Charles Clinton Fleek

Charles Clinton Fleek
Army Medal of Honor
Born	August 28, 1947(1947-08-28) Petersburg, Kentucky
Died	May 27, 1969(1969-05-27) (aged 21) Binh Duong Province, Republic of Vietnam
Place of burial	Petersburg Cemetery Petersburg, Kentucky
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Medal of Honor

Charles Clinton Fleek (August 28, 1947 – May 27, 1969) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.

Biography

Fleek joined the Army from Cincinnati, Ohio, and by May 27, 1969 was serving as a Sergeant in Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. During a firefight on that day, in Binh Duong Province, Republic of Vietnam, Fleek smothered the blast of an enemy-thrown hand grenade with his body, sacrificing his life to protect those around him.^[1]

Fleek, aged 21 at his death, was buried at Petersburg Cemetery in his birth city of Petersburg, Kentucky.^[2]

Medal of Honor citation

Sergeant Fleek's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Fleek distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader in Company C, during an ambush operation. Sgt. Fleek's unit was deployed in ambush locations when a large enemy force approached the position. Suddenly, the leading enemy element, sensing the ambush, halted and started to withdraw. Reacting instantly, Sgt. Fleek opened fire and directed the effective fire of his men upon the numerically superior enemy force. During the fierce battle that followed, an enemy soldier threw a grenade into the squad position. Realizing that his men had not seen the grenade, Sgt. Fleek, although in a position to seek cover, shouted a warning to his comrades and threw himself onto the grenade, absorbing its blast. His gallant action undoubtedly saved the lives or prevented the injury of at least 8 of his fellow soldiers. Sgt. Fleek's gallantry and willing self-sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.^[1]

See also

	Biography portal
	United States Army portal

• List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

1. ^ ^{a b} "Medal of Honor recipients - Vietnam (A-L)". United States Army Center of Military History. August 3, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/vietnam-a-l.html. Retrieved 2009-09-21. 
2. ^ "Charles Clinton Fleek". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7028117. Retrieved 2007-07-27. 

Persondata
Name	Fleek, Charles Clinton
Alternative names
Short description	United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
Date of birth	August 28, 1947
Place of birth	Petersburg, Kentucky
Date of death	May 27, 1969
Place of death	Binh Duong Province, Republic of Vietnam