Vincent R. Capodanno
| Vincent Robert Capodanno | |
|---|---|
 
|
|
| Nickname(s) | "The Grunt Padre" |
| Born |
February 13, 1929 Staten Island, New York |
| Died | September 4, 1967 (aged 38) Quang Tin Province, South Vietnam |
| Buried at | Saint Peters Cemetery, West New Brighton, Staten Island, New York |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy Reserve
|
| Years of service | 1965 - 1967 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit |
Navy Chaplain Corps 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War † |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Bronze Star Purple Heart |
Servant of God Vincent Robert Capodanno (February 13, 1929 – September 4, 1967) was a United States Navy Roman Catholic chaplain and a posthumous recipient of America's highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor — for actions during the Vietnam War.
Vincent R. Capodanno was born on Staten Island, New York, on February 13, 1929. He graduated from Curtis High School, Staten Island, and attended Fordham University for a year before entering the Maryknoll Missionary Seminary in Ossining, New York. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest on June 14, 1958.
Father Capodanno's first assignment as a missionary was with aboriginal Taiwanese in the mountains of Taiwan where he served in a parish and later in a school. After seven years, Father Capodanno returned to the United States for leave and then was assigned to a Maryknoll school in Hong Kong.
In December 1965, Father Capodanno received his commission as a lieutenant in the Navy Chaplain Corps. He was assigned to the First Marine Division in Vietnam in April 1966.
At 4:30 am, September 4, 1967, during Operation Swift in the Thang Binh District of the Que Son Valley, elements of the 1st Battalion 5th Marines encountered a large North Vietnamese unit of approximately 2,500 men near the village of Dong Son. The outnumbered and disorganized Company D was in need of reinforcements. By 9:14 am, 26 Marines were confirmed dead, and another company of Marines was committed to the battle. At 9:25 am, the commander of 1st Battalion 5th Marine requested further reinforcements.
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