Loren D. Hagen

Infobox Military Person
name=Loren D. Hagen
born= birth date|1946|02|25
died= death date and age|1971|08|7|1946|02|25
placeofbirth=Fargo, North Dakota
placeofdeath=A Shau Valley Republic of Vietnam
placeofburial= Arlington National Cemetery


caption=Army Medal of Honor
nickname="Festus"
allegiance=United States of America
branch=United States Army
serviceyears=
rank=First Lieutenant
commands=
unit=Studies and Observations Group
battles=Vietnam War
awards=Medal of Honor
relations=
laterwork=

Loren D. Hagen (February 25 1946 – August 7 1971) was a United States Army Special Forces officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions during the Vietnam War as Recon Team (RT) leader of a small special reconnaissance unit "RT Kansas", manned by USASF "Green Berets" and highly trained Montagnard commandos from TF1AE (Task Force One Advisory Element) aka "CCN" (Command & Control North), a division of Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) in the Vietnam War.

Facing massed NVA forces

Lt. Hagan's special reconnaissance team had landed and secured their position for the overnight mission almost within sight of the Hanoi High Command's most critical new venture of late 1971, the first six-inch fuel pipeline laid across the Vietnamese DMZ, which was absolutely essential a few months in the future when entire tank battalions rolled through the area for the Vietnam War's largest offensive. The 304th North Vietnamese Army (NVA) Division was already massing there, plus a regiment of the 308th Division, in preparation for the 1972 Easter Offensive.

Career and Command

Hagen joined the Army from his birth city of Fargo, North Dakota, and by August 7 1971 was serving as a first lieutenant in command of special Recon Team (RT) Kansas, a mixed unit of U.S. Army Special Forces and Montagnard commandos from Task Force One Advisory Element (TF1AE), also known as Command & Control North (CCN) with MACV-SOG (name changed in March 1971 to "TAG" Training Advisory Group, U.S. Army).

Enemy attack

During an enemy attack on August 7, in an assembly area of the North Vietnamese Army in the A Shau Valley of the Republic of Vietnam, Hagen led his small recon team's defense, and when USASF Sgt. Bruce Allen Berg was hit by a rocket in one of the team's bunkers Hagen crawled towards Berg's position through heavy fire in an attempt to assist Berg. Mortally wounded in the process, Hagen was later posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. Berg was never found and he was initially listed as Missing in Action, Body Not Recovered. Berg was 21 at the time of his loss. He was later declared Killed in Action, Body Not Recovered (KIA/BNR).

Other members of Recon Team Kansas were: USASF SGT Tony "Fast Eddie" Andersen, USASF SGT Bruce Allen Berg, USASF SGT Oran Bingham, USASF SGT Bill Queen, USASF SGT William "Bill" Rimondi, and eight Montagnard Commandos (no names available).

Hagen, aged 25 at his death, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia.

Medal of Honor citation

First Lieutenant Hagen's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

:1st Lt. Hagen distinguished himself in action while serving as the team leader of a small special reconnaissance team operating deep within enemy-held territory. At approximately 0630 hours on the morning of 7 August 1971 the small team came under a fierce assault by a superior-sized enemy force using heavy small arms, automatic weapons, mortar, and rocket fire. 1st Lt. Hagen immediately began returning small-arms fire upon the attackers and successfully led this team in repelling the first enemy onslaught. He then quickly deployed his men into more strategic defense locations before the enemy struck again in an attempt to overrun and annihilate the beleaguered team's members. 1st Lt. Hagen repeatedly exposed himself to the enemy fire directed at him as he constantly moved about the team's perimeter, directing fire, rallying the members, and resupplying the team with ammunition, while courageously returning small arms and hand grenade fire in a valorous attempt to repel the advancing enemy force. The courageous actions and expert leadership abilities of 1st Lt. Hagen were a great source of inspiration and instilled confidence in the team members. After observing an enemy rocket make a direct hit on and destroy 1 of the team's bunkers, 1st Lt. Hagen moved toward the wrecked bunker in search for team members despite the fact that the enemy force now controlled the bunker area. With total disregard for his own personal safety, he crawled through the enemy fire while returning small-arms fire upon the enemy force. Undaunted by the enemy rockets and grenades impacting all around him, 1st Lt. Hagen desperately advanced upon the destroyed bunker until he was fatally wounded by enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire. With complete disregard for his personal safety, 1st Lt. Hagen's courageous gallantry, extraordinary heroism, and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, at the cost of his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon him and the U.S. Army.

ee also

*A Shau Valley
*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War

References

*findagrave|7028078 Retrieved on 2007-07-20
*cite web
publisher = U.S. Army Center of Military History
title = Medal of Honor Recipients - Vietnam (A-L)
work = Medal of Honor Citations
date = July 16 2007
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/vietnam-a-l.html
accessdate = 2007-07-20
*http://www.ultimatesniper.com/View_News_Details.cfm?NewsID=160&CategoryID=32&title_bar=THE%20LAST%20STAND%20OF%20RECON%20TEAM%20KANSAS The Last Stand of RT Kansas, by John Plaster

Persondata
NAME= Hagen, Loren D.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=