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First Name: Clair

Last Name: Thurston

Birthplace: Lampasas, TX, USA

Gender: Male

Branch: Army (1784 - present)



Home of Record: Thorndike, ME
Middle Name: Hall



Date of Birth: 20 June 1943

Date of Death: 08 November 1965

Rank: Second Lieutenant

Years Served: 1964 - 1965
Clair Hall Thurston, Jr.

   
Graduate, U.S. Military Academy, Class of 1964

Engagements:
•  Vietnam War (1960 - 1973)

Biography:

Clair Hall Thurston, Jr.
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army

Clair Hall Thurston, Jr. was born on 20 June 1943 in Lampasas, TX, the son of Colonel Clair Thurston Hall (USA, Ret.) and Lieutenant Agnes M. Thurston (USA Nurse Corps, Ret.). He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy with the Class of 1964 on 3 June 1964 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry.

On 8 November 1965, Second Lieutenant Clair Hall Thurston, Jr. was serving with 3rd Platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate), in South Vietnam.

On that day, 2LT Thurston was with Company B on a search and destroy mission in War Zone "D." 2LT Thurston received orders to move his platoon to the flank of numerous Viet Cong riflemen and hostile machine gun emplacements. As his platoon assumed their flanking position, they were subjected to intense hostile fire and he moved from squad to squad to encourage and prepare them for the assault upon the insurgent position. As he gave the order to attack, his platoon received a heavy concentration of small arms and automatic weapons fire from the Viet Cong positions. Raising his arm as a signal to his men, he led the assault on the hostile machine gun emplacements. During the charge, he was mortally wounded by a deadly hail of fire that was directed into his ranks. As a result of his leadership the machine gun emplacements were overrun and destroyed, causing the insurgents to flee. 2LT Thurston's extraordinary heroism earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Distinguished Service Cross
Purple Heart with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge
Parachutist Badge

Distinguished Service Cross Citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Clair Hall Thurston, Jr. (ASN: OF-101747), United States 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 B, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate). On 8 November 1965, Second Lieutenant Thurston was accompanying his unit on a search and destroy mission in War Zone "D". Lieutenant Thurston received orders to move his platoon to the flank of numerous Viet Cong riflemen and hostile machine gun emplacements. As his platoon assumed their flanking position, they were subjected to intense hostile fire. Notwithstanding the vulnerability of his position and with complete disregard for his own personal safety, he moved from squad to squad to encourage and prepare them for the assault upon the insurgent position. As he gave the order to attack, his platoon immediately received a heavy concentration of small arms and automatic weapons fire from the Viet Cong positions. Steadfast, he raised his arm, as a signal to his men, yelled "Follow me", and led the assault on the hostile machine gun emplacements. During the charge, he was mortally wounded by the deadly hail of fire which was directed into his ranks. As a result of his inspiration, courage, and leadership, the machine gun emplacements were overrun and destroyed, causing the insurgents to flee. Lieutenant Thurston's extraordinary heroism, gallantry in action, and supreme sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army.

General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Pacific, General Orders No. 18 (January 27, 1968)

Honors

The name Clair H Thurston Jr is located on Panel 3E Line 37 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Burial

Second Lieutenant Clair Hall Thurston, Jr. is buried at the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery in West Point, Orange County, NY, in Section XXXIV, Row D, Site 145.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=14917289



Honoree ID: 281826   Created by: MHOH

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