ranger, Airborne, Scout Dogs, Pathfinder, all the schools down at Fort Benning, Georgia. And I was called up with another Army captain. And I went to the commander of the U.S. Army Infantry School, Major General. And he called us in and said we were, he'd been notified we were both going to receive the Medal of Honor on Pacific Day. And he was going to help coordinate making sure we got to D.C. and got our families to D.C. He was very nice about it. What was it like that day that President Nixon gave you the Medal? Nixon, yeah, it was, it was, there was about, I think, 10 or 12 of us there, all Vietnam vets and our Vietnam recipients. And it was, you know, you always thought about the Medal of Honor, which no one ever considers even any thoughts about getting the Medal of Honor. But to be in that room with the President and all the Joint Chiefs and all the senior officials from D.C. and being there with your family and having a chance to be in that room amongst all these great guys was just a remarkable experience. Now, I know that different recipients have had different reactions to it. Some feel a great burden. Others say, I'm being awarded it along, really alongside all the people I fought with. I'm just the one who gets to keep it. How do you understand? I think both of those. But you know, the thing about me about the Medal of Honor, I've never let it be a burden for me. I think it probably is, but I never really thought about it as a burden, because I never let that sort of drive my life. I always wanted to be a Marine every day based on my ability to Marine, just associate myself in the Medal of Honor. And so I didn't see it as a burden. I saw it as something that was just one of those experiences in life. And I didn't let it dictate my life. I let my day-to-day actions as a Marine based on my performance that day or tomorrow sort of dictate who I am as a Marine. And so I've sort of taken a little different sort of attitude about it. It's just something that I received, and I'm honored to have received it. I'm honored for our company to have received it. But I tell you, I'm a real believer. To be a Marine, you have to Marine every day and prove yourself every day. So I didn't let that be the thing that defined my life. Now, given all the sacrifices that so many service members made, you nearly lost a leg. You carried the wounds of war. So many other men that you commanded did, too. Was your sense after the war, we marined it every day, like you've said, and we have nothing to be upset about? Or was it this never should have happened? I never have been upset about what we were involved in in Vietnam. We should have won the war. We won it three times. We destroyed the NVA forces twice. It was a political defeat. It was not a military defeat. We never lost a major battle in Vietnam. Never lost a one. So there were remarkable people who wore the cloth of the nation and served this country. They did their duty and they did it first class. The loss took place because of the lack of leadership and will out of D.C., not on the battlefield.