Richard O. Culver Jr.

He graduated from high school in 1954 and then attended Virginia Military Institute (VMI), where he was a member of the Marine Corps Reserves.

[5][8] Culver was a member and later commanding officer of the Marine Corps Rifle and Pistol team, earning several medals in competition.

While engaged in a company-size search and destroy mission near the village of Ap Sieu Quan during Operation BEAR CHAIN, Captain Culver had established a defensive perimeter outside the village and had deployed one platoon to search the area when the entire company came under intense small arms and automatic weapons fire form an estimated North Vietnamese Army company firing from entrenched, heavily-fortified positions and sustained several casualties.

He found that the Marines were temporarily pinned down by fire being delivered from a tree line 300 meters distant from his defensive perimeter and from positions within the village.

Exhibiting an extensive knowledge of tactics, Captain Culver quickly consolidated his position, established a base of fire to cover the evacuation of the wounded and maneuvered the search platoon back to the perimeter.

When the gunships arrived, Captain Culver accurately directed their fire against hostile positions seventy-five meters from the front elements of his unit.

After the fixed wing aircraft arrived, he skillfully adjusted their runs directly on top of the enemy bunkers and trench lines.

Leading a coordinated two-platoon attack against the enemy the following morning, he found that the North Vietnamese had been successfully routed and had left five dead, one rifle, several grenades, demolitions and numerous pieces of equipment.

By his superior leadership, bold initiative and selfless devotion to duty at great personal risk, Captain Culver upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.