Alfred Mac Wilson (1948 - 1969)

Born 13 Jan 1948 in Olney, Illinois

Died 3 Mar 1969 at age 21 in Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam

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Biography

Alfred Wilson was awarded the Medal of Honor.

PFC Alfred Wilson was Killed in Action during Vietnam War.

Private First Class Alfred Mac Wilson

Alfred "Mac" Wilson was born in January 1948 in Illinois, a son of Fred V. Wilson (1914-1992) and Edna Virgy O’Neal (1917-1969). He was often called Mac rather than Alfred. He had an older sister, Marilyn "Sue" Wilson (1945-2015).

He played football and ran track. He was well liked and was a 1967 graduate of Odessa High School, Odessa, Texas.^[1],^[2]

Mac enlisted in Abilene, Texas and completed Basic Training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California.^[3] He began his tour of active duty in Vietnam on 21 July 1968. He served as a rifleman, Private First Class, in M Company, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. He died in March 1969 from an enemy grenade. His body was recovered and returned to his family for burial. He was age 21.^[4],^[5]

Burial: Sunset Memorial Gardens, Odessa, Ector County, Texas, USA^[6]

Plot: Prayer Section, Lot 54, Grave 4

PFC Wilson is remembered on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall at Panel W30, Line 35.^[7] Memories of Mac are also posted in the Wall of Faces website.^[8]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Company M, 3d Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division

Place and Date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 3 March 1969

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifleman with Company M in action against hostile forces. While returning from a reconnaissance-in-force mission in the vicinity of Fire Support Base Cunningham, the 1st Platoon of Company M came under intense automatic weapons fire and a grenade attack from a well concealed enemy force. As the center of the column was pinned down, the leading squad moved to outflank the enemy. Pfc. Wilson, acting as squad leader of the rear squad, skillfully maneuvered his men to form a base of fire and act as a blocking force. In the ensuing fire fight, both his machine gunner and assistant machine gunner were seriously wounded and unable to operate their weapons. Realizing the urgent need to bring the weapon into operation again, Pfc. Wilson, followed by another marine and with complete disregard for his safety, fearlessly dashed across the fire-swept terrain to recover the weapon. As they reached the machinegun, an enemy soldier stepped from behind a tree and threw a grenade toward the 2 marines. Observing the grenade fall between himself and the other marine, Pfc. Wilson, fully realizing the inevitable result of his actions, shouted to his companion and unhesitating threw himself on the grenade, absorbing the full force of the explosion with his own body. His heroic actions inspired his platoon members to maximum effort as they aggressively attacked and defeated the enemy. Pfc. Wilson's indomitable courage, inspiring valor and selfless devotion to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Honors and Namesakes

Wilson and Young Medal of Honor Middle School, Odessa, Texas in honor of Wilson and Staff Sergeant Marvin Rex Young

Family

Parent(s): Edna Virgy O'Neal Wilson (1917 - 1969)

Sibling:

Marilyn Sue Wilson (1945 - 2015)

Sources

1. ↑ Texas State Cemetery website MOH listing
2. ↑ U.S. Army Center for Military History website
3. ↑ Congressional Medal of Honor Society; Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina; Congressional Medal of Honor Society Recipients. Ancestry.com. Web: U.S., Congressional Medal of Honor Society Recipients, 1839 - 2012 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2019.
4. ↑ "United States Military Personnel who Died During the Vietnam War, 1956-2003," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXXB-YSP : 12 December 2014), Alfred Mac Wilson, 03 Mar 1969; citing , , South Vietnam, panel 30W, line 035, NARA NAID 571687, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
5. ↑ "United States Casualties of the Vietnam War, 1956-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXZ4-KVS : 12 December 2014), Alfred Mac Wilson, NARA NAID 306742, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
6. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9692 : accessed 05 September 2020), memorial page for Alfred Mac Wilson (13 Jan 1948–3 Mar 1969), Find a Grave Memorial no. 9692, citing Sunset Memorial Gardens, Odessa, Ector County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave; Photos added by Sel Wong, Sharon Hulsey, B.A. Odessa & David N. Lotz.
7. ↑ Fold3; the interactive Vietnam Veterans Memorial; photographed by Peter Krogh;
8. ↑ "The Wall of Faces", the Vietnam Veterans Virtual Memorial Wall by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund: https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/56605/ALFRED-M-WILSON/

See also:

• Private First Class Alfred Mac
• Alfred Mac
• Obituary: The Odessa American newspaper; Publication Date: 19/ Mar/ 1969; Publication Place: Odessa, Texas, United States of America; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/301797416/?article=f0471ea3-53ee-4632-b190-4c5fd4ae9b7a&focus=0.84576833,0.10241014,0.9709047,0.3269025&xid=3355. Ancestry.com. Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2019.