“He didn’t flinch. He didn’t run. He chose to save his brothers.”
On May 14, 1968, in the shadowed jungles of Kien Hoa Province, Vietnam, Private First-Class James W. Fous made a decision that defines heroism in its purest form.
Serving with Company E, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, Fous and three fellow soldiers were dug in for the night during a reconnaissance-in-force mission. Their perimeter was tight. The jungle, unforgiving.
Suddenly, from the dense vegetation ahead, three Viet Cong closed in on their position. Fous spotted them first. He didn’t hesitate—raising his weapon and cutting down two of the attackers in a burst of fire.
The third enemy vanished into the brush—but not before hurling a grenade directly into the Americans' fighting hole.
There was no time.
Fous didn’t think of himself. He didn’t shout orders.
He shouted a warning—and threw himself onto the grenade.
The blast tore through him, but the three soldiers beside him survived. Because one man from Omaha, Nebraska chose courage over fear. Sacrifice over self.
For this act of unimaginable valor, James W. Fous was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
He was 21 years old.

Private First Class James W. Fous (Vietnam) is a Notable burial at https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/ftmcpherson.asp. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Company E, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, in recognition of gallantry and self-sacrifice in Kien Hoa Province, Republic of Vietnam, May 14, 1968. https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/james-w-fous.
*The preceding content is not intended as a comprehensive biography, but it highlights their significance as a result of military or civilian distinction, lasting achievements, or association with impactful national events. 

This is a color photograph of James Fous.

JAMES W FOUS

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