Nick Bacon: A Young Sergeant Who Led Through Fire. .m
Fifty-seven years ago, on August 26, 1968, a 22-year-old Staff Sergeant named Nick Bacon stepped into the crucible of combat west of Tam Ky, South Vietnam. That day, amid chaos and loss, he displayed leadership and gallantry that not only saved lives but also carved his name into the annals of American heroism.
Bacon served with 1st Platoon, Company B, 4th Battalion, 21st Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. His unit was deep in the jungle when they came under withering fire from entrenched North Vietnamese forces. Gunfire raked the trees, grenades exploded in bursts of dirt and smoke, and men were pinned down.
In the face of overwhelming danger, Bacon refused to let fear take hold. He quickly organized his squad and pushed forward, leading the assault himself. With grenades in hand, he stormed an enemy bunker, killing its occupants and breaking a key strongpoint. His boldness gave his men the momentum they needed to fight back.
Then disaster struck. Bacon’s platoon leader fell badly wounded. Without hesitation, Bacon assumed command. He spotted a hostile machine gun nest and charged, killing its crew in close combat. Under continuous fire, he dragged the wounded officer to safety before returning once more to finish the job against the enemy weapon that had devastated his platoon.
But the fight was not finished. As the third platoon moved to reinforce, its leader too was wounded. Once again, Bacon stepped into the breach, taking command of not just one, but two platoons under fire. Rallying the men around him, he pressed attack after attack, moving relentlessly against enemy strongholds. By the end of the fight, Bacon had personally killed four enemy soldiers and destroyed an anti-tank weapon that threatened the survival of his men.
When tanks arrived to aid the beleaguered Americans, Bacon climbed atop one of the armored vehicles, fully exposed to enemy fire. He directed suppressive fire, coordinated movements, and guided the evacuation of trapped and wounded soldiers. Enemy bullets shredded his equipment—piercing his helmet, rifle, canteen, and even his boots—but miraculously, he survived. His refusal to retreat, even when targeted directly, gave his soldiers courage to keep fighting.
What Bacon accomplished that day went beyond bravery. His leadership broke the enemy’s resistance and turned certain disaster into a hard-fought victory. More importantly, he ensured that trapped comrades were rescued and that his company could continue the fight.
For his actions, Nick Bacon was later awarded the Medal of Honor, America’s highest military decoration. At just 22 years old, he embodied the qualities of leadership, sacrifice, and selfless devotion to duty that the medal represents.
Bacon survived Vietnam and carried his commitment to service into civilian life. After leaving the Army, he became a tireless advocate for veterans, dedicating his career to public service. He eventually served as director of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, where he fought to improve the lives of those who had borne the weight of war.
On July 17, 2010, Nick Bacon passed away in Rose Bud, Arkansas, at the age of 64. His death was mourned not only by his family and fellow veterans, but by a nation that recognized the enduring power of his example.
Today, his story continues to inspire. Nick Bacon’s courage in the jungles of Vietnam reminds us that leadership is often born in the darkest moments—that even in the face of overwhelming fire, one man’s determination can change the fate of many.
Fifty-seven years later, his actions still resonate as a testament to duty, brotherhood, and the unyielding spirit of those who choose to lead from the front.
Honouring the Veterans of the Battle at Shaggy Ridge
High in the mountains of Papua New Guinea lies a narrow, jagged spur known as Shaggy Ridge. In January 1944, this treacherous terrain became the scene of one of the most dramatic and grueling battles fought by Australian forces in the Pacific. Today, we honour the veterans of that campaign—men who faced not only a determined enemy, but also the unforgiving conditions of jungle and mountain warfare.
Shaggy Ridge was part of the Finisterre Range, a formidable natural barrier held by the Japanese after their retreat from the Huon Peninsula. The ridge itself was little more than a knife-edge, in some places only a few feet wide, with sheer drops on either side. Whoever controlled it commanded the approaches to the Ramu Valley below, making it a strategic prize. For the Australians of the 7th Division, tasked with driving the Japanese from this stronghold, the mission would test every ounce of their endurance and courage.
The men of the 2/9th, 2/10th, and 2/12th Battalions bore the brunt of the fighting. Clambering up steep jungle tracks under blistering heat and torrential rain, they carried rifles, ammunition, and supplies on their backs. The enemy was well dug in, with bunkers camouflaged into the ridge and machine-gun posts covering every approach. Each advance demanded not just bravery, but sheer physical strength, as soldiers hauled themselves hand over hand up slopes so steep that ropes were sometimes required.
By mid-January 1944, the Australians launched a full assault. Operation “Cutthroat,” as it was called, aimed to capture the key positions along Shaggy Ridge, including Kankiryo Saddle and Crater Hill. Mortars, artillery, and air strikes softened enemy defenses, but in the end, it came down to the grit of the infantry. Section by section, they advanced, silencing machine-gun nests with grenades and bayonets, often in close-quarter combat.
The battle lasted weeks, with the Japanese resisting fiercely. Yet the Australians pressed on with determination born of necessity. Many veterans later recalled the exhaustion—the constant climbing, the weight of sodden uniforms, the mud that clung to every step. Food was scarce, sleep was brief, and disease was as much an enemy as the Japanese. Still, their spirit never broke.
By late January, the 7th Division had secured Shaggy Ridge. The victory opened the way to the Ramu Valley and cleared the path for the Allied advance through New Guinea. Strategically, it was a critical achievement; symbolically, it was a testament to the endurance and fighting spirit of the Australian soldier.
For the men who fought there, however, the memory was more personal. They remembered the mateship that sustained them when strength alone was not enough—the hand extended to haul a comrade up a cliff, the shared joke in the mud, the quiet resolve of men who knew they could depend on one another. Those bonds, forged on the slopes of Shaggy Ridge, outlasted the war itself.
The cost was heavy. Many Australians gave their lives on that unforgiving ridge, their graves now tended with care in cemeteries across Papua New Guinea. For their families, and for their nation, their sacrifice remains a solemn reminder of the price of freedom.
Today, more than eight decades later, we remember the Battle of Shaggy Ridge not only as a military triumph but as a story of human endurance. The veterans who fought there carried home the scars of that struggle—both seen and unseen—but also the pride of having stood firm in one of the most challenging campaigns of the Pacific War.
As we reflect on their service, we honour the men of the 2/9th, 2/10th, 2/12th, and all who fought in the Finisterre Range. Their courage ensured victory in one of the most difficult battlegrounds of World War II.
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