Gordon Yntema's Medal of Honor Sacrifice in Vietnam

Oct 01 , 2025

Gordon Yntema's Medal of Honor Sacrifice in Vietnam

In the hellfire of Vietnam’s dense jungles, a single grenade can decide lives in an instant. When it fell among Gordon Douglas Yntema and his men, hesitation died first. Yntema moved, instinct sharpened by years of grit and faith. He threw himself on that grenade. A shield made of flesh and bone. To save others, he swallowed death’s bite, so brothers might live.

Background & Faith

Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Gordon Yntema carried something deeper than a rifle in his heart—a steadfast faith and an ironclad honor code. Raised in a family where faith was the bedrock, the Bible was more than words; it was a compass. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13) wasn’t a phrase; it was a promise he lived by.

He enlisted in the Army and became a Green Beret with the 5th Special Forces. Discipline carved his character; the jungle tested it. Underneath the quiet demeanor was a warrior who understood the weight of every man beside him.

The Battle That Defined Him

Late March 1968, War Zone D, near Ben Cui, Vietnam. Yntema’s MACV-SOG recon team struck deep behind enemy lines on a covert mission—a lethal game of shadows and death.

When his unit was ambushed by a North Vietnamese Army force estimated at company strength, chaos erupted. Surrounded. Outgunned. The jungle filled with bullets, screams, and smoke.

Yntema fought forward, refusing to fall back. Twice wounded, ignoring pain like a ghost, he grabbed an enemy grenade—torn metal, deadly intent—and hurled it into the brush, beyond his men. Then, another grenade landed in their midst. No time. No second thoughts. He dove on it, absorbing the blast.

One comrade said later, “He gave us the chance to live. That’s a debt we carry every day.”

Recognition

For his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty,” Yntema was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.[¹] The citation reads:

“Sergeant Yntema’s selfless action undoubtedly saved the lives of several comrades at the cost of his own.”

His fellow soldiers remember a man who didn’t flinch in the face of death, who valued brotherhood more than breathing. His commander said, “Yntema embodied the spirit of the Green Berets—quiet, deadly, and utterly devoted.”

Legacy & Lessons

Yntema’s sacrifice is not just a footnote in history but a living testament to fierce, selfless love. The kind of love only forged in fire, tested by bullets, and sealed in blood.

His story speaks beyond the battlefield. It reminds us sacrifice still carries meaning—that valor isn’t about glory, but choice. When everyone else hesitated, he acted. When the easy path was to run or wait, he charged headfirst into death’s teeth.

His death is a solemn prayer for comrades locked in endless war. For civilians watching from afar, it’s a call to recognize the cost behind freedom’s face.

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Yntema’s harvest was blood and hope.

We honor Gordon Douglas Yntema not because he died—but because he lived fiercely, loved deeply, and died so others might see tomorrow. His scars mark the soil beneath our feet, a sanctuary hardened in brotherhood and sacrifice. That is a legacy etched in fire, never to fade.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients—Vietnam War 2. Special Forces Association, Green Beret Heroes of Vietnam 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Charles Gordon Yntema Citation