thedrifter
05-01-08, 07:55 AM
Medal of Honor recipient due his place in Military Hall of Fame
By ERIN COLELLA
POSTED: May 1, 2008
WELLSVILLE — A Wellsville native and Congressional Medal of Honor winner will be inducted into the Ninth Annual Ohio Military Hall of Fame (OMHOF) during a special ceremony in Columbus Friday.
Melvin E. Newlin fell in the line of duty while serving in the Quang Nam Province of Vietnam in 1967. He served as a machine gunner for Company F, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division and performed operations in New Castle, Mountain Goat, Union and Calhoun.
Mary Crago, youngest sister to Newlin, said she plans to attend the ceremony at the Ohio Veterans Plaza.
“I’m just so proud of all the veterans, past, present and future,” Crago said.
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) of East Liverpool and the surrounding area also are expected be in good showing for the ceremony, according to Crago.
Crago said she was happy the memory of her brother, along with other fallen veterans, would not be forgotten.
“I thank the area for what they’ve done for him,” Crago said.
The Wellsville Memorial Council replaced his monument with another all-white stone last year.
Member and veteran Don Brown said he always places a flag on Newlin’s gravestone, as well as the sites of thousands of other veterans in Spring Hill Cemetery every Memorial Day.
While Newlin was holding a key position on the perimeter of Nong Son outpost, the Viet Cong launched a mortar and infantry assault, seriously wounding him and killing his four comrades. He propped himself against the machine gun and repelled two attacks on his position until a grenade explosion wounded him further and knocked him unconscious. The Viet Cong passed over him, thinking he was dead, but Newlin awoke and turned his gun onto the rear of the enemy, causing confusion.
“Private Newlin had singlehandedly broken up and disorganized the entire enemy assault force, causing them to lose momentum and delaying them long enough for his fellow Marines to organize a defense and beat off their secondary attack,” according the citation on the Metal of Honor Web site.
“He was a happy, good boy,” Crago reminisced. “That’s all I can say (about him).”
Newlin was born Sept. 27, 1948, and died July 4, 1967, at the age of 19. His other decorations include a Purple Heart, a National Defense Service Medal and a Vietnam Service Medal, to name a few.
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government and is usually given posthumously because of its distinction. Today there are only 143 living recipients of the medal.
For more information about Newlin and other inductees of the OMHOF visit: www.ohioheroes.org.
ecolella@mojonews.com
Ellie
By ERIN COLELLA
POSTED: May 1, 2008
WELLSVILLE — A Wellsville native and Congressional Medal of Honor winner will be inducted into the Ninth Annual Ohio Military Hall of Fame (OMHOF) during a special ceremony in Columbus Friday.
Melvin E. Newlin fell in the line of duty while serving in the Quang Nam Province of Vietnam in 1967. He served as a machine gunner for Company F, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division and performed operations in New Castle, Mountain Goat, Union and Calhoun.
Mary Crago, youngest sister to Newlin, said she plans to attend the ceremony at the Ohio Veterans Plaza.
“I’m just so proud of all the veterans, past, present and future,” Crago said.
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) of East Liverpool and the surrounding area also are expected be in good showing for the ceremony, according to Crago.
Crago said she was happy the memory of her brother, along with other fallen veterans, would not be forgotten.
“I thank the area for what they’ve done for him,” Crago said.
The Wellsville Memorial Council replaced his monument with another all-white stone last year.
Member and veteran Don Brown said he always places a flag on Newlin’s gravestone, as well as the sites of thousands of other veterans in Spring Hill Cemetery every Memorial Day.
While Newlin was holding a key position on the perimeter of Nong Son outpost, the Viet Cong launched a mortar and infantry assault, seriously wounding him and killing his four comrades. He propped himself against the machine gun and repelled two attacks on his position until a grenade explosion wounded him further and knocked him unconscious. The Viet Cong passed over him, thinking he was dead, but Newlin awoke and turned his gun onto the rear of the enemy, causing confusion.
“Private Newlin had singlehandedly broken up and disorganized the entire enemy assault force, causing them to lose momentum and delaying them long enough for his fellow Marines to organize a defense and beat off their secondary attack,” according the citation on the Metal of Honor Web site.
“He was a happy, good boy,” Crago reminisced. “That’s all I can say (about him).”
Newlin was born Sept. 27, 1948, and died July 4, 1967, at the age of 19. His other decorations include a Purple Heart, a National Defense Service Medal and a Vietnam Service Medal, to name a few.
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government and is usually given posthumously because of its distinction. Today there are only 143 living recipients of the medal.
For more information about Newlin and other inductees of the OMHOF visit: www.ohioheroes.org.
ecolella@mojonews.com
Ellie