Medal of Honor

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Specialist Petersen distinguished himself while serving as an armored  personnel carrier commander with Company B during a combat operation  against a North Vietnamese Force estimated to be of battalion size. During the initial contact with the enemy, an armored personnel  carrier was disabled and the crewmen were pinned down by the heavy  onslaught of enemy small arms, automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenade fire. Spec. Petersen immediately maneuvered his armored personnel  carrier to a position between the disabled vehicle and the enemy. He  placed suppressive fire on the enemy's well-fortified position, thereby enabling the  crewmembers of the disabled personnel carrier to repair their vehicle.  He then maneuvered his vehicle, while still under heavy hostile fire to  within 10 feet of the enemy's defensive emplacement. After a period of  intense fighting, his vehicle received a direct hit and the driver was  wounded. With extraordinary courage and selfless disregard for his own  safety, Spec. Petersen carried his wounded comrade 45 meters across the  bullet-swept field to a secure area. He then voluntarily returned to his  disabled armored personnel carrier to provide covering fire for both  the other vehicles and the dismounted personnel of his platoon as they  withdrew. Despite heavy fire from 3 sides, he remained with his disabled  vehicle, alone and completely exposed. Spec. Petersen was standing on  top of his vehicle, firing his weapon, when he was mortally wounded. His  heroic and selfless actions prevented further loss of life in his  platoon. Spec. Petersen's conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary  heroism are in the highest traditions of the service and reflect great  credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.