Administration www.flaglercounty.org Phone: (386)313-4001 1769 E. Moody Blvd Bldg 2 Bunnell, FL 32110 Fax: (386)313-4101 Julie Murphy, MPIO Flagler County Public Information Officer (386) 313-4039 Email
[email protected] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Flagler County hosts Memorial Day service featuring Vietnam War retired Army veteran Sergeant First Class Melvin Morris May 17, 2021 – Join Flagler County at its Memorial Day Ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday, May 31, featuring Special Guest Speaker Sergeant First Class Melvin Morris, US Army (retired), Vietnam War Special Forces Veteran and Medal of Honor recipient. “It is an honor and a privilege to have a real life American hero like Sergeant Morris help us pay tribute to those who lost their lives in service to our country,” said Veterans Service Officer David Lydon. Morris was one of the first Soldiers to don the “green beret” at the command of President John F. Kennedy while at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on October 12, 1961. In the United States armed forces, the green beret may be worn only by soldiers awarded the Special Forces Tab, signifying they have been qualified as Special Forces soldiers. He twice volunteered for deployments to Vietnam. Morris received the Medal of Honor in recognition for his valorous actions while commanding the Third Company, Third Battalion of the IV Mobile Strike Force near Chi Lang. A staff sergeant at the time, Morris led an advance across enemy lines to retrieve a fallen comrade and single-handedly destroyed an enemy force that had pinned his battalion from a series of bunkers.