Medal goes to all military personel killed or wounded by ememy action, even REMFs. Would you deny it to men killed/wounded at Pearl Harbor?
Respect that he was in firefight in RVN when he got his, but my 2d PH was for a mortar frag in the back as I was exiting the Steam and Cream in Tay Ninh. If you know what the S & C was, (the one by the PX, across from the airstrip and the "Holiday Inn East," you know why my normally sharply tuned and finely honed combat warrior reflexes were a bit slow....
Remember, I was coming out, not going in...... :~)