- SURNAME
Vanderhoff
- FORENAME
George A.,Jr
- UNIT
503 Infantry Regiment (Airborne) (Company C,1 Bn)
- RANK
Private First Class
- NUMBER
11761059
- DATE OF DEATH
16th October 1968
- AGE
19
- GRAVESITE
Presbyterian Church Cemetery,Oak Ridge,Passaic County,New Jersey
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
from Oak Ridge,New Jersey
born 7.11.1948
single
1 year service
awards Silver Star,Bronze Star
promoted Cpl posthumously
DOW received in Binh Dinh Province,South Vietnam
Vietnam Veterans Memorial,Washington,D.C. Panel 41W Line 68
New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial,Holmdel,New Jersey
Passaic County Vietnam Memorial,Paterson,New Jersey
DATE OF DEATH:
16-Oct-1968CITATION:
Silver Star : The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Private First Class George A. Vanderhoff, Jr. (ASN: RA-11761059), United States Army, for gallantry in action. Private First Class Vanderhoff distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions against an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam on 27 September 1968, while serving as an assistant machine gunner with Company C, 1st Battalion (Airborne, 503d Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate). On this day Company C engaged an North Vietnamese Army battalion in fortified, concealed bunkers near Landing Zone UPLIFT. Upon the initial contact, the company began receiving a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire. Private Vanderhoff, seeing that an enemy machine gun bunker was placing highly effective fire on his platoon, began advancing toward it. Despite the intense fire and the fact that one man was killed and others were wounded in an attempt to destroy the position, he continued to advance toward the bunker. Reaching it, he threw two hand grenades, killing the two North Vietnamese Army soldiers inside. At this time he saw a second enemy bunker placing heavy automatic weapons fire on the company. He again advanced and destroyed it with a hand grenade, killing two more enemy soldiers, and began to retrieve the wounded. When the area became untenable, and the command was given to withdraw, Private Vanderhoff remained behind and laid down a heavy base of effective fire, contributing to the successful withdrawal to a defensive perimeter. Only when the entire company had effected withdrawal did he pull back. Private Vanderhoff's extraordinary heroism was in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
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