Ken Harbaugh tells the stories of service members who have distinguished themselves through an act of valor. These stories feature recipients from the Civil War to present day, including a few who were originally overlooked for the medal.
The Battle of Ia Drang Valley: Col. Walter Marm Jr.
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Colonel Walter Joseph Marm Jr. served in the Army during Vietnam. On the 14th of November, 1965, Marm and his company were tasked with rescuing a platoon that had been surrounded by the NVA. After their first push was unsuccessful, Marm led his platoon through heavy machine gun and light arms fire. Marm killed four enemies that approached their position before exposing himself to enemy fire in order to locate their hidden machine gun. He then charged the machine gun bunker alone, running through 30 yards of open terrain, again exposed to enemy fire. He then tossed a grenade into the bunker, killing several of the 8 enemies that manned it, and killed the rest with his rifle. As he motioned for his men to join up with him, he was shot. The bullet entered his left jaw and exited through his right cheek. Despite the wound, Marm walked back to his company by himself, where he was evac’d to a hospital.
To hear more from Marm himself, listen to his interview on Warriors In Their Own Words.
Welcome to the Medal of Honor podcast, brought to you in partnership with the National Medal of Honor Museum. I’m Ken Harbaugh. In each episode, we’ll learn about a different service member who has distinguished him or herself through an act of valor.
Walter Joseph Marm Jr. was born on November 20th, 1941 in Washington, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Duquesne University with a degree in business, he joined the Army under the college option program.
On the morning of November 14th, 1965, then First Lieutenant Marm and his company were flown into Ia Drang valley to scout enemy forces. Within a few hours, one platoon had made contact with the NVA, and began pursuit. Their chase led them away from their allies, and they were eventually surrounded, completely cut off from the rest of the company. Within minutes, most of their command was either shot or killed, leaving their motor sergeant in command. This was the beginning of the Battle of Ia Drang Valley.
Marm’s company was determined to rescue their lost platoon. They advanced, but were met with suppressive fire and forced to retreat. They regrouped and pressed forward again until they were forced to take cover. Marm knew they couldn’t hold this position for long, and soon enough, four NVA soldiers approached. Under heavy fire, Marm quickly sprung up and killed all four before returning to cover. It was then he noticed that his platoon was being hit by a machine gun concealed somewhere within the foliage of the jungle. Marm left cover again and exposed himself to draw its fire, revealing its location. Seeing it in a semi-raised bunker, Marm ordered a nearby soldier to approach and throw a grenade into it, but in the heat of battle, the soldier misheard the request. He threw the grenade from his current position and it landed short, missing the bunker. Marm then fired a rocket-propelled anti-tank weapon at the bunker, causing a large explosion. Believing the bunker had been destroyed, Marm and his platoon began their advance, but the bunker began firing on them again. Marm decided it was time to take matters into his own hands. He raced through machine gun & small arms fire across thirty yards of open terrain and charged the bunker on his own. Upon reaching his target, he threw grenades into the bunker, which detonated, destroying the machine gun and killing several of the eight nearby enemies. He then used his rifle to dispatch the remaining NVA soldiers.
With the position seemingly cleared, Marm turned back to his company, but right as he signaled for them to join him, he was shot. The bullet flew through the left side of his jaw and out his right cheek. Despite his wound, Marm was able to walk back to the rest of his company where he was evac’d to a hospital.
First Lieutenant Walter Marm Jr. was presented the Medal of Honor for his bravery and selflessness on December 19th, 1966. He’s credited with single-handedly drawing fire away from his allies, breaking enemy lines, and rallying his unit, resulting in the accomplishment of their mission.
The Battle of Ia Drang Valley lasted for four days in all, and became one of the most famous battles of the Vietnam War. The book, We Were Soldiers Once… and Young, is based on the battle.
The Medal of Honor podcast is a production of Evergreen Podcasts.
Nathan Corson is our executive producer and mixing engineer, Declan Rohrs is our associate producer, scriptwriter, and recording engineer, and I’m Ken Harbaugh.
We are proud to support the National Medal of Honor Museum. To learn more, and to support their mission, go to mohmuseum.org. Thanks for listening.
