Harold B. Mciver

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Harold B. McIver, Radioman Seaman, U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as Radioman and Machine Gunner on board River Assault Craft T-131-7, a unit of River Assault Squadron 13, Task Force 117, in the Republic of Vietnam on 31 March 1969. Seaman McIver’s unit came under direct rocket and automatic weapons fire from the river canal bank with one of the fired rockets striking the craft, detonating and sending shrapnel throughout the well deck and wounding Seaman McIver in the face and hands, while severely wounding a Hospital Corpsman on board in the chest and head. At the very same time, the spreading shrapnel ignited a gasoline storage can causing that part of the boat to catch fire. Without hesitation and disregarding his own wounds, Seaman McIver beat out and extinguished the flames and then ignored the still incoming enemy fire directed his attention to the gravely wounded Hospital Corpsman. While applying first aid to the wounded man, he realized the man had swallowed his tongue and was unable to breath. After unsuccessfully attempting to pry open the wounded man’s jaws, Seaman McIver used a sharp instrument to perform an emergency tracheotomy on the wounded corpsman, allowing his to resume breathing. A medical evacuation helicopter arrived shortly and though still receiving enemy fire and with his own wounds untreated, he assisted the Boat Captain in carrying the wounded man to the aircraft, at which point he refused to be evacuated for treatment of his own injuries, insisting instead on returning to his machine gun and resuming firing on the enemy position. By his undaunted courage, valiant efforts, and total dedication to duty, Seaman McIver reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.