Lonnie G Skaggs

Specialist Four
3RD PLT, A CO, 2ND BN, 28TH INFANTRY, 1 INF DIV
Army of the United States
18 September 1945 - 27 April 1967
Gary, Indiana
Panel 18E Line 104

1 INF DIV

28TH INF RGT
Distinguished Service Cross

Combat Infantry

Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for Lonnie G Skaggs

27 Apr 2004

Rusty, I go to the park in Henderson when they have the crosses up.
I would like to know where you are buried.

Janey
E-mail address is not available.

15 Mar 2007

HEADQUARTERS
US ARMY
Washington, DC

31 July 1968

GENERAL ORDERS
NUMBER 38

AWARD OF THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS

1. TC 320. The following AWARD is announced posthumously.

SKAGGS, LONNIE G. Specialist Fourth Class, U. S. Army
Company A, 2d Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division

Awarded: Distinguished Service Cross
Date action: 27 April 1967
Theater: Republic of Vietnam
Reason: The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Lonnie G. Skaggs, Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company A, 2d Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Specialist Four Skaggs distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 27 April 1967, near Ben Luc, Republic of Vietnam. Specialist Skaggs was serving as a machine gunner on a search and destroy mission when his company was suddenly engaged by a hostile force. Seeing that the point man was instantly wounded, Specialist Skaggs moved quickly to the front and engaged the enemy allowing the company medic to move to the wounded man's aid. Under the covering fire of Specialist Skaggs, the company began withdrawing to allow artillery and airstrikes on the hostile positions. Exhausting his supply of ammunition, Specialist Skaggs called for an additional supply. When he was resupplied, Specialist Skaggs moved forward and exposed himself to the heaviest enemy fire by standing on top of a bunker, and continued placing suppressive fire on the hostile forces until all wounded were evacuated and the entire company had withdrawn. When the artillery fire and air strikes were completed, the company started back to the battle area. Specialist Skaggs volunteered for point man on the return trip. Moving into the battle area, the company was again engaged with heavy automatic weapons fire and command-detonated Claymore mines. Four men were wounded in the first few moments from a well-emplaced Viet Cong machinegun. Realizing that the Viet Cot machinegun position had the wounded pinned down and also was keeping medics from giving aid, Specialist Skaggs immediately assaulted the Viet Cong position, continuously firing his machinegun. On the verge of overrunning the hostile position, Specialist Skaggs was mortally wounded. Before succumbing to his wounds, Specialist Skaggs thrust his machinegun forward in such a manner as to insure it would continue to fire on the hostile position until the supply of ammunition was exhausted. This final heroic act resulted in the complete elimination of the Viet Cong position, enabled the friendly forces to evacuate the wounded without sustaining heavier casualties and undoubtedly saved the lives of many men of Company A. Specialist Skagg's extraordinary heroism and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect great credit upon himself, and the Armed Forces of his country.

Courtesy of
Joseph Platosz
2nd Bn, 28th Infantry
jandpgroup@netzero.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall

Specialist 4 Lonnie Skaggs received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army's second highest award for gallantry in action. Regretably, The Virtual Wall was unable to locate a copy of the Citation, nor were we able to help Janey learn where he is buried [Note: Joseph Platosz has corrected the first problem].

What we did find were two remembrances from others, one on a 1st Infantry Division messageboard

"Does anybody remember Lonnie Skaggs, saved a company from VC ambush with his M-60. They found him out of ammo with his finger still on the trigger and a lot of VC around him dead. Doc Johnson was hit trying to bring him out. Lonnie was with A Co. He received the DSC for bravery. He should have gotten the MOH."

"Doc" Lou

and the other on thewall-usa.com:

"Lonnie was one of my best friends. He helped save lots of lives."

Richard Turner

There are worse ways to be remembered than as a friend and hero.
"Greater love hath no man..."





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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 27 Apr 2004
Last updated 08/10/2009