{"id":15010,"date":"2018-04-24T21:43:58","date_gmt":"2018-04-24T21:43:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/04\/24\/vietnam-war-marine-posthumously-awarded-silver-star-for-fighting-off-ambush-with-a-pistol\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:31:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:31:38","slug":"vietnam-war-marine-posthumously-awarded-silver-star-for-fighting-off-ambush-with-a-pistol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2018\/04\/24\/vietnam-war-marine-posthumously-awarded-silver-star-for-fighting-off-ambush-with-a-pistol\/","title":{"rendered":"Vietnam War Marine posthumously awarded Silver Star for fighting off ambush with a pistol"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A young Marine lieutenant killed 51 years ago<\/a> while holding off an enemy ambush was awarded a long overdue Silver Star for battlefield heroics at a ceremony held Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First Lt. Philip H. Sauer, a native of Coronado, California, was posthumously awarded the third highest U.S. valor award<\/a> after sacrificing his life while holding off an enemy ambush with his .45-caliber pistol, allowing his five-man squad to withdraw to safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The award was presented to his brothers and sister by Maj. Gen. Eric Smith, commanding general of 1st Marine Division, aboard Camp Pendleton, California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On April 24, 1967, Sauer, a lieutenant patrolling with 1st Battalion, 9th Marines<\/a> led a five-man squad on a recon patrol of Hill 861 in the Republic of Vietnam. His patrol \u201cwas suddenly ambushed\u201d from \u201cwell-placed enemy bunkers and trenches,\u201d according to a reading of his award citation. The point man was killed almost immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A picture of Hill 861 south Landing Zone in Vietnam July 28, 1967. (Marine Corps)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sauer ordered his men to withdraw while he laid down cover fire \u201cwith only his personal sidearm,\u201d according to the citation. \u201cHe was last seen holding his position in the face of overwhelming enemy fire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smith, the officer presiding over the ceremony, described the day as a historic one for the Corps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFifty-one years ago today a lieutenant named Phil Sauer gave his life so that other Marines might keep theirs,\u201d Smith said during the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArmed with a .45 caliber pistol [Sauer] stood his ground against somewhere north of 30 enemy armed with automatic weapons,\u201d Smith told a crowd gathered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smith said it was Sauer\u2019s job as the senior Marine that day to take care of his men, and that \u201che did it with unbelievable courage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armed only with a pistol against an overwhelming force Sauer gave his life to save his men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho does that?\u201d Smith asked. \u201cPhil Sauer did that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recognition of Sauer\u2019s heroic actions that day was delayed for nearly half a century until Ret. Marine Lt. Col. David Little befriended Sauer\u2019s brother and began to dig into the storied lieutenant\u2019s last stand on Hill 861. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little researched short published histories by the Marine Corps about the conflict commonly called \u201cGreen Books\u201d named for the color of their cover. These books covered each year of the Vietnam War. Little came across a short paragraph that \u201cdescribed a five-man patrol, dispatched to establish an artillery observation post, that was ambushed by far greater North Vietnamese Army forces, dug-in and well-concealed with automatic weapons and grenades,\u201d according to a story Little wrote about Sauer\u2019s delayed recognition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After months of pouring through documents, the internet, the National Archives and news articles, Little was able to track down a survivor from the ambush and Sauer\u2019s company commander. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But because of time constraints, an awards package had to be submitted by a member of Congress with an accompanying waiver. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
U.S. Marines are silhouetted as they stand on Hill 881 North after a fierce nine-day battle near Khe Sanh, Vietnam on May 3, 1967 during the Vietnam War. (AP Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It took nearly nine months total from the day Little heard of Sauer\u2019s heroism, but the award was finally submitted in January 2016, according to Little. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer approved the award in March, more than two years after the package was submitted, Little said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In attendance at Tuesday\u2019s award ceremony was a sole eyewitness then-Lance Cpl. William Marks who provided a statement for Sauer\u2019s Silver Star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marks, an artillery forward observer at the time of the fateful patrol, said in his witness statement, \u201cI didn\u2019t meet Lt. Sauer until that day. I never met him before,\u201d Smith told the crowd. He \u201cmet him a couple hours before the patrol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sauer\u2019s siblings were in attendance to accept the award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou create bonds of comradery, esprit de corps and standards of conduct that are so strong that you will let nothing stand in your way of accomplishing your mission. That was Phil,\u201d said Phil\u2019s sister, who accepted the award on her brother\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe loved his Marine Corps family and took care of his men,\u201d she added. \u201cHe died honoring your Corps values of honor, courage and commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Silver Star is the nation\u2019s third highest award for combat bravery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The San Diego Union Tribune<\/a> was first to break the story that Sauer would receive the Silver Star nearly a half century after his death.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Silver Star was presented to the Marine’s brothers and sister Tuesday at Camp Pendleton.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":34049,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":69,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["news","military-honor","good-news-report","newsletters"],"primary_category":"news"},"4":{"categories":["daily-news-roundup","newsletters","military-honor"],"primary_category":"daily-news-roundup"},"5":{"categories":["daily-news-roundup","newsletters","military-honor"],"primary_category":"daily-news-roundup"},"7":{"categories":["daily-news-roundup","newsletters","military-honor"],"primary_category":"daily-news-roundup"}}},"categories":[101,10,12,25,69],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3398],"class_list":["post-15010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-military-honor","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-marine-corps"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"LCDKKCVQUBAOVC5C355BEUMBXU","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2018\/04\/24\/vietnam-war-marine-posthumously-awarded-silver-star-for-fighting-off-ambush-with-a-pistol\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\nVietnam War Marine posthumously awarded Silver Star for fighting off ambush with a pistol - 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