Melvin E. Newlin


Private First Class Melvin Earl Newlin was a United States Marine who posthumously received the United States' highest military decoration - the Medal of Honor - for his actions in July 1967 during the Vietnam War.

Biography

Melvin Earl Newlin was born on September 27, 1948, in the town of Wellsville, Ohio. He graduated from Wellsville High School on June 6, 1966.
On July 18, 1966, Newlin enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at Cleveland, Ohio, and was ordered to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, where he received recruit training with the 1st Recruit Training Battalion.
Upon graduation in September 1966, he was transferred to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and underwent infantry training with the 2nd Infantry Training Battalion, 1st Infantry Training Regiment and then completed special weapons training.
In October 1966, he was assigned duty as a machine gunner with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, 2nd Marine Division, at Camp Lejeune. He was promoted to private first class on January 1, 1967.
Newlin was transferred to the Republic of Vietnam in March 1967 and joined the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, and participated in numerous operations, including Operations New Castle, Mountain Goat, Union, and Calhoun. While serving as a machine gunner with the 1st Platoon in Quảng Nam Province, he was mortally wounded on July 4, 1967.
He was buried with full military honors at Spring Hill Cemetery in Wellsville, Ohio.

Awards and decorations

His medals and decorations include:

Medal of Honor citation

The President of the United States in the name of the Congress takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
/S/ RICHARD M. NIXON

In memory