A Soldier's Story: First Lieutenant Ruppert Leon Sargent




Lieutenant Ruppert Leon Sargent was born on January 6, 1938, in Hampton, Virginia.  After graduating from Virginia State University, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 1959.

Lieutenant Ruppert Sargent graduated from Officers Candidate School on October 15, 1965, and in 1967, deployed to Vietnam with the 9th Infantry Regiment for the Vietnam War.

On March 15, 1967, during an investigation of Viet Cong activity and after the discovery of a tunnel, Lieutenant Ruppert Sargent earned a Congressional Medal of Honor when Viet Cong soldiers lobbed two grenades from the tunnel into the middle of the platoon.  Lieutenant Ruppert Leon Sargent smothered the grenades and protected his team.

He rests at the Hampton National Cemetery in Hampton, Virginia.

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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia. 

In addition to her travel writings at www.takethebackroads.com, you can also read her book reviews at www.riteoffancy.com and US military biographies at www.everydaypatriot.com

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Location: Hampton, VA, USA

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