Medal of Honor recipient Kenneth Stumpf dies at 77

Retired Army Sgt. Maj. Kenneth E. Stumpf, Medal of Honor recipient, died Saturday at the age of 77, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Stumpf was a specialist on April 25, 1967, when, in Duc Pho, Vietnam, his platoon came under heavy fire and three of his comrades were wounded.

Stumpf, serving at the time as a squad leader for 3rd Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 25th Infantry Division, made three separate trips, under fire, to round up his comrades, each bringing back them to friendly lines.

After collecting the wounded, Stumpf reorganized his soldiers and ordered them to destroy two enemy bunkers, taking a third on his own, facing grenades and heavy machine gun fire the whole time.

Asked about his actions that day, Stumpf replied, “I have always said that I did nothing beyond the call of duty. What I did was my duty. I had to do it…it was a responsibility I had to my men.

For his heroic actions in Vietnam, Stumpf received the Medal of Honor from former President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968.

Born in Neenah, Wisconsin on September 28, 1944, Stumpf was drafted into the army in 1965. He served three tours in Vietnam and retired as a sergeant major after 29 years of service.

He is survived by three children and many grandchildren. A cause of death was not released by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society when Stumpf’s death was announced.