Navy Seabee Marvin Shields Posthumously Awarded Medal of Honor for Valor in Vietnam
Marvin Glen Shields, a Navy Seabee, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 13, 1966, for his valor during the Vietnam War. Shields enlisted in the Navy on January 8, 1962, and was trained as a construction mechanic. He was assigned to Seabee Team 1104 of Naval Construction Battalion 11 and deployed to Vietnam in January 1965. During the Battle of Dong Xoai on June 9-10, 1965, Shields displayed extraordinary bravery. Despite being wounded, he continued to supply ammunition and return fire for hours. He volunteered for a dangerous mission to eliminate a Viet Cong machine gunner, which he successfully completed before succumbing to his injuries. Shields' actions were instrumental in the defense of the Special Forces camp at Dong Xoai, although the camp was eventually overrun. His legacy is honored through the naming of the USS Marvin Shields and Camp Marvin Shields in Okinawa. 
