Lanny E. Hale


Little Lanny Hale	Elementary school	Wylie High School	Christian College of the Southwest

Lanny holding the tool of his trade, an M16.	Turner (front) Don Hammett, Emil Kettlehut, Tommy, Lanny (holding Christmas stocking)	Taking a break out in the bush.	In the Central Highlands.

Packing an M79 Grenade Launcher	Digging in.	Fellow Texan Tommy Foley and Lanny	Lanny and Tommy

Home on the range.	In the Central Highlands.	Mr. and Mrs. Noah Hale, 2005	Alan Allen (sitting on left) and members of the 198th LIB

Hometown tributee to two fallen heroes, Lanny Hale and Jerry Combest.	The Wylie High School Yearbook of 1969 was dedicated to Lanny and Jerry.	Valorous Unit Award

Department of the Army
Headquarters Americal Division

General Orders 30 March 1968
Number 1674

Award of the Bronze Star

Bronze Star

TC 320. The following AWARD is announced posthumously.
Hale, Lanny E. US54438748 (SSN 461-66-5185) Specialist Four E4, United States Army, Company A, 1^st Battalion, 6^th Infantry, 198^th Infantry Brigade APO 96219.
Award: Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device
Date Action: 8 February 1968
Theater: Republic of Vietnam
Reason: For heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Specialist Four Hale distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 8 February 1968 while serving in Company A, 1^st Battalion, 6^th Infantry. On that date, his company was on a combat operation in support of a Marine unit south of Da Nang. While his company was moving to the battle area, they suddenly came under intense automatic weapons, mortar, rocket, and small arms fire from an estimated battalion of North Vietnamese Regulars. During the ensuing battle, the company commander became pinned down and sustained several casualties. Specialist Hale and 12 other men of his platoon immediately began laying down a base of fire to enable the wounded members of the company to withdraw to safety. After all the wounded had been withdrawn, he quickly maneuvered back behind a dike where his platoon regrouped and formed an unyielding defensive line. Along with his fallen soldiers, Specialist Hale made a gallant stand, killing numerous enemy soldiers in extreme close quarter fighting before being mortally wounded. Through his courage and devastating fire, he contributed greatly to the successful defeat of the enemy force and an estimated 60 more enemy killed. Specialist Four Hale’s personal bravery and avid devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflected great credit upon himself, the Americal Division, and the US Army.

Authority: By direction of the President and the provisions of Executive Order 11046, August 1962.

For the Commander: Nels A. Parson Jr.
Col. GS
Chief of Staff

HEADQUARTERS
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
WASHINGTON, D.C., 27 NOVEMBER 1968

VALOROUS UNIT AWARD

THE 1^ST BATTALION, 6^TH INFANTRY, 198^TH INFANTRY BRIGADE, AMERICAL DIVISION distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in military operations during the period 7 February 1968 to 11 February 1968 near the hamlet of Lo Giang, Quang Nam Province in the Republic of Vietnam. While conducting search operations to the south of the hamlet, Company C was pinned down by an extremely heavy attack from an enemy force of undetermined size. Company A immediately moved to assist the beleaguered unit, and, while approaching Lo Giang from the north, the element came under a barrage of small arms, rocket and mortar fire which caused several casualties and forced the company to withdraw and regroup before launching a counterattack. Exhibiting conspicuous gallantry and relentless determination, the men in the lead element fought in place to cover the withdrawal of the remainder of the company and engaged the Viet Cong in savage hand-to-hand combat to halt the human wave assault that followed the mortar and rocket attack. Their inspired fighting temporarily repulsed the enemy, enabling the remainder of Company A to mount a counteroffensive which drove the enemy back into the hamlet. Concurrently, Company B arrived and pressed on with fury and force to assist Company C in repelling the communist aggressors. Fighting brilliantly, the three companies completely destroyed the hostile force. Their efforts resulted in more than 250 confirmed enemy dead, with evidence that an additional 300 dead or wounded were removed from the area. The men of the 1^ST BATTALION, 6^TH INFANTRY, 198^TH INFANTRY BRIGADE, AMERICAL DIVISION displayed extraordinary heroism and devotion and reflect distinct credit upon themselves and the Armed Forces of the United States.

My uncle Lanny has been a huge inspiration and hero to me. I have always been so very proud of Lanny, along with my dad (Lanny's younger brother) Stephen and my grandpa (Lanny's dad) Noah for their service.
ANDREW C. HALE
Captain, USAF