Riley L. Pitts
1937–1967 (age 30)
Military officer
Biography
Riley L. Pitts, born 1937, rose through the ranks of the United States Army and became the first African American officer to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions in Vietnam, a distinction he earned after leading his platoon with courage despite tremendous danger.
His family, comrades, and the country remember him for the selfless leadership he displayed on the battlefield and the doors he helped open for African American soldiers seeking positions of greater responsibility.