MINOT, N.D. (AP) -- A man stationed in North Dakota who died while serving in the Vietnam War will receive the Medal of Honor more than 40 years after his death.
The White House says the Medal of Honor will be awarded posthumously to Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchberger on Sept. 21.
The Minot Daily News says Etchberger, a native of Hamburg, Pa., was stationed in Bismarck before being deployed for Vietnam duty. North Dakota Rep. Earl Pomeroy says Etchberger was stationed at a secret radar base in Laos that was stormed by North Vietnamese commandoes. He saved the lives of three comrades before he was killed.
Pomeroy says Etchberger's nomination for the Medal of Honor was denied by President Lyndon Johnson for fear it would bring attention to the secret radar station. Pomeroy has been working since 2004 to right the wrong.
___
