FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Gordon Douglas Yntema ~ 28 August 2023

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[Kathy in Alaska]

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Gordon Douglas Yntema
Information from here.

           

Gordon Douglas Yntema (June 26, 1945 - January 18, 1968) 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.

Yntema joined the Army from Detroit, Michigan in 1964, and by January 16, 1968 was serving as a Sergeant in Company D of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). On that day, near Thong Binh in the Republic of Vietnam, Yntema and the two platoons of irregulars he was with were involved in a heavy firefight with the Viet Cong. After the group's Vietnamese commander was wounded, Yntema led the force for the remainder of the two-day battle as ammunition dwindled and losses mounted. With his position about to be overrun, he refused to abandon his wounded comrades and instead fought to the death.

Yntema, aged 22 at his death, was buried in Pilgrim Home Cemetery, Holland, Michigan. He and his wife Peggy had three daughters, Elizabeth, Jane and Julie.

The enlisted club at Fort Bragg, NC is named in his honor.

Sergeant Yntema's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life and above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Yntema, U.S. Army, distinguished himself while assigned to Detachment A-431, Company D. As part of a larger force of civilian irregulars from Camp Cai Cai, he accompanied 2 platoons to a blocking position east of the village of Thong Binh, where they became heavily engaged in a small-arms fire fight with the Viet Cong. Assuming control of the force when the Vietnamese commander was seriously wounded, he advanced his troops to within 50 meters of the enemy bunkers. After a fierce 30 minute fire fight, the enemy forced Sgt. Yntema to withdraw his men to a trench in order to afford them protection and still perform their assigned blocking mission. Under cover of machinegun fire, approximately 1 company of Viet Cong maneuvered into a position which pinned down the friendly platoons from 3 sides. A dwindling ammunition supply, coupled with a Viet Cong mortar barrage which inflicted heavy losses on the exposed friendly troops, caused many of the irregulars to withdraw. Seriously wounded and ordered to withdraw himself, Sgt. Yntema refused to leave his fallen comrades. Under withering small arms and machinegun fire, he carried the wounded Vietnamese commander and a mortally wounded American Special Forces advisor to a small gully 50 meters away in order to shield them from the enemy fire. Sgt. Yntema then continued to repulse the attacking Viet Cong attempting to overrun his position until, out of ammunition and surrounded, he was offered the opportunity to surrender. Refusing, Sgt. Yntema stood his ground, using his rifle as a club to fight the approximately 15 Viet Cong attempting his capture. His resistance was so fierce that the Viet Cong were forced to shoot in order to overcome him. Sgt. Yntema's personal bravery in the face of insurmountable odds and supreme self-sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect the utmost credit upon himself, the 1st Special Forces, and the U.S. Army.

Please remember, the Canteen is family friendly and we exist to support and honor our troops and their families, as well as our Allies Troops and theirs.  Thank you to every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman out there for doing what you do to keep us safe.  We are ever in your debt.  And thank you, too, to the families and friends who support them.  God bless our troops.

[PROCON]

Thanks for honoring tonight’s Hero, Kathy!

[left that other site]

Hi Everybody!

(((HUGS)))

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Pro...you are most welcome.

Still cooled off by the rain?

[PROCON]

We had a nice rain gusher on Friday but it's back to hot weather for a few days and then a cool down leading into September.

How's your weather?

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ Hall of Heroes: Gordon Douglas Yntema ~

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[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...any better Blue weather? Any more vinyl hunts?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Overcast most of the weekend, but the awful wind has finally died down. It has been blowing like a banshee.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello Veterans, wherever you are!!

[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

THANK YOU
for your service!

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

I guess you didn’t get much in the way of sun time on the deck this weekend. That’s a drag because it would have been a nice way to unwind after the week you had.
Nice to see the trees aren’t rockin’ as hard as they were earlier. Still breezy enough to ruffle the lake surface though.

[left that other site]

Sis had a gig today, so I helped her with her gear.

Tomorrow i have the whole day off, so I hope there is good riding weather! :-)

[radu]

Howdy, PRO.

How’s your weekend been?
Did you and your son ever make it out to the shooting range?

[PROCON]

Hi radu!

Good weekend all in all, too hot for the gun range but there's always the next time when it's cooler.

Not much happening here, just visited Robin and the pups and sat in her backyard until it got too hot. But our temps are getting cooler as the week progresses.

'Sup with you?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu...no sun, BUT the wind has finally died down. It’s has been really blowing! My deck is covered in small branches.

Any rain in sight for you and the crops?

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Sis had a gig today, so I helped her with her gear.

And you were VERY careful where you stepped.

[radu]

Boohiss. I’d hoped it would cool off enough for y’all to head out to the range for some fun. Fall’s just around the corner, though, so maybe next time he free for a bit, y’all can head out.

They SAY we’ll be cooler this week but they said that about today too. They were wrong. It was another sauna day. The front seems to have stalled along with the rain I desperately need here. It rained like crazy last night and it passed JUST west of here - - about a quarter of a mile west. That was infuriating.

Had a good, busy weekend at the museum. Had several repeat visitors and we love that. Had the cutest young couple from England and a sweet family from Mexico City, so it was kind of an international weekend. We all had a great time.
And I’ve done next to nothing today. LOL

[luvie]

Gordon Douglas Yntema
June 26, 1945 - January 18, 1968
United States Army
Medal of Honor Recipient
for actions in the Vietnam War
"Fought to the death..." May he Rest In Peace!
What a hero he was! 🇺🇸

[radu]

Hey there, Kathy.

I saw that it was pretty windy there today but didn’t know it was bad enough to knock a lot of tree trash out. Better little tree trash than large branches/limbs though.

I JUST got missed by rain last night - there was maybe one raindrop in the gauge - and nothing today. The front seems to be stalled and the rain is stuck north of I-40. *sigh*
I could have mowed today but it was too hot and steamy to really consider it. I just did what I normally do on Sundays - - - chilled. LOL