Frank Aloysious Herda (September 13, 1947 – October 13, 2023) was a
United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the
Medal of Honor, for his actions in the
Vietnam War.
Military career
Herda joined the
United States Army from his birth city of
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, and by June 29, 1968, was serving as a
private first class
Private first class (french: Soldat de 1 classe; es, Soldado de primera) is a military rank held by junior enlisted personnel in a number of armed forces.
French speaking countries
In France and other French speaking countries, the rank (; ) ...
in Company A, 1st Battalion (Airborne),
506th Infantry Regiment
The 506th Infantry Regiment, originally designated the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (506th PIR) during World War II, is an airborne light infantry regiment of the United States Army. Currently a parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regiment ...
,
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...
(Airmobile). During an enemy attack on that day, near
Dak To
DAK is the Deutsches Afrika Korps, a German World War II unit.
DAK, Dak, dak, or ''variation'', may also refer to:
Places
* Dak, Kerman, Kerman Province, Iran
* Dak, Sistan and Baluchestan, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran
* Dakhla Oasis Ai ...
in
Kon Tum Province,
Republic of Vietnam, Herda smothered the blast of an enemy-thrown
hand grenade
A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade genera ...
with his body to protect those around him. He survived the blast, although severely wounded, and was subsequently promoted to
specialist four
Specialist is a military rank in some countries’ armed forces. Two branches of the United States Armed Forces use the rank. It is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the United States Army, above private (PVT), private (PV2), and private ...
and awarded the
Medal of Honor for his actions.
Herda published the sword and sorcery novel, ''The Cup of Death: Chronicles of the Dragons of the Magi'', in 2007.
Medal of Honor citation
Specialist Herda's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
Death
Herda died in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 13, 2023, at the age of 76.
See also
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War
References
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Herda, Frank A.
1947 births
2023 deaths
United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War
United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
Military personnel from Cleveland
United States Army soldiers
Vietnam War recipients of the Medal of Honor