PHIPPS, JIMMY W.


Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Company B, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF

Place: Near An Hoa, Republic of Vietnam

Date: 27 May 1969

Entered service at: Culver City, California

Born: 1 November 1950, Santa Monica, California

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a combat engineer with Company B in connection with combat operations against the enemy.

Pfc. Phipps was a member of a 2-man combat engineer demolition team assigned to locate and destroy enemy artillery ordnance and concealed firing devices. After he had expended all of his explosives and blasting caps, Pfc. Phipps discovered a 175mm high explosive artillery round in a rice paddy. Suspecting that the enemy had attached the artillery round to a secondary explosive device, he warned other marines in the area to move to covered positions and prepared to destroy the round with a hand grenade. As he was attaching the hand grenade to a stake beside the artillery round, the fuse of the enemy's secondary explosive device ignited. Realizing that his assistant and the platoon commander were both within a few meters of him and that the imminent explosion could kill all 3 men, Pfc. Phipps grasped the hand grenade to his chest and dived forward to cover the enemy's explosive and the artillery round with his body, thereby shielding his companions from the detonation while absorbing the full and tremendous impact with his body. Pfc. Phipps' indomitable courage, inspiring initiative, and selfless devotion to duty saved the lives of 2 marines and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

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--- General / Personal ---

Last name: PHIPPS
First name: JIMMY WAYNE
Home of Record (official): CULVER CITY
State (official): CA
Date of Birth: Wednesday, November 1, 1950
Sex: Male
Race: Caucasian
Marital Status: Single

--- Military ---

Branch: Marine Corps
Rank: PFC
Serial Number: 2412145
Component: Regular
Pay grade: E2
MOS (Military Occupational Specialty code): 1371

--- Action ---

Start of Tour: Sunday, December 8, 1968
Date of Casualty: Tuesday, May 27, 1969
Age at time of loss: 18
Casualty type: (A1) Hostile, died
Reason: Multiple fragmentation wounds (Ground casualty)
Country: South VietNam
Province: Quang Nam
The Wall: Panel 23W - Row 002

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