On April 21, 1966, U.S. Army Private First Class Milton L. Olive III was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism during the Vietnam War. At just 18 years old, Olive sacrificed his life by smothering a live grenade with his body to save four fellow soldiers during a combat mission in Phu Cuong, South Vietnam. He was the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War. President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the medal to Olive’s parents in a solemn White House ceremony, calling him “a shining light of bravery.” Olive’s selfless act is remembered as one of the most courageous moments in military history.
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