When The River Dreams: The Life Of Marine Sgt. Freddy Gonzalez

Marine Sergeant Freddy Gonzalez took over as platoon commander before his company entered Hue City, and quickly found themselves surrounded by enemy forces trying to stop the Marines from entering the city, on Jan. 31, 1968, at the beginning of the horrific Tet Offensive. Over the course of the next three days he was wounded several times while saving fellow Marines and launching brave, deadly, solitary attacks on enemy positions. On the morning of Feb. 4, 1968, at the St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, he fired a dozen rockets at North Vietnamese Army positions, saving the pinned-down platoon, giving his life for his men. He was the only man awarded the Medal of Honor for the month-long battle of Hue City--the most violent, intense fighting of the entire 10-year war. Born in Edinburg, Texas, May 23, 1946, Freddy was the only child born to Dolia Gonzalez. She raised him alone on the wages of a waitress and a farm worker. He also worked in the fields during his youth, until graduating from high school and joining the Marine Corps in the summer of 1965. This is his story.