A former Fort Riley Soldier was among three soldiers awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor during a ceremony at the White House on Monday.

Among those honored was retired Command Sgt. Major Terry P. Richardson, who was awarded the nation’s highest military honor for heroic actions during the Vietnam war.

According to the Army, during a reconnaissance mission between Loc Ninh and the Cambodian border on Sept. 14, 1968, Richardson’s unit was engaged by intense automatic weapons and small-arms fire from a well-entrenched North Vietnamese Army battalion. Richardson maneuvered through a hail of hostile rounds and deployed his men into defensive positions while directing their suppressive fire. During the attack, he dragged three wounded soldiers back to safety.

With his platoon surrounded, Richardson realized the only way they would avoid being overrun was with accurate tactical air strikes. He made his way up Hill 222 undetected to call in tactical air strikes from a shallow irrigation ditch with only rubber trees for cover.

Once up the hill, he realized that the enemy force was a large regimental base complex of the 7th North Vietnamese Army Division. Speaking directly to the pilots, Richardson began calling in the airstrikes. An hour in, he was shot in the right leg by a North Vietnamese Army sniper. Richardson continued guiding the pilots for seven more hours, calling in approximately 32 airstrikes until the enemy retreated. His actions saved 85 lives.

For these heroic acts, Richardson was awarded the Medal of Honor, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Air Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

Richardson is Fort Riley’s 39th Medal of Honor recipient.

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Top Photo via US Army: Sgt. Terry Richardson during operations near Lộc Ninh, South Vietnam, in September 1968.

Terry Richardson is awarded the Medal of Honor