Jay R. Vargas

Jay R. Vargas (born July 29, 1938) is a retired United States Marine Corps colonel who served in the Vietnam War.

He received the Medal of Honor for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty" in 1968.

For his actions in the Battle of Dai Do, Republic of Vietnam in 1968 as a captain, Vargas was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Richard M. Nixon in a May 1970 ceremony at the White House.

[1] After almost thirty years of service, Vargas retired from the Marine Corps in 1992 as a colonel.

After leaving the military, Vargas, a Republican, served as the Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs from 1993 to 1998.

Lieutenant Colonel Jay Vargas with Medal of Honor
A light blue neck ribbon with a gold star shaped medallion hanging from it. The ribbon is similar in shape to a bowtie with 13 white stars in the center of the ribbon.