1st Lt. John E. Warren Jr.’s Silver Star Medal

1969

The Silver Star Medal is the nation's third-highest award for valor in combat, behind the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Medal.

During the Vietnam War, platoon leader 1st Lt. John E. Warren Jr. (1946–1969) threw himself onto an enemy grenade, saving three of his men from likely death. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Silver Star Medal, and the Medal of Honor. Warren's family received these medals after his death and later donated them to the National Museum of African American History and Culture to honor his life and military service.

More recently, other African American soldiers have been awarded the Medal of Honor for service during the Vietnam War, including Gy. Sgt. John Canley, Capt. Paris Davis, and Maj. James Capers Jr.