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Clifford Chester Sims
Rank and Organization: Staff
Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company D, 2d Battalion (Airborne),
501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division.
Place and Date: Near Hue, Republic of Vietnam, 21 February 1968.
Entered Service At: Jacksonville, Fla.
Born: 18 June 1942, Port St. Joe, Fla.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at
the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt.
Sims distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader with
Company D. Company D was assaulting a heavily fortified
enemy position concealed within a dense wooded area when it
encountered strong enemy defensive fire. Once within the
woodline, S/Sgt. Sims led his squad in a furious attack against
an enemy force which had pinned down the 1st Platoon and
threatened to overrun it. His skillful leadership provided the
platoon with freedom of movement and enabled it to regain the
initiative. S/Sgt. Sims was then ordered to move his squad to a
position where he could provide covering fire for the company
command group and to link up with the 3d Platoon, which was
under heavy enemy pressure. After moving no more than 30
meters S/Sgt. Sims noticed that a brick structure in which
ammunition was stocked was on fire. Realizing the danger,
S/Sgt. Sims took immediate action to move his squad from this
position. Though in the process of leaving the area 2 members
of his squad were injured by the subsequent explosion of the
ammunition, S/Sgt. Sims' prompt actions undoubtedly
prevented more serious casualties from occurring. While
continuing through the dense woods amidst heavy enemy fire,
S/Sgt. Sims and his squad were approaching a bunker when
they heard the unmistakable noise of a concealed booby trap
being triggered immediately to their front. S/Sgt. Sims warned
his comrades of the danger and unhesitatingly hurled himself
upon the device as it exploded, taking the full impact of the
blast. In so protecting his fellow soldiers, he willingly sacrificed
his life. S/Sgt. Sims' extraordinary heroism at the cost of his life
is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service
and reflects great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
Source: Department
of Defense.
Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy.
Black Americans in Defense of Our Nation.
Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1985.
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"Bush Helps Dedicate New Veterans Home."
St. Petersburg Times, (August 22, 2003). Retrieved October 13, 2003 from the World
Wide Web: http://www.sptimes.com/2003/08/22/State/
Bush_helps_dedicate_n.shtml.
 
Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs. "Media Advisory."
(August 18, 2003). Retrieved October 13, 2003 from the World
Wide Web: http://www.floridavets.org/news/PDF/
mediaadvisorybaycounty.PDF.
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Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs. "State Veterans' Nursing Homes."
(2003). Retrieved October 13, 2003 from the World
Wide Web: http://www.floridavets.org/organization/
nursinghomes.html.
"Just A Little Walk In The Woods."
(1995). Retrieved October 13, 2003 from the World
Wide Web: http://www.blackied2501.com/hue.htm.
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