10JUN1965: CM3 Marvin Shields and Navy Seabee Team 1104 was helping to construct a remote Special Forces base in an area of Vietnam known as Dong Xoai in summer of 1965. On June 10th, while the base was still under construction, a large Viet Cong element struck, attacking on all sides. Heavily outnumbered, many American and South Vietnamese troops, including Shields were wounded in the initial engagement. Without missing a beat, Shields stepped in wherever needed. For the first three hours of the fight, Shields ferried the much needed ammunition through deadly enemy fire to the various defensive positions keeping the Viet Cong at bay. Shields was wounded a second time as the enemy mounted a close range assault with grenades and flame throwers. After four more hours of moving ammunition and wounded Soldiers across the battlefield, Shields volunteered to help one of the Special Forces Soldiers to knock out an enemy machine gun position. After destroying the enemy team, Shields was killed as he returned to the safety of the US defensive position. After placing himself in harms way time and again to keep his men in the fight, CM3 Marvin Shields would be awarded, posthumously, the Medal of Honor. To date, CM3 Shields is the only Navy Seabee to have been awarded this honor.

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