Mitchell W. Stout

Mitchell William Stout
Army Medal of Honor
Born	(1950-02-24)February 24, 1950 Knoxville, Tennessee
Died	March 12, 1970(1970-03-12) (aged 20) Firebase Khe Gio, Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam
Place of burial	Virtue Cemetery, Farragut, Tennessee
Allegiance	United States of America
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1967–1970
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	44th Artillery Regiment
Battles / wars	Vietnam War †
Awards	Medal of Honor Bronze Star Purple Heart

Mitchell William Stout (February 24, 1950 – March 12, 1970) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.

Biography

Stout was one of at least three children. Stout enjoyed fast cars, country music, fishing, and hunting. At age 17, Mitchell Stout dropped out of Lenoir City High School in North Carolina and enlisted in the Army from Raleigh, North Carolina in August 1967. He successfully completed paratrooper school before the Army discharged him after discovering his real age. By the time he was discharged, Stout was already 18 years old and immediately re-enlisted. Stout served as a Squad Leader. According to Stout’s sister, Melody Woods, “love for his guys is what led him to volunteer for a second tour. He felt like he could offer them more than somebody that hadn’t been there before. That maybe he could help somebody”. By March 12, 1970, was serving as a Sergeant in Battery C, 1st Battalion, 44th Artillery Regiment. On that day, at Khe Gio Bridge in the Republic of Vietnam, Stout picked up an enemy-thrown grenade and used his body to shield his comrades at the expense of his own life.

Stout, aged 20 at his death, was buried in Virtue Cemetery, Farragut, Tennessee.

Medal of Honor citation

Sergeant Stout's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Sgt. Stout distinguished himself during an attack by a North Vietnamese Army Sapper company on his unit's firing position at Khe Gio Bridge. Sgt. Stout was in a bunker with members of a searchlight crew when the position came under heavy enemy mortar fire and ground attack. When the intensity of the mortar attack subsided, an enemy grenade was thrown into the bunker. Displaying great courage, Sgt. Stout ran to the grenade, picked it up, and started out of the bunker. As he reached the door, the grenade exploded. By holding the grenade close to his body and shielding its blast, he protected his fellow soldiers in the bunker from further injury or death. Sgt. Stout's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action, at the cost of his own life, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the U.S. Army.

Other

The 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Battalion Headquarters in Fort Cavazos, Tx. is named in his honor.

The gym on main post Fort Bliss is also named in his honor.

SGT Stout is the only US Army Air Defense Artillerymen to earn the Medal of Honor.

In 2024, the M-SHORAD air defense vehicle based on the Stryker platform was officially named after Stout.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War

References

• "Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. October 3, 2003. Archived from the original on 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2007-06-12.