Congressional Medal of Honor Society Announces Passing of Medal of Honor Recipient Clarence E. Sasser

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Congressional Medal of Honor Society

May 14, 2024, 14:25 ET

Earned Nation's Highest Award for Valor during the Vietnam War

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Congressional Medal of Honor Society regretfully announces that Clarence E. Sasser, 76, a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War, passed away May 13, 2024, at Sugar Land, Texas. Funeral arrangements are pending.

President Richard M. Nixon presented Sasser with the Medal of Honor at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 1969, for his actions in Ding Tuong Province, Vietnam.

On January 10, 1968, then-Pfc. Clarence Sasser was serving as a medical aidman when his unit was sent on an air assault. The unit came under heavy attack and more than 30 men were wounded in just a few minutes. Sasser sprang into motion, running across open rice patties to give aid to the wounded. Despite incurring several painful wounds and loss of blood, including some that immobilized his legs, Sasser continued to drag himself through the mud to render aid and encouragement to his wounded comrades.

Sasser commented about receiving the Medal of Honor, "It was confirmation to me that I did my job, and that's how I had to deal with it because, what's my job? I don't think what I did was above and beyond. I never have."

Sasser was born on Sept. 12, 1947, in Chenango, Texas. After leaving the Army, he completed studies he had begun prior to being drafted, earning a degree in Chemistry. He worked for an oil refinery and then later went to work for the Veterans Administration.

There are 61 Medal of Honor Recipients alive today.

About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor (the United States' highest award for military valor in action) and its Recipients, inspiring Americans to live the values the Medal represents, and supporting Recipients as they connect with communities across America. Chartered by Congress in 1958, the Society's membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor.

The Society carries out its mission through outreach, education, and preservation programs, which are fully funded by generous donors. Learn more about the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's initiatives at cmohs.org.

Contact: John Falkenbury
[email protected]

SOURCE Congressional Medal of Honor Society