In action on this day near Phu Cuong, about 35 miles northwest of Saigon, PFC of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry, throws himself on an enemy grenade and saves four soldiers, including his platoon leader, 1st Lt. James Sanford.
The action came during a patrol that made contact with Communist forces on the southern fringes of the infamous 鈥淚ron Triangle,鈥 a traditional Communist stronghold. Private Olive鈥檚 body absorbed the full, deadly blast of the grenade and he died saving his comrades. Lieutenant Sanford later said of Olive鈥檚 act that 鈥淚t was the most incredible display of selfless bravery I ever witnessed.鈥 Olive, a native of Chicago, was only 18 years old when he died; he received the Medal of Honor posthumously six months later. The city of Chicago honored its fallen hero by naming a junior college, a lakefront park, and a portion of the McCormick Place convention center after him.
