Flag ceremony recalls medic’s sacrifice 40 years ago

Photos: Medal of Honor Flag ceremony

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Staff photo by Jan Underwood/Cindy Dafler and her son Joseph G. LaPointe III, (right) family of SP4 Joseph G. LaPointe Jr., receive the Medal of Honor Flag during a presentation ceremony held Tuesday, June 2, at the Army Reserve Center in Riverside. LaPointe was killed in action in Vietnam on June 2, 1969 while serving as a medic. LaPointe was previously recognized with the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions that day. The flag was presented by Brig. Gen. Richard W. Thomas

By Dale Huffman, Staff Writer Updated 11:54 PM Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Forty years after he was shot and killed by enemy guns on Hill 376 in Vietnam while trying to help two fallen comrades under heavy gunfire, Joseph Guy LaPointe Jr., of Dayton, is again being honored and remembered.

His widow Cindy LaPointe Dafler and son Joseph G. LaPointe III, who is 40 and never met his father, were presented a Medal of Honor Flag on Tuesday, June 2.

“My purpose in life is to keep my husband’s memory alive,” Dafler said just before the ceremony. About 50 attended the touching, simple ceremony of the grim anniversary in the LaPointe Army Reserve Center, 38 Woodman Drive, a building that last year was renamed in the hero’s honor.

Spc. LaPointe previously was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for bravery in action, along with a Silver Star, Bronze Star, and the National Defense Service Medal.

Born and raised in North Dayton, LaPointe moved to Clayton after he graduated from Northridge High School in 1966.

He was drafted into the Army in 1968, after working as a mail carrier in Englewood. He was a conscientious objector and was trained as a combat medic and was sent to Vietnam in November 1968.

His family called him “Guy,” his widow said. Those in B Troop, the 17th Calvary, 101st Airborne Division knew him as “Doc.”

Death came when he was shot down by a burst of enemy gunfire on June 2, 1969, while shielding and giving medical attention to two fellow soldiers pinned down by the enemy. All three were mortally wounded.

“His gallantry and selflessness are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him,” said Brig. Gen. Richard W. Thomas, who officiated at the ceremony.

Over the years there have been a number of special honors for LaPointe. A portion of Ohio 49 in Montgomery County is named the LaPointe Memorial Highway, and a housing complex at Fort Campbell, Ky., and a medical heliport at Fort Benning, Ga., have been renamed in his honor.

According to his widow, LaPointe cared greatly about the environment and spent much of his young life hiking and studying the natural environment. “Guy loved the flowers, and the birds, and the land,” she said. “He wanted to one day attend college with a biology major and his dream was to work either for the National Park System or the National Audubon Society.”

In accepting the honor, the widow said, “Guy’s courageous actions in war at the cost of his life were an inspiration to his comrades. I still get e-mails and messages from young men in the military today. It is good to know that Guy’s story lives on and that the younger soldiers respect and remember his selfless acts with such love and awe.”

Dale Huffman wants your suggestions and story ideas. He’d like to share a story about you, your family, or a friend. This column is for you. Send e-mail to dhuffman@DaytonDailyNews.com or write to Dale at 1611 S. Main St. Dayton, OH 45409. Fax: (937) 225-2489. Phone: (937) 225-2272.

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